From a sea of beautiful black faces, honey-colored tresses tumble from a golden crown. A pregnant belly hides twins beneath Beyoncé’s sheer gold, beaded sequins gown. As usual, Beyoncé’s aesthetic appeal during her performance and her lyrical gifts subvert stereotypical notions of black femaleness as ugly or undesirable. On Grammy night, amongst her nine nominations, Beyoncé was nominated for songs such as “Hold Up,” reminding her lover that she’s still sexy, and for “Formati

Lay back as you listen to Awaken, My Love! by Childish Gambino, and thoughts of social turmoil will disturb your rest. Amid his poetic verses are allusions to metaphorical monsters that call to mind police violence, marches, and riots. If you consider poetic tropes and archetypes from African American culture as you think about the intentions behind the album’s verses, you’ll see that the traditions of black liberation and the lyrical protesting of the dehumanization of black