Photo Credits: Inez Woody (@inez.woody) and Tito Garcia
Write-up Credit: Inez Woody (@inez.woody)
There wasn’t an empty seat in the room on Friday, August 7, as Chicago singer and songwriter Simone Green celebrated the release of her sophomore album, Black Queen. Held at Q’s Black Fire Brigade private event space, the celebration brought together family, longtime friends, and supporters for an evening that felt as personal as the music itself.
Guests arrived in summertime chic attire, while Green’s manager, Tiffany Ray, helped orchestrate a night designed to celebrate not only a new album, but also the people and experiences behind it.
ABC 7 Chicago’s Val Warner guided Green through a conversation about the album as each song was introduced and played for the audience. Green shared the stories behind the music, including songs inspired by a best friend she has known since she was 18 and six childhood friends who traveled from Arkansas and Texas to be there. The message running through those friendships and the music was simple: be strong, hold on, and trust that God has a plan for you.
“Sometimes you’ve just gotta breathe,” Green told the crowd.
The album’s title track, “Black Queen,” reaches beyond Green’s own circle. Written for Black women everywhere, the song celebrates strength, resilience, and knowing your worth. Green told the audience the album, co-written by Jeffery Dillard, offers “a little something for everyone,” while also reflecting a season of personal renewal.
She shared that she is the healthiest and most physically fit she has been since she was 18, making the evening feel as much like a celebration of life as a musical milestone.
The details made the night feel special. VIP guests enjoyed dinner catered by Mr. Brunch of Chicago and received swag bags, while DJ Joe Global moved the room through R&B, gospel medleys, and house music. The evening even had its own signature cocktail, appropriately named the “Black Queen.”
The setting also carried meaning: partying with a purpose. The Black Fire Brigade venue works to introduce and prepare Black youth and young adults for careers as firefighters, EMTs, and first responders.
By the end of the evening, the emotion on Green’s face said what words could not. Surrounded by people who had known her through different seasons of her life, she wiped away tears as the room celebrated her.
Then came one more surprise. The crowd sang “Happy Birthday” before heading to the outdoor patio for an after-party, where guests took countless photos and actress and Chicago native LisaRaye McCoy made an unexpected appearance.
For Green, Black Queen may be the name of the album, but Friday night showed that its story is also about the village of women, friends, and supporters who helped her arrive at this moment.
