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We've already had a phenomenal week of releases from womxn let alone the past 3 months. It's apparent more now than ever the sheer brilliance of the womxn in today's society and how much we're achieving within the music industry and far beyond. So in honour of today, and Women's History Month in general, I wanted to briefly talk about a few of my favourite releases from womxn this year so far and music that should most definitely be on your radar.

CHARLOTTE ADIGÉRY - Zandoli

I came across Charlotte after seeing her band Wwwater perform early last year and have been following her music since. Her experimental and original instrumentals stand her apart from the saturated whirlpool of today's music world, whilst her voice and lyrics make her music easy to relate to and see the brilliance in.

ANAÏS - Darkness At Play

I have already raved and raved about anaïs' single "woman" from this album and even though I've said it once, I'll say it again. The vocal perform on not only this single but across the entire album is still one of the best that I've heard this year. Incredible harmonies and unique melodies. I am entirely here for this album. Also, if you hadn't already guessed from the title, it's a pretty apt song to play today of all days.

JAMILA WOODS - ZORA

I can't wait for this album to come out. After her debut record HEAVN last year, this single along with "GIOVANNI" have made me quietly confident in the idea that Jamila's sophomore album might just pip her debut at the post. These singles continue to get me through many a commute or difficult weekday morning. I'm counting on LEGACY! LEGACY! to get me through the rest of 2019.

AMAHLA - Consider This

An up and comer from the Roundhouse artist scene, Amahla demonstrates a vocal control that many have likened to Amy Winehouse. Similarly to the legend, Amahla boasts a voice that can tell stories from before her time. a soulful croon that will stay embedded in your mind long after first listen. Her presence is picking up steam around London and I wouldn't be surprised if the mainstream started hearing from her fairly soon.

EMMAVIE - OOPS

Another memorable London songstress. Emmavie has released a number of singles and music these past few months which, I'm hoping and praying, means that she'll be releasing an album or EP fairly soon. She'll be performing at the Royal Albert Hall in April and rightly so. Her tone of voice is buttery and her songs are catchy, she'd be a welcome addition to today's R&B mainstream.

LITTLE SIMZ - GREY Area

Possibly my favourite release from the entire bunch. Little Simz has done it again. It's no secret how much I admire Simbi and her work and she's not only tweaked and re-invented her sound on this album; she's done it with a confidence and flair that you only really expect from older more seasoned icons. However, that's exactly what Simz has set herself up to be with this album, an icon.

SHINGAI - Coming Home

Speaking of icons, the legendary Shingai Shoniwa, previously lead singer of The Noisettes, is back to bless our eardrums again with her powerful vocals. Her latest single before her EP release later this year touches back into her Zimbabwean roots with a catchy and uplifting message that you will without a doubt be singing long after your first listen. She has most definitely, still got it.

SOLANGE - When I Get Home

Of course! The most anticipated album out of the entire bunch. I have been waiting for this album to be in my life ever since the already classic A Seat At The Table. I must say, I was expecting to be more enamoured with the album after first listen but since listening back several times there are definitely a number of shining moments throughout. This is a beautiful and artistic piece of work.

SZJERDENE - Restart

Another name that I hadn't heard from in a while. Since finding out about Szjerdene's voice from Bonobo's brilliant The North Borders I've kept an ear out for what she might have up her sleeve next. After a few singles here and there we have her latest single "Restart", before the promise of a new EP. Since listening in, I confidently say that I am going to love this EP.

This is nowhere near all of noteworthy music that I've heard from and featuring womxn this year so far and nowhere near the amount that I expect to hear moving forward. Keep an ear to the ground for more to come as the months go on. Celebrate womxn, this month, next month, and forever more.

One of my biggest upsets this festival season was not being able to attend this year's Afropunk - the line up was phenomenal, and after going last year, although there were things to improve on, I knew that this year would never disappoint. Luckily I had eyes and ears on the inside and so here's a recap and review of Day One written by Black Girl Ready To Rumble...

It was the crowd’s energy that first called to me. Walking in halfway through the set of a band I had never heard of, it became immediately clear that this was a band I needed to get to know. The Heavy: a British rock band from Bath took to the Green Stage and had the crowd completely in their thrall. Within seconds of joining the energized crowds, I and my companions were dancing like long-term fans even singing along at parts. Kelvin Swaby, the lead vocalist of the band has a stage presence of a true rock star – voice like silk and the ability to make his audience feel like part of the band. The band worked so well together, clearly feeding off each other’s energy so that as an audience member you were compelled to believe in their message. At moments, Swaby had the crowd screaming like wolves during their set of “How You Like Me Now”. This was a well-oiled machine that managed to feel authentic, raw and not overly rehearsed.

Another new discovery was Saul Williams an act recommended by one of the co-founders of the festival. Generally, I tend not to be a fan of spoken word over music because I feel the music overshadows the words which lessens the overall impact of the performance. Saul Williams, however, proved to be an exception. With his alternative hip-hop sound and bold lyrics/poems advocating for black power across America and the diaspora, Williams mixes a sound (hip-hop) that came from black resistance in the urban ghettos of America with a message that resonates with the universal black community. As a performer, he is engaging – filling the stage with a righteous anger that you cannot help but buy into. The music works over his poetry because it is created to complement the message. The music is brash, in your face, loud, rhythmic hip-hop designed to get you on your feet, throwing yourself into the commotion of the crowd unapologetically and without fear.

