We’ve been calling women divas for years, but we still can’t agree on what the word actually means or who qualifies. 

In this episode, Christiana sits down with music journalist Gerrick Kennedy, co-author of Brandy's new memoir, Phases, to do the impossible: rank the greatest divas across the 90s, 2000s, and 2010s and unpack what really earns someone the title. 

Together, they debate the diva status of icons like Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, Beyoncé, Britney Spears, Rihanna, Taylor Swift, and Lady Gaga, while making the case for a few overlooked sleeper divas along the way. By the end, it becomes clear that defining a diva is a lot harder than it sounds.

Gerrick’s book with Brandy: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/phases-brandy?variant=44324080779298 

Gerrick’s book on Whitney Houston: https://gerrickkennedy.com/whitneyhouston 

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Email: [email protected] 

01:18 Meet Gerrick Kennedy 

03:20 How Gerrick Built a Career in Music Journalism

06:33 The Time Gerrick Met Joe Jackson

11:18 Diva Ranking Game 

13:19 Defining a “diva” 

16:46 Ranking 90s divas 

18:50 Brandy 

27:07 Janet Jackson 

29:22 Mariah Carey 

34:07 Gerrick on Working With Brandy on Phases

36:16 The Patriarchal Control Behind Pop Divas

40:59 Ranking 2000s divas 

42:11 Why Divas Have to Go Solo

48:59 Jennifer Lopez 

55:59 Britney Spears 

1:00:37 Amy Winehouse

1:05:01 Ranking 2010s divas 

1:06:03 Lady Gaga 

1:12:54 Rihanna 

1:16:29 Tinashe 

1:17:52 Beyoncé

1:23:56 Taylor Swift 

1:25:39 The Next Generation of Pop Stars

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