Laura Mvula Celebrates All the Fly Black Girls in a Sonic Ode to Maya Angelou

Laura Mvula's new single "Phenomenal Woman" is a colorful ode to the fly Black girls (and women) of the world. Shot in the Bo-Kaap area of Capetown, South Africa, Mvula dances through the streets reminding the women she encounters of their undeniable dopeness.

Mvula, who moves between genres with ease, delivered an up-beat rock/funk song that's filled with positive vibes. Mvula has been honest about her struggles with depression and anxiety, and seeing her exude joy is a treat.

Bo-Kaap is known for its colorful homes, and the wardrobe mirrors those bright hues.

Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Clad in vibrant prints, Mvula honors the Diaspora. The song's lyrics are pointed specifically toward Black women.

"Nobody ever told her she was beauty/One day she realized she was already free," she sings.



If the literary title rings a bell, it's because Mvula was inspired by Maya Angelou's iconic poem on the magic of Black girls (before it was a hashtag).


“I wrote this anthem to raise up our women,” Mvula said in a statement. “We are the givers of life, we are the children bearers, the nurturers, the heroines, we are extraordinary in our ordinariness, we fly, we fight we are ‘Phenomenal Woman’.”


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#BlackGirlMagic Laura Mvula