Her Take by Laila Jean Yu Says

In this episode of Her Take by Laila Jean Yu Says, Laila breaks down the patterns behind the rise and shift of 80s and 90s boy bands, inspired by the documentary Boy Band Confidential.   From New Edition and Boyz II Men to NSYNC, Backstreet Boys, and 98 Degrees, this conversation explores how Black R&B groups helped shape the modern boy band blueprint — and how the industry shifted its focus a...

She did not fumble. She chose herself.   When Lori Harvey ended her relationship with Michael B Jordan the internet called it a fumble. They said she threw away the perfect man. They said she was for the streets. They said she would regret it.   But what if she did not fumble? What if she looked at that relationship and decided that dimming her spotlight for someone else’s story was not worth it?...

Chadwick Boseman was more than an actor. He was a symbol. A protector. A representation of what Black excellence looks like when it is given the space to be fully itself. In this episode Laila Jean Yu breaks down the cultural impact of Black Panther and what T’Challa meant to Black men and boys who finally saw themselves as kings on the biggest screen in the world. She talks about Chadwick Boseman...

Hollywood loves Black culture—the music, the slang, the aesthetics—but when it comes to truly celebrating Black wins, the support gets real quiet. In this episode, I break down how Hollywood continues to tokenize Black actors and directors while refusing to see us as fully human. From limiting roles that box us into slaves, drug dealers, and hyper sexualized stereotypes, to the unspoken demand for...

Michael Jackson is one of the greatest artists to ever live. But how well do people actually know him? In this episode Laila and guest star Nya  gives their unfiltered perspective on the new Michael movie, his legendary music career, and the man behind the icon. From his relationships with his siblings, his parents, and the people closest to him — to the media’s role in shaping how the world saw h...

Every day Black women walk into professional spaces and pay a tax that nobody talks about. The grace tax. The invisible emotional labor of filtering your words, softening your truth, and performing composure in spaces that were never designed to protect you. In this episode Laila gets honest about what it actually feels like to clock in and clock out of your authentic self daily. She breaks down t...

For years, the media framed Naomi Campbell and Tyra Banks as rivals. But was there ever real beef — or was it projection? In this episode of Her Take, we unpack the modeling industry politics of the 90s, the emotional labor expectations placed on Black women, and the difference between feeling unsupported and actually being harmed. We also explore how narratives are created, amplified, and sometim...

In this episode of Her Take Laila Jean Yu gets honest about the moment she stopped chasing and started becoming. After a toxic relationship in 2018 she had to face some uncomfortable truths about herself. What she was chasing. Why she kept running toward people and validation that were never meant for her. And what it actually took to do the deep inner work and become a woman she would genuinely c...

In this episode, Laila unpacks the blurred lines between admiration and obsession in reality TV fandoms. Using Love Island as the lens, she explores parasocial relationships, toxic fandom culture, and the racial bias behind “editing wars.” Tune in for real talk, reflection, and questions that make you rethink how deeply we connect to people we don’t actually know. Audios used in the podcast: https...

At the 2026 BAFTA Awards, Tourette’s activist John Davidson involuntarily shouted the N-word while Delroy Lindo and Michael B. Jordan were presenting. The two Black men pushed through professionally. Nobody from BAFTA checked on them afterwards. And the host’s response? “If you feel offended, we apologize.” In this episode of Her Take, Leila breaks down why that response is not good enough, asks t...

When people talk about racism, they usually point to America. But what about Britain? There’s a global narrative that the UK is more polite. More progressive. Less aggressive. But politeness has never dismantled a system. In this episode, I sit down with a Black woman born and raised in Manchester, who has also lived in London, to unpack what anti-Blackness actually looks like in Britain — in scho...

Say Her Name wasn’t created for white women. It was created to center Black women — women whose lives have been historically ignored, erased, and devalued. In this episode, I break down the recent media reaction to Renee Good’s death, explore why movements like ‘Say Her Name’ get co-opted, and call out the systemic hypocrisy that decides whose lives are mourned and whose are overlooked. This episo...

Black History Month is not about comfort, guilt management, or performative kindness. In this episode, Laila unpacks how Black History Month often becomes a space where white people expect softness, reassurance, and emotional labor from Black people—while avoiding real accountability. From performative allyship to historical erasure, this conversation challenges the demand for palatable Black narr...