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How Black Girls Can Reclaim Their Voice in Music | Kyra Gaunt | TED

How does music shape us? Digital ethnomusicologist and TED Fellow Kyra Gaunt studies how Black girls can preserve the integrity of their own voices while listening, dancing and singing to pop songs largely engineered by men, often with lyrics that express anti-Black, patriarchal sentiments. In a quick, incisive talk, she shows how Black girls can…

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How does music shape us? Digital ethnomusicologist and TED Fellow Kyra Gaunt studies how Black girls can preserve the integrity of their own voices while listening, dancing and singing to pop songs largely engineered by men, often with lyrics that express anti-Black, patriarchal sentiments. In a quick, incisive talk, she shows how Black girls can disrupt the stereotypes and stigmas buried within this music and chart their own revolution in sound.

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83 Comments

83 Comments

  1. xijn Booth

    June 15, 2022 at 4:37 pm

    Success in the current music industry has nothing to do with the artist. It has to do with marketing only and not their voice, lyrics, beat, race, values, etc.

    • Your Karma

      June 15, 2022 at 4:51 pm

      That completely flies in the face of history and all facts but ok.

    • b1njjj95

      June 15, 2022 at 5:08 pm

      Did you fail history or did history fail you? 🤔

    • krninja22

      June 15, 2022 at 5:52 pm

      @b1njjj95 Oh, teach us about history please.

    • b1njjj95

      June 15, 2022 at 6:16 pm

      @krninja22 You have hands, the internet exists. Do your own damn research and stop expecting others to do the work for you. Go to the library, pick up a book. What is wrong with these newer generations and their unwillingness to learn? I know you didn’t come here to learn something today.

  2. The Jacal

    June 15, 2022 at 4:37 pm

    Doesn’t it ‘affect’ white girls too?

    • Jeff Milligan

      June 15, 2022 at 4:45 pm

      Doesn’t it affect EVERYONE?

    • A.I.

      June 15, 2022 at 4:59 pm

      This video is ridiculous. Let’s single out black girls in their insecurities. Insidious.

  3. Christian Soldier

    June 15, 2022 at 4:37 pm

    Jesus loves you , well those that return to him.

    • Xraxxus

      June 15, 2022 at 10:36 pm

      So, Jesus loves you but, oh wait, actually no he doesn’t. LOL

    • nuberiffic

      June 16, 2022 at 7:40 am

      Jesus isn’t real.

    • Austin Richards

      June 16, 2022 at 8:06 pm

      Literally just said your god doesn’t love the majority of humans in the comments. It’s supposed to be a positive comment I’m guessing, but it’s definitely not.

    • Christian Soldier

      June 16, 2022 at 8:25 pm

      @Austin Richards narrow is the road to righteousness and few will find it. Broad is the road that leads to destruction and is filled with many. That’s is this thing called “The Bible” no not everyone is loved by God and no not everyone are going to heaven.

    • Janet Eriba

      June 17, 2022 at 12:18 am

      @Christian Soldier Wow, I was shocked reading this from someone that calls themselves “Christian” it seems like you don’t know the Jesus you’re talking about. Jesus loves EVERYBODY. Even the worst sinner you could think off that’s why he died for us all, you only need to believe and accept his love.

  4. M R

    June 15, 2022 at 4:42 pm

    Surprised they left the comments on

  5. Jeff Milligan

    June 15, 2022 at 4:42 pm

    “Musical mansplaining”. That’s a new one.

  6. Jeff Milligan

    June 15, 2022 at 4:43 pm

    Everyone hates their voice on tape because the pitch is higher than we perceive it in our heads. It’s an audio engineering fact. But meh, it’s the patriarchy.

    • The Jacal

      June 15, 2022 at 6:39 pm

      I remember for a school performance, I had to sing ‘I’m doin fine’ by Jason Donovan. I hated the sound of my ‘singing’ voice, so high, so I did it again in a lower voice, sounded like Bob Dylan crossed with Paul Robeson!!

    • Brian Lorenzo

      June 15, 2022 at 7:40 pm

      I don’t think it has anything to do with the pitch necessarily I think we all just sound drastically different than we think we do hearing ourselves from inside our own head. There can be many reasons one doesn’t like how they sound.

    • DrewGoo

      June 15, 2022 at 8:59 pm

      People have that reaction, until they don’t. When they’ve heard their voice enough, it goes away. Like a stinky fart, you get used to it. Nice deflection though 🤡

  7. Jeff Milligan

    June 15, 2022 at 4:47 pm

    Guess a man wrote “spazz” in Lizzy’s latest idiotic track. So why did she apologize when she could have just blamed the man who wrote it?

