Shine Bright

“Memoir, criticism, and cultural history meet in this masterful study of the brilliant Black women who shaped American pop music . . . In this soulful, enriching portrait of these extraordinary artists’ struggles and triumphs, Smith widens the canon to usher in new luminaries.”—Esquire, “The Best Books of Spring 2022”
 
“From Phyllis Wheatley to Mahalia Jackson to Dionne Warwick, this captivating examination of Black women in music doesn’t miss a beat. Endlessly readable, Shine Bright calls overdue attention to the groundbreaking women who made American music.”—Ms. Magazine, “April 2022 Reads for the Rest of Us”
 
“An enriching and entertaining book about the Black women geniuses who shaped pop music.”—Business Insider
 
“Black women have been writing hits that shape American and international culture for generations. It’s more than time for us to celebrate, showcase, and learn the histories of women who made our worlds brighter and more meaningful with their songs. This is an intimate ode to musical genius throughout history.”—Buzzfeed

“Rarely has a narrator been so perfectly matched to her subject. A lyrical, long-overdue feat of personal memory, cultural history, synthesis, and love.”—Isabel Wilkerson, author of Caste and The Warmth of Other Suns

“Danyel Smith’s ‘voice’ is as vibrant, knowing, and evocatively joyous as that of the singers she writes about.”—Paula J. Giddings, author of When and Where I Enter

“Dazzling . . . Smith, in celebrating the legacies of seminal Black women in pop music, has cemented her own legacy as one of the generation’s greatest, most insightful, most nuanced writers in pop culture. Shine Bright is wonderful.”—Shea Serrano, author of Hip-Hop (And Other Things)

“This book is revelatory about the specific experiences of Black women in music . . . These are chapters full of heart and wonder.”—Dawnie Walton, author of The Final Revival of Opal & Nev

“Riveting and rapturous, searingly candid and unstoppably audacious . . .”—Daphne A. Brooks, author of Liner Notes for the Revolution

“Danyel Smith paints the big picture of Black women’s central role in American music by making sure every detail is perfectly rendered. A landmark work as personal as it is profound.”—Ann Powers, author of Good Booty: Love and Sex, Black and White, Body and Soul in American Music

“In this fascinating tribute, Smith ensures that the achievements of these Black women musicians will not be forgotten.”—Library Journal (starred review)

“[A] masterful examination of the Black women artists who’ve indelibly shaped American popular music . . . This lyrical and whip-smart work is a cause for celebration.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)