BHM 2026: Release The Fire Horses Already!

Black Women In Music Are Blazing The Trail

Feb 07, 2026

Inside This Issue

Black History Month: Release The Fire Horses!
Freedom Songs Playlist on Qobuz
Music Stackers Recommendations
BHM Music Article Recommendations

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BHM 2026: Release The Fire Horses Already!

HM embraces Black women’s contributions to modern music as we enter not only Black History Month (BHM), but also the Chinese zodiac Year of The Fire Horse on February 17th.

Last year was Year of The Snake, the sixth zodiac sign. “The Year of the Snake is far more than just one of the twelve zodiac signs. Its symbolism of ‘rebirth and renewal’ and ‘bearing fruit’ connects it to profound cultural, spiritual, and historical significance. The snake’s ability to shed its skin and grow reminds us of the importance of embracing new challenges and changes without fear.” - Yukari Yamano, Events Coordinator at the Seattle Japanese Garden.

Doesn’t that sound quaint. I’ll give Yamano this, there was definitely a lot of renewal and upheaval in 2025. Metaphorically, it felt like we were yanked from a warm womb by sterile rubber-clad hands into an cold fluorescent room, dangled upside down by the ankle and smacked on the ass until we screamed in pain for an audience of masked strangers.

Birth is a miracle, but romantic or safe or peaceful it is not.

As the Snake year progressed, it culminated into widespread violence, fear, and sadness for too many of our sisters and brothers. It sucked and continues to suck. The sloughed off scales can rot in the cellar’s darkest corner where they belong as far as I’m concerned.

If we view our raw newborn skin as a beginning, the scientific Theory of Chaos counter-balances the woo-woo astrology transition effortlessly. Jump to Wikipedia for the rabbit hole, but this statement stands out:

Sensitivity to initial conditions means that each point in a chaotic system is arbitrarily closely approximated by other points that have significantly different future paths or trajectories. Thus, an arbitrarily small change or perturbation of the current trajectory may lead to significantly different future behavior.

Think: The Butterfly Effect. For our sporting friends, it’s a golf swing where a one-millimeter stroke differential can mean the difference between a sand trap or a hole in one, all other things considered equal.

Enter The Fire Horse

This is where hope springs eternal for unexpected trajectories. Each Chinese zodiac animal has five elements (fire, earth, metal, water, and wood) so there are in fact five horses mixed with other animal signs within the 60-year zodiac calendar span. February 17th ushers in the Year of The Fire Horse (Hinoe Uma), the first since 1966. People, especially women, born that year were deemed “bad personalities,” according to writer Aonghas Crowe, who elaborates:

“The superstition is even less flattering for women born in that year: the Japanese believe that women born in the Year of the Fire Horse are so headstrong that they will end up driving their husbands to an early grave, a concern widespread enough that the birth rate actually plummeted in Japan in 1966.”

The fear. The loathing. The utter bullshit.

If there has ever been a need for Fire Horse women, it is NOW. Not to send men’s egos to early graves. We need our Fire Horses to blaze a more wild yet compassionate trajectory for us all— escaping the tightening bridle of systemic fear and control on our greatest form of freedom: self-expression through music and art.

“The Horse symbolizes freedom, vitality, and unstoppable drive. When combined with the Fire element, its energy becomes even more intense—fueling ambition, passion, and rapid change. This year challenges individuals to act with confidence, trust their instincts, and keep pace with fast-moving circumstances,” Lisa Wu of Buddha & Karma.

This month, Herizon Music celebrates the American demographic that historically personifies the Fire Horse spirit. Black women in music. A short but mighty Fire Horse list:

Harriett Tubman used coded gospel music to help free slaves.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe’s guitar thundered like a freedom train through Northern and Southern emancipation.

Nina Simone’s unapologetic songwriting and fashion statements fueled civil rights leaders who faced beatings and murder. Read here about Simone finding purpose in her music.

Beyoncé stood up to corporate and societal winds to reclaim Black women’s disappearing country and Americana musical heritage.

This shortlist doesn’t do women’s work nearly enough justice, but the list grows daily. Modern women’s recordings, Substacks, stage productions, awards speeches, nonprofits, and financial investments are the backbone of today’s American Gothic reckoning.

Black women do all of this knowing that the system is rigged against them. That everything and everyone they love can be snatched away in a heartbeat. They step up anyway. These women are FIRE and inspire others to light their inner sparks.

Let’s all join forces and collectively swing open the fence gates so Fire Horses (of all colors, genders, ages) can blaze a new trail. Black History Month is a great time to get on board. A few “Good Trouble” starters to get your inner Fire Horse dancing are listed here. If you like what you see and hear, please support Herizon Music in one of the following ways:

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Drop $2 in the coffee can tip jar
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Ask about sponsoring an upcoming podcast or showcase

Freedom Songs 2.026

Listen here with Qobuz.
Rather than call this Qobuz playlist Protest Songs, I chose Freedom Songs to show what we stand FOR rather than against. The 50+ songs span multiple genres, eras, and female artists of all ages and colors. Share your suggestions in the comments! New to Qobuz? Click here for a 30-day trial. If you decide to sign up, Herizon Music earns a commission that goes toward production costs. Thanks in advance 🙏🏻

Music Stackers Recommendations

While Herizon Music has a broad recommendations list, this short list introduces you to music Substackers of color who spotlight women in music. It’s far from complete (apologies to writers whom I unwittingly missed in my haste), so please add your suggestions and Substack links in the comments for other readers.

Danyel Smith, Shine Brightly HQ
Harmony Holiday, Black Music & Muses
Aisha, Black Music Be Everywhere
Carmelia, The Coldest Truth
Stanley C., If You’re Ever Listening
Natelegé Whaley, Scene Serene
Shanté, Things I Collected

BHM Music Reading Recommendations

I love a good learning moment! Here are recent music stacks that capture 2026 BHM’s musical spirit and recognize the contributions black women have and continue to make in music history.