Danyel Smith lives at the intersection of sport and culture. She tells the stories of artists and athletes through leadership, acclaimed journalism, memoir, and podcasting. Currently a contracted contributor at The New York Times Magazine, Danyel is the founding culture editor of ESPN’s The Undefeated, and a former contributor to ESPN The Magazine. As a producer and editor, she has created award-winning cross-platform content featuring legends like Kobe Bryant, Stephen Curry, Misty Copeland, and Serena Williams. Danyel has also written profiles of Simone Biles, Breanna Stewart, Jamal Crawford, and Jalen Hurts.

In addition: Danyel has interviewed pop cultural icons ranging from Whitney Houston and SZA to Janet Jackson, NBA YoungBoy, Mariah Carey, Usher, Lionel Richie, and Beyoncé. Danyel has shared her insights on culture at venues such as Amazon Music, the Grammy Museum, Yale, the University of Southern California, and New York University.

Danyel is author of the acclaimed Shine Bright: A Very Personal History of Black Women in Pop (2022) and the creator/host of Black Girl Songbook, a Spotify Original podcast centering the stories of Black women in music. A 2021 Yaddo fellow and a 2024 MacDowell Nonfiction Fellow, Danyel has served as editor of Billboard and editor-in-chief of VIBE. According to The New Yorker, “Danyel is one of the nation’s most astute chroniclers of pop and hip-hop culture.”

danyesmith@gmail.com
https://www.danyelsmithwriter.com/