Celebrity Coverage
Mickey Guyton: Intentional consumerism of black country music isn’t just needed by Beyoncé
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 24: Mickey Guyton speaks on stage during Act II Black Music Action Coalition: A Conversation Around “Three Chords and the Real Truth” featuring Mickey Guyton at Live Nation on April 24, 2024 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Unique Nicole/Getty Images for Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC))
Country singer Mickey Guyton was moved to tears by the number of black faces within the audience at a Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC) event in Los Angeles on Wednesday night.
“I’ve been in Nashville for a very long time and my main thing is to welcome everyone to country music; it’s great that you’re finally here,” Guyton told the intimate audience. “We fought and worked hard to make people realize that black country music was popular. We’ve been working on this for years. I know you’re here now, but this is pre-2020, so I’m trying not to cry seeing you all here and the hard work we’ve done.”
BMAC President and CEO Willie “Prophet” Stigers kicked off the event focused on the historic exclusion of Black talent from country music despite the genre’s origins with a conversation with Guyton, who spoke in regards to the realities of the Nashville music scene and the role everyone can play in making it more inclusive. by streaming music from black country artists and attending their performances.
“We have been here before in 2020, in 2017 once we founded the ACM Diversity Task Force [Academy of Country Music Awards] and I’m attempting to work out the best way to bring country music to Black people and folks of color. They are closing the door on DEI, and if we do not speak about it and be intentional about our consumerism, we’re done. We’re actually done,” said Guyton, who spoke in regards to the personal toll of her years of efforts.
“I’m still recovering from quite a bit of the things that were said to me after I was attempting to fight for equality in country music. Nothing more nothing less. I didn’t let you know who to vote for. I have never told you anything aside from to provide people a likelihood not because of anything, but because they’re talented and deserve the identical opportunities, and that comes at a price.
Guyton’s words echoed those of BMAC co-founder Caron Veazey, who spoke in regards to the formation of BMAC after the 2020 deaths of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery and the way the organization’s goal of rooting out racism within the music industry has turn out to be harder inside 4 years because the industry committed to improving.
“It’s not making the headlines like it was in 2020 and we knew this day was coming,” Veazey said. “DEI is being dismantled all over the place. So our job is, in some ways, tougher now than it was in 2020, and BMAC now has a good greater responsibility. We need everyone’s help, everyone’s attention, everyone’s support and partnership to proceed our mission and really make a difference.”
Guyton and Stigers emphasize that support on this moment is about not overlooking the eye Beyoncé’s album delivered to each Black country artists and racism within the country music industry.
“When this Beyoncé moment is over and all her country fans are done with their boots and spurs, these Black country artists that you see and like their posts, we will still be here,” Guyton said. “We are still mostly in white spaces. I’m still the one black person in lots of mostly white spaces on boards, attempting to help make decisions and at fundraisers. It is incredibly crucial for every of you, black, white or otherwise, to point out these corporations the monetary value of black art.
To further overcome the obstacles faced by Black country music artists – like Tanner Adell and Tiera Kennedy, who were dropped from their labels before appearing on the song “Blackbird” – Dr. Jada Watson, director of musicology on the University of Ottawa, broke down in regards to the origins of segregation within the music industry and its specific impact on the country genre.
“The recording industry was racially segregated when it was founded in the 1920s – Hillbilly Music and Race Records – and those records became the classification categories under which music was recorded and then sold,” Dr. Watson said in the course of the Grammy Awards panel. -winning artist and songwriter INK, explaining that the identical categories later expanded to radio, then the Billboard charts, and now digital streaming platforms (DSPs).
“Every decision made in connection with building infrastructure and promoting music on the market was related to racial segregation and is 100% still valid,” she added. “If you think that your DSPs are different, they don’t seem to be. Because the identical R&B and country classifications that exist today have their roots within the segregated industry of the Twenties.
