Curated Artist Library
Forge Brief
Brittany Howard
2009-present (Alabama Shakes); solo 2019-present; commercial peak 2019-present (Jaime, What Now)
Alabama-Athens R&B-rock — Janis Joplin + Mavis Staples + Tina Turner re-incarnated for the 2020s with queer-Black-female-political emotional content.
Genres
r&bsoulrockexperimental soul
Vocal character
Brittany Howard: mid-alto with Alabama-Athens RnB-rock lineage + Janis-Joplin + Mavis-Staples vocal-shout tradition. Wide range; equal parts soul-rasp and rock-howl.
Production markers
Brittany Howard + Shawn Everett productionR&B + soul + rock + experimental-soul foundation (real-band with horn-section + occasional electronic textures)analog-warm production aestheticATO Records sonicvisual identity around Alabama-Athens + queer-Black-female aestheticcollaboration with Alabama Shakes bandmates + R&B + soul rosterno auto-tune
Lyrical themes
Alabama-Athens queer-Black-female identity (Jaime named after her sister)race in America (13th Century Metal, Goat Head)family + sister-death + griefromantic devotion (queer-lesbian + bisexual content)religious-Black-American identitymental health + self-acceptance
Signature moves
soul-rasped + rock-howled vocal deliveryreal-band with horn-section arrangementqueer-Black-female biographical specificitycollaboration with Alabama Shakes + R&B + soul roster
Avoid — off-brand for this artist
auto-tuneEDM-drop maximalismmodern-pop-radio compressionlyrical apoliticismstandard pop-crossover song structure
More like Brittany Howard
- Prince
1978-2016
funkpoprock - Joe Cocker
1961-2014
blue-eyed soulrockr&b - Tina Turner
1957-2023
rocksoulR&B - Alabama Shakes
2009-present (on hiatus 2018-present)
r&bsoulsouthern rock - Keyshia Cole
2005-present
R&Bhip-hop soulpop R&B
Ranked by genre overlap + era proximity. Browse the full library →