Danyel Smith
Music journalist and author who contributed to The New York Times' list of greatest living American songwriters and conducted the featured interview with Mariah Carey; author of Shine Bright, a history of Black women in pop.
Best podcasts with Danyel Smith
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May 5, 2026 • 28min
Is Mariah Carey the Greatest American Songwriter?
Danyel Smith, a music journalist and author who helped shape The New York Times’ list of top songwriters, discusses Mariah Carey’s songwriting and sampling craft. Short takes cover debates over her inclusion, her insistence on credit, how she makes complex vocal lines singable, and the industry’s disrespect toward Black women in music.
