An Open Love Letter to Women With Deep Voices

Happy Pride Month, sapphics! To celebrate the month, I want to highlight women and marginalized genders that have lower octaves. I will be the first to admit that I love women with deep voices. I have always found that women with deep, raspier voices sound so sophisticated and luscious. The first woman I recall having a raspy voice on television was actress Bea Arthur. Her voice, to me at least, encapsulated what I thought a mature woman sounded like; worldly, enlightened, and spunky. Since then, my love for women with deeper voices has only increased as I’ve gotten older.

I was inspired to write this because I recall, Brittney Griner was trending on Twitter and there were trolls making fun of her voice. Of course, I didn’t see anything unusual about her voice, but I’m sure the way she also presents herself fuels the homophobia she receives online. It also made me think about how Blackness and gender expression impact different people. While Griner got ridiculed, it was just months later in the same year that Emma D’arcy went viral for talking about their favorite drink. Both talents tend to reject gender norms but Griner seems to receive more hate than D’arcy does ( neither of them should receive any hate based on how they talk or dress).

Black Women With Deep Voices Are The Real Sirens

For Black women and non-binary people, having a deeper voice is deemed acceptable based on your desirability to those viewing you through a heteronormative lens.  For instance, the actress Demi Moore also has a raspy, smokey voice and throughout her career, she’s been heralded as a sexy symbol, and rightfully so. Even though she encountered a lot of sexism for her role in G.I. Jane, overall, she’s been adorned by fans for most of her career. 

But many women have exquisite tones to their speaking voices that can make you melt. Actresses such as Gina Torres and Kym Whitley and singers like Nina Simone and Mariah Carey push their femininity envelope by embracing their deeper tone and carving out a lane just for themselves. 

Whoopi Goldberg

“You in danger, girl!” Whoopi Goldberg has been famous all of my life. When I first saw her in Ghost I thought she was so beautiful and her voice sounded like a warm hug. Women with deeper voices tend to be amazing singers so I wasn’t surprised by her performance in Sister Act.

Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins

Being the lead singer of one of the biggest girl groups in the world isn’t easy, but T-Boz made it look cool. I instantly fell in love with her raspy voice because it was distinctive from her other musical peers. I was so used to lead singers having soprano voices. But when I heard TLC for the time, I was giddy because I think T-Boz has an underrated voice.

Toni Braxton

The powerhouse, ballad singer sings with such a breathy and infectious tone, that it’s hard to ignore. Braxton’s contralto voice and melodies continue to set her apart from her soprano peers.

Nobody can deny the power in Bassett’s voice. In every role she has played, she continues to be the brightest star on-screen.

Angela Bassett

Arguably one of the best thespians in human history, Angela Bassett continues to light up blockbuster films and television alike. With her alluring, smokey voice, she brings depth and unforgettable moments that never leaves your soul.

Beyonce

There aren’t enough words to describe the Texan-born multi-talented entertainer and pop icon. Her voice is unmatched and with every album, she puts singers to the test as they try to replicate her riffs and runs. However, Beyonce’s speaking voice sounds like smooth honey in fresh, iced tea. It has a mix of raspy, cool tones that sounds warm and lush.

Jennifer Lewis

The Black momma of Hollywood who also enjoys nature has a voice that’s not only recognizable but unforgettable. She’s been the voice of Black Hollywood for decades spanning animated shows, movies, theater and the small screen. Her voice gives us hope, humor and encapsulates the beauty of Black womanhood.

Lorraine Toussaint

If you still haven’t watched Netflix’s She-Ra, you have no idea how villainous Toussaint can be. Besides, who doesn’t love a femme antagonist? Her career spans decades and if you haven’t seen Queen Latifah’s Equalizer, you are missing out on some epic acting.

There are more women who have lovely, deeper voices that will make you swoon, but for this list, it was best to focus on the cream of the crop of femme, lusty voices.