Neo-Soul for the Soul
"GIRLS" is the immensely pleasant and smooth RnB track from Shirley Tate, aka Don'ae, from New York, NY. The song uses a Lauryn Hill-style soul beat underneath Do'nae's gorgeous voice, singing about the necessity of feminine unity in an era where the "norm" is cattiness, rivalry, and shit-talk. Do'nae does not come off as bitter or angry. Her singing is light, self-assured, wise, and gentle, which to me, are all qualities of a natural leader. On her Soundcloud, she describes herself as "just a tortured soul becoming whole in a tortured world." These are heavy words indeed (considering they are her entire bio) but only serve to add to her complexity, and make me support her mission all the more.
Girls when are we gonna come together?
Must we really be catty forever?
So she looks you up and down, you assume she's hating
Why can't it be she's just admiring you?
We must begin to uplift, 'stead of putting down
You know they say what goes around, comes around,
So if you have it in you, put your pride aside and begin the impossible.