At a time when many women in music are working hard to look and sound exactly the same, sometimes it feels like there aren’t very many female artists speaking your language and trying to make genuinely good music. Not true! They may not be at the top of the Billboard charts or all over the magazines yet, but there are some very talented women out there ready to change the game. For music lovers everywhere, here are five up-and-coming women in music to look out for.
This Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter, and emcee has had her vocal abilities compared to the likes of Nina Simone and Lauryn Hill, but with a fresh twist. She has provided supporting vocals for many musical geniuses including Common, Lalah Hathaway, Zap Mama, and The Roots. Her work with The Roots landed Maimouna her first Grammy nomination for the hit “Don’t Feel Right.” In 2011, Maimouna released her first EP, Black Magic Woman. That same year she released a full-length album titled The Blooming, which made the Washington Post’s list of the Best DC Music of 2011. One of my favorite songs of Maimouna’s is her cover of Lorde’s “Royals.” Maimouna reclaims our rich African history and proclaims, “We’re already Royals, see it runs in our blood. We just been having tougher luck, we need a different kind of buzz. Let me be your ruler, call me Nefertiti and baby I’ll rule, come on in to reality.” Maimouna is truly a voice that will take the music industry by storm.
