“Braided is a clear-eyed manifesto on self-love”
BY SOPHIE GRIFFITHS, IMAGE BY KENYA NAOMI
Stepping onto the music scene as a spoken word poet, Philadelphia native Christinna O has plenty of though-provoking and introspective tunes up her sleeve. Through her music, she’s providing an unparalleled commentary on her experience as a queer Black woman. She’s open about her struggles, while remembering to shine a light on the good things in life.
Her new single Braided is her clear-eyed manifesto on self-love and how love for others can help in actualising it. There’s force and focus behind her verses, aided by a deep, guttural beat that rises from the underground.
She even produced the new track – is there anything she can’t do?
Christinna says: “I think of how cornrows and braids were utilised to communicate as a means of survival for my ancestors. Even now the braid is referred to as a ‘protective style.’ In Braided, I took this cultural context and weaved into it a new way to express my love. A new expression of my love for the ones that have come before me, to make me who I am. To say ‘we’re braided’ is to acknowledge the depth and uniqueness of our love, our magnetism, and our protection in it.”
Listen to Braided, the latest single by Christinna O, below.
