FEMINIST FRIDAY: Singer Aijia’s Ode To Sexual Assault Survivors & Danielle Brooks’ Music Video ‘Black Woman’

Welcome to another Feminist Friday! That part of the week where we get to depart from our regular programming and share some of our fave videos of the moment with our readers. This week we’re checking out a few music videos that are equally as powerful as they are empowering.

First up is a music video from singer/songwriter Aijia whose music video ‘For You’ is a visual summation and response to all the collective conversations and horrendous current events we’ve seen regarding sexual assault, fueled by the #MeToo movement. Directed by Vanessa Beletic, the “FOR YOU” music video features Aijia with sexual assault survivors and their supporters lip-synching to her lyrics about speaking their truth against all odds. Several of the women featured in this music video are speaking out for the first time. The song also serves as a thank you to them and for all those who refuse to be silent.

In an interview with Bustle, Aijia explains how watching Dr. Christine Blasey Ford bravely share her testimony of being sexually assaulted by Brett Kavanaugh, who sadly ended up getting confirmed as a judge to the highest court in the US, compelled her to speak out. She channelled her emotions into this song and gathered a group of survivors who join her in this powerful video, reminded the world that while those in power appear to get away with heinous actions, the rest of us refuse to stay silent.

“For those who are afraid to come forward. For those who chose to speak up only to be shut down. You are not alone. I wrote this FOR YOU.” says Aijia in the description of the video below.

The second video we’re featuring today comes all the way from Kpop sensation Loona, whose recent music video release of her track ‘Butterfly’ sent the Twitterverse into a Frenzy. And we can totally see why! Not only does the pop star dazzle us with her stunning dance moves, etheral voice and color visuals, she cleverly weaves in some female empowerment and unapologetic diversity into this music video that has already racked up an impressive 18.9 million views on Youtube.

The Dailydot.com shares some of the reactions to Loona’s ‘Butterfly’ on Twitter:

“I legit wanna cry because they include a woman with a hijab in front of a mosque. I didn’t expect that. wow loona im honestly speechless, the diversity jumped out.” writes @lossianlulette.

“i’m seriously so amazed by the representation in the mv, they included so many types of people in a positive light like we are ALL loona and i think that’s beautiful.” writes @loonagay.

“tell me, who’s doing it like loona? who has the concept like loona? who has the rich and deeper lore like loona? who has the musical contrast like loona? who has a mv with many diverse WOMEN shown respectfully without appropriation? answer!!!#LOONA_BUTTERFLY” wrote @lipwoncafe.

Finally this week, we’re fangirling over this track and music video from actress and artist Danielle Brooks, who you may recognize as Tasha ‘Taystee’ Jefferson from ‘Orange Is The New Black’, as well as Aziz Ansari’s pull-no-punches agent in ‘Master of None’.

She released ‘Black Woman’ and says it is her way of telling the world how she feels as a black woman without any filter. In an interview with Huffpost, which we highly recommend you read in full to hear more of the heart of what this incredible woman is doing with her voice and platform, she explains more on her mission with the song.

“I truly believe if you don’t use your gift, it’s going to go away. I think God gives you them for a reason, and if you don’t, he’s going to get rid of it. So for me, I was like, “Danielle, you better use it. And use it to serve.” And so my way of doing that was starting out with this song, “Black Woman,” and starting with us. I think I have heard a lot of black girl anthems but I felt what was lacking was … I felt like most of them had filters. I’d never really heard the nitty-gritty of those things that we struggle with every day. And throwing them at the world and say, “Hey. Can you hear my story? Can you see me?” And all of me. Not just physically but my mind, my spirit, my soul, my heart, can you feel that? Do you know what we experience every day? Do you care to know what we experience by the way in which you walk in your life?”

Watch ‘Black Woman’ below and get to know a whole new side of Danielle Brooks, where she sings, “You want my thighs, you want my stride but not this melanin/ you want my hair, but you don’t care for this complexion.”