MEET DANYEL SMITH: THE CALIFORNIA GIRL WHO CHANGED MUSIC JOURNALISM FOREVER

I still remember the sweet fragrance of my great-grandmother's kitchen in East Oakland. The sounds of Rick James and Whitney Houston floating through our apartment once our family moved to Los Angeles. Music wasn't just something we listened to — it was how we communicated, how we survived.

That girl from East Oakland? She went on to become the first woman and first Black person to serve as editor-in-chief of VIBE. She ran Billboard. She's interviewed everyone from Whitney Houston to Beyoncé, from Serena Williams to SZA.

But here's what I want you to know: that little girl still lives within me, and she expresses herself at SHINE BRIGHT HQ

WHY SUBSCRIBE TO DANYEL’S SHINE BRIGHT HQ?

This newsletter is where the East Oakland kid who fell in love with the power of music meets the journalist who got to tell the stories that shaped a generation. When you subscribe, you're not just getting content. You're getting:

Beautiful words from someone The New Yorker calls "one of the nation's most astute chroniclers of pop and hip-hop culture"

Nerdy writer talk that pulls back the curtain on the creative process

‘90s magazine energy from an actual ‘90s magazine editor-in-chief —of VIBE, and Billboard

Super-specific playlists curated by someone who's spent decades immersed in music

Behind-the-scenes glimpses into the life of the woman who's sat across from Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, and Simone Biles

PAID SUBSCRIBERS RECEIVE:

the full SHINE BRIGHT experience — access to my most intimate thoughts, exclusive playlists, early access to podcast episodes, and a community of fellow music lovers who understand that when we talk about Black women in music, we're talking about the very foundation of American culture.

You'll get the raw, unfiltered perspective of someone who's been in the rooms where decisions are made, who's challenged the status quo, and who continues to advocate for the stories that might otherwise go untold.

I've written for the biggest brands in the world. I've published acclaimed books and created award-winning podcasts. I've been welcomed as a fellow at Stanford, Yaddo, and MacDowell.

But none of that matters as much as this: creating a space where we can celebrate, analyze, and honor the music that has saved us all.

"Danyel Smith tells the stories of Black women in music as if our lives depend on it—because they do." — A reader who gets it

Don't just browse — belong. Subscribe today and let's make some beautiful noise together.