On dark skin affirmation

A playlist

woman below the gaze

It took an uncomfortably long time to come up with 5 songs that celebrate and affirm dark skin. But THANK YOU JESUS, after hours and days of searching, I found them! And they are beautiful. And they are glorious. And they are affirming!

Here are my top 5 songs that give a nod to the deep dark hues. The first two are love letters to dark skinned black people, the next two are a big middle finger to those who invalidate dark skinned beauty, and the last one – a personal mantra for self-love. Enjoy. With love

Brown Skin – India Arie

This song was the first ever art piece that told me I can love my brown skin. Up until that time, I didn’t even know that this was an option. A cultural reset this one. It is a honey-dipped love letter to brown skin.

“Skin so brown, lips so round
Baby how can I be down?
Beautiful mahogany, you make me feel like a queen
Tell me what’s that thing you do that makes me want to get next to you, yeah”

Brown Skin Girl – Beyoncé

The 2019 #BlackGirlMagic anthem. This gem needs no commentary.

“Have you looked in the mirror lately?
Wish you could trade eyes with me ’cause
There’s complexities in complexion
But your skin, it glows like diamonds
Dig me like the earth, you be giving birth
Took everything in life, baby, know your worth
I love everything about you, from your nappy curls
To every single curve, your body natural
Same skin that was broken be the same skin taking over
Most things out of focus, view
But when you’re in the room they notice you
Cause you’re beautiful, yeah you’re beautiful

Black Woman – Danielle Brooks

Danielle Brooks sings about the black female experience. The fetishizing, the appropriation, the gas-lighting, and the colorism. She also sings about the power that lies in our glistening skin and our refusal to ‘lose ourselves to prove ourselves’

“You want my thighs, you want my stride, but not this melanin
You want my hair, but you don’t care for this complexion
I’m a black woman, I’m a black woman
Corn bread fed, sweet tea sippin’
Nubian queen with the skin that glistens
I’m a black woman”

Faith in these brownskins – BiancaIsKing

Okay Bianca Bonnie is mad – she is TIRED. She’s not here for your “pretty for a dark skin” comments. The song is a wink to her dark skin and a middle finger to the guy who said ‘you bad for a black joint’
It is obscene, visceral, full of vulgarity that only a person with the lived experiences can relate to.

“Don’t let him give you a complex
Be a beautiful savage
In this world where they judge you if you dark you a wack chick
Nah I ain’t feeling that racist s***
All I got is faith in these brown skins”

My Skin – Lizzo

The self-love queen gave us this beautiful and personal letter

“I’m done with the struggle. I wanna – I just wanna enjoy my life now and maybe appreciate my skin…
I woke up in this, I woke up in this, in my skin
I can’t wash it away, so you can’t take it from me, my brown skin
This is something I was born with, you know?
You can’t buy this at a store, so hey…”

Friends, hook me up with more affirmation songs if you know any. Sharing is caring.