Dr. Watson explained that by the numbers, over the past 22 years, songs by Black women have accounted for lower than 1% of airplay on country music radio. “We talk about 0.03% quite often. In 2023, Black women’s songs had 0.02% airplay, so when “Texas Hold ‘Em” came out, it was an opportunity for me, because it has such a global audience, for the format to pick up the song and for the industry to build around possibilities. It hit no. It’s going to start to decline on March 23, and I’m really concerned about that,” said Dr. Watson, who noted that if you add “Texas Hold ‘Em” to the mix of Black women’s songs currently on the air, that number increases to just 0.24%. “So we’re still not in a good place.”
Highlighting Guyton’s remark earlier within the evening in regards to the impact that might be made, “If every Beyoncé fan streamed our song at least once,” Dr. Watson said it isn’t enough to easily like and follow Black country music artists on social media or on the platform’s streaming platform.
“It’s one thing to browse and imitate, it’s another thing, as Mickey said, to keep listening, streaming, coming back, listening to new songs, listening to old songs, because the conversion rate is negative right now,” he says. he said. “On one hand, that’s fine because the follower count continues to grow, but things will plateau once Beyoncé gets to Act III, so Mickey’s advice was the best advice for me. In fact, stream them regularly, stay with them, follow them, go to their shows and buy their merch.”
Regardless of how long the road to equality for Black artists in all musical genres is, each Guyton and BMAC said they refuse to stop trying.
“Our goal at BMAC is non-existence,” Stigers said, stating that disbanding the organization would actually mean eradicating racism within the music industry.
Talking in regards to the journey ahead, Guyton added: “We may not see the real change we want to see in our lifetime, but what awaits us right here gives me so much hope.”
Celebrity Coverage
How Diana Ross’s Halloween look was created Uche Moxama – essence
Courtesy of Cindy Romero
Halloween is the perfect time of 12 months to advertise an icon. This 12 months, for instance, Beyoncé morphed into funk rock star Betty Davis and Coco Jones referenced Donna Summer’s album covers. And for the content creator Uche Moxamrecreation of the 1969 Diana Ross film.I’ll wash this guy out of my hair” on the duvet, the immediate answer was “yes.”
“I grew up listening to great artists: Whitney, Diana, Donna Summer, the list goes on,” Moxam tells ESSENCE. “Not only were they the powerhouse of their decade, but they also provided representation of beautiful, strong and talented black women who were rarely represented in the media at the time.”
For a protracted time, Moxam had been waiting for the suitable moment to rework into Diana Ross’s mountain of curls (as if released from a set of very large curlers) from the GIT Broadway special. However, probably the most iconic a part of the look was also probably the most difficult to create. “The biggest challenge was supposed to be the hair,” she says, contacting a hair stylist Alan Schober.
“Alana managed to arrange each bundle of hair individually and artistically to achieve the effect shown in Diana’s film,” he says. “I wanted the hair texture to be three-dimensional, not just using Photoshop or a black board.” Using a 65-inch cardboard as a base and more bundles of hair than she could count interwoven with Moxam’s real hair, Schober turned her costume right into a masterpiece.
“I focus on a natural look [for everyday beauty] but Halloween is truly a time to become someone else,” she says.
However, Uche Moxam’s makeup veered away from Ross’s neutral lip with glazed lips and cheeks sculpted with blush, becoming an icon in its own right. “I’ve been wanting to bring it to life for some time and this year I managed to do it.”
Celebrity Coverage
The best beauty moments of Halloween 2024 – essence
@janellemonae / Instagram
Celebrities have been known to bring creative costumes every Halloween. From area of interest cosplay to Heidi Klum’s annual Halloween party with high-budget SFX makeup and rugged references, stars never fail to live as much as their past looks. And last night turned out to be no different.
For example, when Janelle Monaé called a surreal version of ET, it took a team of five SFX artists to create the life-size costume. Lizzo has 4 looks starting from red body paint to scissored skin: the set includes an Ozempic pack, a honey bunny, Edward Scissorhands, and a never-rejected face card.
