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Empowering & Uplifting Songs Vol. 1: Optimistic
Written By: Dion Hudnall
(3 Minute Read)
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The Blackness…keep, keep on..” queue beat drop.
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No matter when I hear that, I immediately start to feel better. I may bob my head, clap my hands, or even let out a joyous shout. It is like a shot of positivity is injected directly into my veins.
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“The blackness… keep, keep on”
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Have you ever felt like a song was talking to you? Like the artist had you on their mind while they were writing the song?
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“The blackness…”
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I feel it in my bones, it calls my spirit.
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Optimistic by Sounds of Blackness is uplifting and empowering… and boy couldn’t we use some these days.
American politics feels like it’s going to hell… scratch that, America feels like it’s going to hell. The cost of living is UP and they say the economy is too but people’s wallets beg to differ. Trump lies and promotes propaganda, the democrats scrambled to nominate Vice President Kamala Harris as their candidate to run for president, and in the midst of all that, many of us are actively grieving the life of Sonya Massey and every other Black body that has been brutalized by the unyielding power and authority of the police.
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“The Blackness… keep, keep on”
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Part of the Black experience (or at least my Black experience) is dealing with the hurt inflicted upon people who look like those who seek to oppress us. Another part is the immense amount of joy that I feel from expressing myself and holding community with those who choose to live authentically and unapologetically Black. Constantly traversing the highs and lows, it can be tiring. Exhausting.
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But…
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“The Blackness… keep, keep on”
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It becomes a rallying cry that rejuvenates my spirit and compels me to move forward. Once that beat drops, for the next 5 minutes, I feel hopeful, I feel free, I feel extra Black.
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It is a harmonic reminder to never give up, keep fighting, keep your head up, keep moving forward.
“Keep, keep on”
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Go listen, and tell me how you feel before and after listening to Optimistic by Sounds of Blackness.
August 18, 2024