Finally, after hearing so much about her music, and more recently from this post, I got a chance to see Little Simz perform and I was floored. With a live band accompanying her set, Simz, was a throwback to the jazz age that inspired hip-hop. Despite not having the brashness of Williams and The Heavy, Simz carried along the crowd gathered at the Red Stage even those of us at the fringes of the packed space. Running through both old and newer songs in her catalogue, Simz showed off both her range and growth as an artist. She was a delight to see perform, engaging with the crowd on a personal level – giving us a glimpse into the personal side of the artists making the set about more than just the music. I am looking forward to spending time with her catalogue and enjoying her music on a one-to-one basis.

Closing the day was The Internet, who we had gotten a glimpse of prior as Syd joined Little Simz on stage for "Shotgun". This is a must-see band because not only do they have a stellar discography as a group but also individually. The crowd was treated to classic The Internet songs like "Girl" and "Special Affair/Curse" as well as songs from Syd’s debut album Fin and Steve Lacy’s 2017 Demo. This mix of sounds and showcasing of the range within the group allowed for the audience to develop a relationship not just with the music of the band but also gain understanding of the individual voices that contribute to the whole. As the closing act for Day One, The Internet, capped off a stellar day, keeping the energy present throughout the day from start to finish of their set.

I was honestly convinced that the high Afropunk 2016 gave me could not be recreated. But in just one day of the two-day Afropunk London 2017 Festival all my expectations from Afropunk were met and surpassed. Despite being unable to attend both days, I see myself as having won because I got to fall in love with three new acts and see an act I have admired for ages perform live and smash their set. Think Afropunk Paris is calling my name for 2018 and I already cannot wait!

Well you heard it here - look out for more collaborations with Black Girl Ready To Rumble in the future, and in the mean time, keep up to date with her other awesome thought-pieces via her blog and Instagram; guaranteed to leave you thinking.

Continuing on with my thoughts on the BBC Sound of 2017 longlist. First up...

NADIA ROSE
Another one that you may know from her viral video for "Skwod". This was circulating on social media for quite a while so of course I went on to check her out - I reckon she could be very big! It's got me very excited for the future of female rap, better yet UK female rap. Artists like Nadia, Lady Leshurr and Little Simz are really just the beginning really.

RAG 'N' BONE MAN

Okay so this is probably the miss that I'm most ashamed of. I originally saw a picture of Rag 'N' Bone Man a while back and unknowingly just thought it was a picture of Action Bronson. Terrible mistake on my part but at least I got here in the end. He has a fantastic voice, the tone, the control - sounds like something from before our time but it's more than welcome in 2016 and beyond.

RAY BLK

I've been raving about this fantastic newcomer since my friend introduced me to her in February. I remember the day so well because it's been the longest since I really felt this well represented in music and as soon as I watched her video for "5050" I could instantly see me and my friends putting out the exact same thing. Ray BLK represents London to a tee - I can't wait for her to take us across the shores.

RAYE

This name had popped up a few times in my inbox alerting me to shows and whatnot but I never took the time to get stuck into it. Well what a damn shame. Not what I'd expected to find, that's for sure. After listening to "I, U, Us" I was definitely interested to hear more of her take on mainstream pop and to see if she would ever delve into other genres because with her voice, she 100% has the ability to. I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for a debut album.

STEFFLON DON

Okay another gender mix up for me - 100% thought that this was going to be a man purely because of the name. But like I said before - what an exciting time for UK female rappers!!! This is big, especially because she's giving us typically American sounding rap and doing it better than some of those US cats in the game. Big things coming from this in the future - both solo and feature.

THE AMAZONS
Expect to see these guys on every festival line-up for the next few years. This is the gold that festivals like Reading & Leeds feed off of. Music that's transferrable throughout each stage - this could fill an arena and even pack up an "Introducing Stage" crowd. I'll definitely be keeping a close eye out for these lads - huge, huge potential here.

THE JAPANESE HOUSE

What I didn't realise was, that I had already searched this artist a while back to listen to the song "Cool Blue". It wasn't until I searched again recently to find out about her that I realised I'd heard it before. Shame she hadn't left an impression at first because she has a great summer, surfer rock sound. However, I wonder if this can stay relevant in the years to come.

TOM GRENNAN

Okay so I heard that Chase & Status feature that Tom was on earlier this year - "All Goes Wrong" but didn't think to look out for any of his solo work until now. Always a bad mistake there because previous Chase & Status feautre artists tend to go on to put out some real gems (see: Delilah and George The Poet). Tom's no different in this instance. I wouldn't say that he has a particularly unique voice but he definitely has a power behind it. I know that something interesting is in the works.

And there you have it - the future of music according to BBC. Let's see how 2017 pans out. I expect we'll be seeing a lot more of some of these characters and we'll be seeing a hell of a lot of quality debuts. I just hope we see something that stands apart from the rest. The winner will be announced on the 6th of January.

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