Although Doja Cat as a sunflower is a reference to the 2001 video game, Halloween will not be limited to fictional characters. Beyoncé took on the persona of funk-rock singer Betty Davis, Winnie Harlow referenced Diana Ross, and Coco Jones referenced Donna Summer’s album covers. Meanwhile, Megan Thee Stallion proved that Halloween lasts all 12 months long by dressing up within the anime cosplay she probably would ever wear.
Below, ESSENCE rounds up our favourite beauty moments from Halloween 2024.
Celebrity Coverage
WNBA earnings are rising, but will they be enough? The real story behind the numbers – the essence
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 06: A’ja Wilson #22 of the Las Vegas Aces brings the ball up the court against Betnijah Laney-Hamilton #44 of the New York Liberty in the first quarter of Game 4 of the 2024 WNBA Playoffs Semifinals at Michelob ULTRA Arena on October 6, 2024 . in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Liberty defeated the Aces 76-62, winning the series three games to 1. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that by downloading and/or using this image, User consents to the terms of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
When Angel Reese signed with the Chicago Sky and was chosen seventh overall in the 2024 WNBA draft, it entered a league completely different than five years ago. The compensation landscape has modified dramatically – but let’s be honest about whether these changes are truly transformational or simply an incremental step towards what these athletes deserve.
The raw numbers tell the story of progress. 2024 WNBA season boasts the highest earnings in the history of the leagueand top players will be capable of earn as much as $241,984. Supermax pay has increased 94% since 2019, when the league’s elite players reached $121,500. Even minimum wage for newbies increased to $64,154 – greater than double the amount in 2019. But that is where it gets complicated. While The WNBA salary cap has reached $1.4 million per team in 2024, The NBA salary cap is $140 million. Yes, you read that right. And before anyone makes the “but revenue” argument, let’s acknowledge that even after accounting for differences in league revenue, WNBA players receive about 33% of the league’s revenue, while NBA players receive about 50%.
For most WNBA players, to make it work, meaning playing year-round. According to AP, about 50% of players also compete abroad during the WNBA off-season. Stars like Breanna Stewart and A’ja Wilson can fetch top dollar in each markets, but this double duty comes at a value – physical fatigue, time away from family and the mental strain of never really having an off-season season.
Marketing dollars tell a totally different story. League Collective labor agreement for 2020 included provisions for increased marketing opportunities, but in 2023, only a handful of players have signed deals with major brands. Meanwhile, Caitlin Clark’s NIL valuation has reached $3.1 million before she even declared for the WNBA draft – highlighting each the potential and the disparity in how women’s basketball talent is valued.
The racial dynamics are particularly striking. In the league where over 60% of gamers are black womenthe conversation around fair pay is not only about gender – it’s about racial equality in sports. When we discuss WNBA salaries, we’re talking about undervaluing the work of Black women, and it is a story that reverberates far beyond the basketball court.
The league has taken steps in the right direction. The latest CBA introduces progressive elements similar to fully paid maternity leave, improved travel accommodations and potential income sharing opportunities. These changes come after years of player activism, led by women like Angel McCoughtry and Nneka Ogwumike who weren’t afraid to demand higher.
But let’s be clear, higher than before does not imply ok. When the WNBA minimum salary is barely above median household income in the USwe’re not only talking about the gender pay gap – we’re talking about the fundamental devaluation of girls’s skilled sport.
The query is not whether WNBA players should be grateful for these raises. The query is why, in 2024, we still have to make the case for fair compensation for skilled athletes who consistently produce world-class results, drive civil conversations, and encourage the next generation of athletes.
Pay rises are the starting, not the end. As viewership increased, the 2024 WNBA Finals saw: Viewership increase by 115%. in comparison with the previous 12 months – the pace of real changes is gaining momentum. The numbers are growing, yes, but until they reflect the true value these athletes bring to the game, our work isn’t done.
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