Ladies First

Our guest for this episode is Zoé Renié Harris of Zoe's Shanghai , who sits down with us to discuss her musical influences, the creative process behind her group's distinct sound and earning a co-sign from the late Virgil Abloh. She also shares how Bilal’s debut album First Born Second left a lasting musical imprint that continues to influence how she creates today.

With a sound that refuses to fit neatly into one genre, Yaya Bey transforms the complexities of Black womanhood, love, heartbreak and self-discovery into deeply personal, soulful storytelling. The New York-born singer-songwriter blends R&B, soul and hip-hop to create music rooted in vulnerability, resilience and unapologetic expression. In this episode, we discuss her creative evolution, the e...

When host Element Everest-Blanks first sat down with Qing Madi, she was just 17 years old, and her breakthrough song “See Finish” had already garnered 800,000 views on YouTube. Now at the age of 20, she’s amassed more than 123 million views, proving just how far her journey has taken her.  In this conversation, she reveals that she once tried to hide breakout single “See Finish” because she though...

At just 19, Aja Monet became the youngest-ever Nuyorican Poets Café Grand Slam Champion. Blending blues, jazz, hip-hop and radical activism, the Grammy-nominated poet and artist uses storytelling to explore Black resistance, identity and liberation. On Ladies First , we discuss her 2026 album, the color of rain , what freedom truly means, our collective responsibility to one another and how art ca...

Lady London’s foundation was built on undeniable lyricism and dedication to perfecting her craft. The viral single “Pop IsH” helped propel her career forward, setting the stage for the multilayered artist she is today.  Her collaborations with Nike and alma mater Howard University, new documentary and album, and recent singles “Put Up” featuring Vedo and “Buy Me Something” featuring Muni Long prov...

For Dawn Richard, Creole Culture is more than the final album in a trilogy; it's the chapter in which she steps fully into her own story. Beginning with New Breed , which explored New Orleans through her father’s perspective, and continuing with Second Line , which centered her mother’s perspective, the trilogy arrives at its most personal destination with Creole Culture : Dawn’s perspective. True...

Ambré’s path to becoming a Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and producer started with a quiet upbringing in New Orleans. Rooted in church choirs, marching bands and a culture where music is everywhere, the environment helped create an artist who has grown into one of the industry's most authentic voices. In our conversation, Ambré reflects on how her hometown shaped her signature swag and r...

Arlo Parks has been writing and performing since before she graduated high school, evolving into one of today’s most compelling artists and songwriters whose works reaches beyond her own music (including a writing credit on Beyoncé’s “YA YA” from Cowboy Carter) . We talked about her journey from her first gig at The Basement Door to this year’s release of Ambiguous Desire , what she never wants to...

On this episode, we sit down with Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Valerie June — an artist whose sound, spirit and creativity continue to push music in new directions. Music has always been in her blood, starting by her father’s side when she was a child and building to the remarkable career she has today. June creates a sound that is unmistakably her own, blending bl...

Danielle Ponder’s upcoming project, Everything Has Changed , is an introspective exploration of truth, growth, raw honesty and storytelling. Arriving Oct. 9, the album captures Ponder embracing the uncomfortable truths that accompany the process of becoming. It’s not simply a project about change, but also about accepting who you’ve become and telling that story without apology. In this conversati...

Blessing Jolie is the kind of artist who makes growing up sound like something worth documenting — not because she has all the answers, but because she is unafraid to sit with the questions.  The Nigerian-American singer-songwriter and guitarist raised in Katy, Texas, has built her music around the messy, funny, painful and often confusing process of figuring out who you are in your 20s. Her songs...

This episode features a wonderful conversation with Alemeda, who talked about growing up between cultures, navigating life as the daughter of an African immigrant and finding her identity along the way. From the viral “Gonna Bleach My Eyebrows” to the visual and sonic world she created around it, she revealed what happens when you stop performing who you’re expected to be and start standing fully...

On this episode, we sit down with the powerhouse trio carrying on one of the most celebrated lineages in music: the Womack Sisters. As the daughters of Linda and Cecil Womack, and granddaughters of legendary King of Soul Sam Cooke, musical genius is in their DNA. But the Womack Sisters aren’t here to ride on a famous last name; they’re solidifying their own place in the industry on their own terms...

Lachi is a disability advocate, recording artist and founder of RAMP’D — and despite having all of that on her calendar, she still found time to sit down with us for this episode. We covered a lot of ground as she opened up about her work transforming the narrative around disability in the music industry, from the inside out.  We explored her mission to create greater accessibility and representat...

We sat down with Tarriona 'Tank' Ball of Tank & The Bangas for an exclusive conversation about the group’s latest project, The Last Balloon , and the journey that brought them this far.  We explored the pivotal moments behind each chapter of the balloon series, reflected on the NPR Tiny Desk performance that propelled the band to global recognition and went beyond the stage to discover the wom...

Los Angeles singer-songwriter Imani Archer is an emerging alternative pop and R&B artist whose music is rooted in vulnerability, healing and deeply personal storytelling.  During our conversation, she shared how she didn’t initially set out to become a singer-songwriter. What began as a private habit of pouring her emotions onto the page gradually evolved into songwriting, revealing a gift tha...

On this episode, we sit down with Amanda Reifer, a fearless creative force representing Barbados and one of the Caribbean’s most compelling artistic voices. Blending alternative R&B, soul, Caribbean influences and striking visual storytelling, she creates music that’s both deeply personal and impossible to categorize.  Many listeners around the world first heard Reifer's unmistakable voice on...

Few people embody the spirit of independent artistry quite like Jordan Patterson. Born in North Carolina and raised in Los Angeles, she's built a reputation for blending soul, folk and indie influences into music that’s both intimate and fearless. Patterson's songwriting is poetic, her voice is unmistakable, and every song feels like an invitation into a deeply personal story. Whether she’s explor...

Allison Russell joins us to explore the journey that shaped the artist she is today, tracing her career from its earliest chapters to the elevated space she now occupies. What unfolded was a conversation that added an entirely new layer to what many think they know about her. Russell is perfectly comfortable with her career being defined by constant change because, for her, evolution isn’t somethi...

Acclaimed cellist, singer, composer and self-proclaimed “orchestral nerd” Kelsey Lu, one of today’s most captivating musical storytellers, sits down with us to discuss how their classical training laid the foundation for her artistry, why storytelling has always been at the heart of their work and how collaborations across genres helped them discover their own artistic voice. It’s an honest conver...

Some artists write songs. Mereba writes memories. In this conversation, the singer-songwriter reflected on the moment she first fell in love with writing, the profound influence of her father and brother on the artist she has become, and the deep connection she still feels to her mother’s Milwaukee roots. She also opened up about one of the most personal songs in her catalog, a record many listene...

Tiana Major9 joins to discuss her latest project, November Scorpio , a collection of songs that showcases the British singer-songwriter’s signature blend of soul, vulnerability and masterful storytelling.  Best known for her breakout single “Collide” from the Queen & Slim soundtrack, Tiana shared the stories behind standout tracks like “Shook Ones” featuring Yebba and “Energy” with Keyon Harro...

As we celebrated Black Music Month earlier this year, we honored the joy, impact and legacy of Black female artists (per usual) by celebrating the music of women who continue to shape culture around the world. To kick things off, we had the pleasure of sitting down with the legendary Gail Ann Dorsey to talk about her journey from West Philadelphia, performing alongside icons like David Bowie and L...