    • Disco McMillan

      June 16, 2022 at 7:50 am

      Did the man write the part about involuntary castration as well?

    • Jeff Milligan

      June 16, 2022 at 7:59 am

      @Disco McMillan Haha, yeah, I guess so!

  8. hdmat101

    June 15, 2022 at 4:49 pm

    This is a more uplifting Ted talk compared to lizzos

  9. Jiwid

    June 15, 2022 at 4:51 pm

    Why it has to be about race again? And it’s men fault too?…I really don’t get why she’s hinting about girls being oversexualized by their representative counterparts in modern music (why even specifically black girls I don’t get), while listening to…Nicki Minaj? Like What? White girls don’t do the same things? Are they somehow immune to the countless mind boggling social medial trends? Ugh…

    I mean, it’s just being a teenager to a degree, but also shallow in general if you passed a certain age…if out of all the things that you can value in life the most prominent is shaking your bum just to impress, dancing to a very sophisticated ethnic dance performed to seduce, you may have to revalue some things in life…

    Why can’t people get themselve together, instead of pointing the finger? It’s men’s problem, it’s white privileges, it’s the upper class, it’s the multi millionaire agenda, it’s the fascist propaganda, it’s the black oppression. Don’t you have enough problems on your own family? Why it’s always someone, but never yourself?

  10. Monroe

    June 15, 2022 at 4:53 pm

    I agree ☝🏽 with this speaker

    • Jesper Andersson

      June 15, 2022 at 4:57 pm

      Seriously? Are you a bot or you really agree that pop songs “often have anti-black lyrics”?

  11. Tesla and Humanity

    June 15, 2022 at 4:53 pm

    I agree ☝🏽 with this speaker

  12. R Belle

    June 15, 2022 at 4:53 pm

    Save Our Girls! 💓🙏🏽🥰 ThankS

    • 50 Megaton Diplomat

      June 15, 2022 at 5:17 pm

      100%❣

  13. Shauntay Brandon

    June 15, 2022 at 4:54 pm

    You’re comments about color/race having nothing to do with it is why these videos exist because representation/ repeated presentation is POWERFUL. Whether you want to admit it or not stereotypes are perpetuated by marketing mainly through entertainment (ie music).

    No one wants it to be a topic because it’s uncomfortable but that’s the only way to truly end it. Bring it to the light, acknowledgment.

    • b1njjj95

      June 15, 2022 at 5:12 pm

      I’m glad these topics make people uncomfortable. Imagine how uncomfortable systemic racism makes minorities. 😕 These problems are not going to magically disappear if we stop talking about them. Just like how the wrongdoings throughout history did not magically erase the current racial and societal problems that we face today.

    • krninja22

      June 15, 2022 at 5:53 pm

      @b1njjj95 It makes only people that care about race uncomfortable. Stop talking about it.

    • b1njjj95

      June 15, 2022 at 6:13 pm

      @krninja22 Wrong.

    • Disco McMillan

      June 15, 2022 at 6:46 pm

      Maybe convince the multimillionaire female artists you mention to write songs that don’t sexualise the minds of children? These lyrics have been around for generations. From EuroPop to rap/hip hop. It’s totally false to paint this as racist (or even sexist, these songs pressure/affect the minds of young boys just as much). Pretending this is racist and sexist when there are so many successful black female artists is disingenuous and won’t achieve anything. You said right at the start you study young black girls so it’s not surprised that’s what you think, perhaps broaden your scope a little?

    • YOUKNOW

      June 16, 2022 at 3:26 am

      @Disco McMillan McMuffin, again?? Relax buddy, it’s okay for someone to percieve the world outside of your experiences. No defensiveness needed

    • Disco McMillan

      June 16, 2022 at 7:47 am

      @YOUKNOW It’s okay but it doesn’t make that person right and if someone is allowed to share their experiences and opinions then why can’t I share mine? It’s all above your level of intellect if you are resorting to name calling instead of actually addressing my point.

    • YOUKNOW

      June 16, 2022 at 8:06 am

      @Disco McMillan Nah, what you did was be totally dismissive, using rhetoric that assumed someone was intentionally “making it about race” and “pretending” insinuating theres something deeper behind her message. That is not adding your perspective, that’s shutting it down someone elses. She’s allowed to percieve the world through her lens without people like you acting like she’s being deceitful, bringing nothing of value to the conversation except your opinions and acting like that your line of reasoning somehow negates hers. Have you considered her message is not targeted towards you, but towards young african american women? It’s hardly all above my intellect if I name call, garuntee you and every male talk show host or politician you regurgitate does too. But perhaps it’s above your level to conceptualize that people have could possibly have different perspectives and experiences and not cater every word in a way that you feel validates your biases.

