“Brown Skin Girl” by Beyoncé, SAINt JHN & Wizkid (ft. Blue Ivy Carter)

“Brown Skin Girl” marks an international effort between Beyoncé (Houston), Saint Jhn (Brooklyn) and Wizkid (Nigeria). And simply put, the lyrics serve as a tribute to melanin-enriched women, specifically in relation to appreciating their beauty and struggles.

The two main vocalists, Beyoncé and Wizkid, take different approaches in expressing these sentiments.  For Wizkid, he sings about a particular female who fits the above description whom he admires. And the thing he seems to like about her the most is that she possesses an independent spirit.  

Meanwhile Beyoncé’s procedure is more along the lines of appreciating the beauty of “dark” women in general. And she namedrops a few famous ones, including supermodel ‘Naomi’ Campbell, actress Lupita Nyong’o and her own former band mate, Kelly Rowland. Moreover the songstress seems to sympathize with certain struggles darker women go through, such as being compelled to prefer a lighter complexion. But she is assuring them that their “skin… glow(s) like diamonds”. And this is the same sentiment that Saint Jhn and Blue Ivy Carter express in the intro, that “brown skin girl(s)” and specifically their skin complexion is “the best thing in the world”.

So in all, we can conclude that this is a pro-Black song geared towards women with a romantic undertone. For in addition to their individual verses, Beyoncé and Wizkid reference “fall(ing) in love” in the chorus.  Moreover in the final pre-chorus, Beyoncé adds an overt dance element to the lyrics by imploring a “dark” lady to “keep dancing” and in the process mesmerize the men who are “watching” her.  But such is more like the secondary theme of this song. Rather it is clear that the primary purpose of “Brown Skin Girl” is to strengthen self-esteem in women who fit the titular description in acknowledgement of the issues they face “against the world”.

Quick Facts about “Brown Skin Girl”

• “Brown Skin Girl” is featured on Beyoncé’s epic collaboration album entitled The Lion King: The Gift.
• It was released by Walt Disney Records on 19 July 2019.
• This is the first time any of these artists have collaborated with one another, with the exception of Beyoncé and Blue Ivy, as the songstress has already featured her daughter on a number songs.

FYI: “Brown Skin Girl” along with the likes of “SPIRIT” and “MOOD 4 EVA” is one of the outstanding tracks on The Lion King: The Gift.

Who wrote “Brown Skin Girl”?

In addition to the four headline artists, there are several other co-writers of this song. They include the following:

• Bipolar Sunshine
• Stacy Barthe
• Michael Uzowuru
• Adio Marchant
• Anatii
• Beyoncé’s husband, Jay-Z.

 Beyoncé also produced the song alongside P2J.