How does music shape us? Digital ethnomusicologist and TED Fellow Kyra Gaunt studies how Black girls can preserve the integrity of their own voices while listening, dancing and singing to pop songs largely engineered by men, often with lyrics that express anti-Black, patriarchal sentiments. In a quick, incisive talk, she shows how Black girls can disrupt the stereotypes and stigmas buried within this music and chart their own revolution in sound.

Music shapes identity from a young age, yet Black girls often dance and play to songs overwhelmingly engineered by men, with only 9 out of 200 twerk tracks in one study featuring female voices. Viral trends and popular rap often silence girls’ own voices, replacing them with lyrics that reinforce stereotypes and diminish self-worth. Early exposure to self-expression, like recording a first song on a cassette tape, can be a pivotal moment for self-acceptance or doubt. Creating space for Black girls to make and celebrate music with their own voices could spark a cultural shift toward empowerment and agency.

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How Black girls can reclaim their voice in music

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TED Stage Talk

Kyra Gaunt: How Black girls can reclaim their voice in music