    • Flavio A

      June 16, 2022 at 1:30 pm

      Uncomfortable isn’t the right word here lol. No one is uncomfortable watching this: more like over the race bait nonsense

    • YOUKNOW

      June 16, 2022 at 6:11 pm

      @Flavio A you wanna elaborate on how this is race bait?

    • Flavio A

      June 17, 2022 at 8:35 pm

      @YOUKNOW a topic that has no correlation to race made all about race. That’s race baiting.

    • YOUKNOW

      June 18, 2022 at 12:35 am

      @Flavio A the topic of young African American women in the music industry has nothing to do with race, then?

    • YOUKNOW

      June 18, 2022 at 12:36 am

      @Flavio A or, would you only prefer people talk about topics that pertain to you in a way that’s comfortable for you?

    • Flavio A

      June 18, 2022 at 1:29 am

      @YOUKNOW already told you it doesn’t make me uncomfortable. Not sure why you keep using that word. Also the issues she talks about happen to people of all races but she’s singling out African American singers to race bait as already mentioned.

    • YOUKNOW

      June 18, 2022 at 2:48 am

      @Flavio A She’s not denying that other races experience any of the mentioned behaviors. It’s just not the focus of this conversation. This is a very specific conversation. It’s not claiming to be all encompassing, it’s very clear that the conversation is only looking at one narrow group of people and one professionals thoughts on that. As someone studying linguistic anthropology, I can assure you that this conversation in no way denies that young women of other races experience it, nor that men could experience it either. It’s very normal in these spaces to have shorter, bur very focused subjects as to study specific demographics. These conversations happen all the time, it’s not inherently political even if others can’t help but to percieve it that way. It doesn’t negate that similar things happen to others, for similar or different reasons. It doesn’t claim that racism is the only thing fueling this either. So I’m just really confused as to why you are so reactive to it, and would suggest that the problem is your perception of what is happening here. The topic is going to include race, because the topic is young African American women’s relationship to the music industry. That is the topic. So by your own definition of race baiting, this isn’t it. You don’t get to change the topic to that you can be further reactive to it. Quite frankly I feel you barely listened to her, made assumptions in your reactivity and don’t really understand what she’s saying at all.

  14. Chris getoutflgbrnr

    June 15, 2022 at 4:58 pm

    World Star hip hop, the black YouTube??!!! Lol uh no it’s on YouTube

  15. Li On

    June 15, 2022 at 5:06 pm

    Platforms like Ted or Vice used to feel different. Now they feel politicized.

    • A.I.

      June 15, 2022 at 5:57 pm

      It’s almost as if Rupert Murdoch invested in them to make them cringe af

    • Willy S.

      June 15, 2022 at 9:07 pm

      TedX is even worse, lol.

    • YOUKNOW

      June 16, 2022 at 3:28 am

      It’s a platform for professionals to share their perspectives, it’s perfectly acceptable to skip over the content you don’t agree with.

    • Andy Cordy

      June 16, 2022 at 8:38 am

      C’mon! Science and technology are not political? Get real!

    • Jeffrey X

      June 17, 2022 at 10:55 pm

      After I saw your comment, I was like crap! That sux! Then I thought , “is there anything left that hasn’t gone political??” R.I.P. America

    • MaxDecimus13

      June 18, 2022 at 11:34 am

      @YOUKNOW which a lot of people seem to do a lot more often nowadays

    • YOUKNOW

      June 18, 2022 at 6:05 pm

      @MaxDecimus13 I’d prefer it, I feel a lot of people came here just based off the title to complain about race stuff without actually listening to what she was saying, making assumptions and then arguing that

    • MaxDecimus13

      June 19, 2022 at 12:29 am

      @YOUKNOW you’d prefer it, but reality is that the public hate this stuff and Ted has decline massively since it became obsessed with it

  16. Josh NT

    June 15, 2022 at 5:15 pm

    Contemporary progressive ideology is evil, and is tailor made to radicalize already stupid people into becoming ever more useful idiots.

    For how much longer are we going to let this go on?

    • DrewGoo

      June 15, 2022 at 8:56 pm

      Oh how misguided you are

  17. youcouldnt bustagrape

    June 15, 2022 at 5:17 pm

    Could’ve gave the same speech without the segregation and it would’ve made sense.

  18. Steve Steele

    June 15, 2022 at 6:18 pm

    Tweens be like Brandy, don’t give any shts about what anyone says about you, be you, be successful Create your own music. Use your voice. I actually only like rap music with a girl singing the hook. example: everybody dance now.
    solution: bring back 90s music

  19. chocomalk

    June 15, 2022 at 6:35 pm

    Tone deaf…comments on music anyway….smh

  20. Disco McMillan

    June 15, 2022 at 6:40 pm

    Why oh why of why does this have to be about racism and the patriarchy? Why can’t it be about protecting all children from over-sexualisation?

