African American women set the new standard of expression through music as they stood up and embraced their independence, freedom, and sexual imagery in Blues. Blues emerged during the decades following the abolition of slavery allowing for the genre to give musical expression to new social and  sexual realities encountered by African Americans as free women and men. Bessie Smith was a prominent figure in the blues scenes. She was known as the “Empress of the Blues,” due to her technical and personal performances that allowed her to become the highest paid black female artist during the era of blues. Bessie Smith wasn’t afraid to share her mind within her music. She sang specifically to and for black women, as she shared with the world struggles black women go through everyday that most of America wouldn’t even think about. Her ability to educate audiences on abuse, racism, and sexism was admirable during that time, because a lot of Black Americans were hesitant because they were concerned it would lead them to less success.  Other Blues artists like Ma Rainey and Mamie Smith expressed the some of the same topics in their music allowing them to pave the way and inspire female artists after them.