    • YOUKNOW

      June 16, 2022 at 3:21 am

      Because not everything has to be tailored to your preferences, McMuffin

    • Disco McMillan

      June 16, 2022 at 7:44 am

      @YOUKNOW Very well thought out response from someone hiding behind an anonymous account.

    • YOUKNOW

      June 16, 2022 at 8:09 am

      @Disco McMillan I know it might be hard for you to percieve things outside your experience, but not everybody has the need to let everyone else know how smart they are

    • Andy Cordy

      June 16, 2022 at 8:46 am

      It really is! It’s a startling explanation of how you see the mechanism by which abuse is generated. The author’s discovery comes at this from a specific area of research triggered by a particularly ugly, racist oppression but it is easy to see the dangers for all women, not just the very young.

    • Jeffrey X

      June 17, 2022 at 10:59 pm

      Truthfully and honest, because her political masters have trained her well. Just like the many others out there whether if it’s the Right or the Left, doesn’t matter.

  21. TONG SO

    June 15, 2022 at 6:44 pm

    😒😒😀😀😊😊💕💕

  22. trader2137

    June 15, 2022 at 7:13 pm

    why is TED being racist towards white people?

    • Average Joe

      June 15, 2022 at 8:46 pm

      No

  23. Gabriel Maroto

    June 15, 2022 at 8:28 pm

    I remember when Nicki Minaj was on Ellen and a little white girl was her biggest fan and Nicki Minaj said my music isn’t for you thank you for listening but you shouldn’t be in a few years later the industry kicked her out she was not supposed to say that because the execs know that children are listening to these songs and being influenced by them why are we ignoring the experts!

  24. Gabriel Maroto

    June 15, 2022 at 8:28 pm

    I remember when Nicki Minaj was on Ellen and a little girl was her biggest fan and Nicki Minaj said my music isn’t for you thank you for listening but you shouldn’t be in a few years later the industry kicked her out she was not supposed to say that because the execs know that children are listening to these songs and being influenced by them why are we ignoring the experts!

  25. Michał Hapunik

    June 15, 2022 at 10:08 pm

    Tedx is so happy that youtube disabled the dislike button.

    You can still see it if you download a browser extention by the way.

  26. keenarnia

    June 16, 2022 at 12:20 am

    Who took away their voice? How do you find the most ridiculous ways to make yourself a victim?

  27. vizsumit

    June 16, 2022 at 1:54 am

    Many times people end up asking for communism in the name of equality.

  28. victor noagbodji

    June 16, 2022 at 4:40 am

    I respectfully disagree. A female artist who I shall not name took that famous song from Encanto, a kid’s show, remixed it into rap. She talked about the usual empty-headed stuff… And racked prizes for doing so. That did not make some of us happy. I am about tired of this nonsense.

  29. Andy Cordy

    June 16, 2022 at 7:29 am

    This is huge. I am so encouraged by this research as well as horrified by the trauma it exposes. The connect between performance and self image is all important in music, for producer and consumer alike. The broader implications for feminism and our view of the sexualising of children are also explosive. Thank you. Keep up the good work.

  30. Aloysius Soong

    June 16, 2022 at 2:04 pm

    Oh hey look! The comment section is enabled!

  31. Austin Richards

    June 16, 2022 at 8:04 pm

    I had an open mind and enjoyed the way she talked, and I was interested in the topic I assumed waswomen reclaiming their voice in some way.

    Then the put your hands up song is telling women what to do is just way off the mark.

    I feel like you could pick out misogyny in a lot of popular music and find ways to work on that, but the talk isn’t really about that.

  32. Kenneth

    June 17, 2022 at 2:26 am

    Utter bollocks!!! Young girls listening to trash music is the fault of bad parenting. Don’t blame everything on patriarchy. Sexualising children is a sin and many mothers actually are guilty of it.

  33. Shanthi Rutvin

    June 17, 2022 at 7:12 am

    Txs for sharing superr

  34. Study shit

    June 17, 2022 at 9:53 am

    This is why interpretation of anything can lead you astray if you dont know about you own biases. A more global message of this video is stop this over sexualization of children.

  35. Ema

    June 17, 2022 at 12:02 pm

    We focus on the childs instead to stop the crap music being distributed and pumped on top of the charts ?

  36. BloodFacedBeeatch

    June 17, 2022 at 12:47 pm

    The female rap artists are even more grotesque than male artists.

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Joined onstage by four incredible dancers, multidisciplinary artist Tunde Olaniran smolders through a set of songs powered by experimental electronic beats.

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