Simone Green on Pain, Purpose, and Presence

Simone Green

Simone Green moves like someone who has lived every word she sings. With her empowering single “Black Queen,” the Chicago-based vocalist and storyteller delivers more than an anthem—it’s a statement of identity, honoring Black womanhood as strength, grace, and truth lived out loud. 

A two-time cancer survivor, 2026 marks the 10-year anniversary of her first diagnosis. That milestone sits at the center of her journey, shaping both her voice and her purpose. For Green, survival isn’t just personal—it’s a calling that extends into community, advocacy, and music. 

As a member of The Brave Chicks and the Tatisa C. Joiner Foundation, she continues supporting breast cancer survivors, turning lived experience into service and solidarity. 

Written with Jeffrey Dillard and produced by SFR and Arnell Newman, “Black Queen” blends soul and truth into a record rooted in real life, not image. The accompanying visual, directed by Tiffany Ray and Arnell Newman, reflects that same honesty—balancing career, love, discipline, and joy in one unfiltered portrait. 

As she steps into her upcoming BLACK QUEEN album era, Green is in motion—bringing the message directly to audiences across the country. 

At its core, “Black Queen” is simple: a reminder that the crown was never given—it was always there.

Simone Green

Q: Ten years removed from your first cancer diagnosis, when you look in the mirror today, what does the word “survivor” mean to Simone Green?  

You know, when I hear the word survivor, I don’t just think about cancer anymore. I think about life in general. I’ve survived loss—I’ve lost both parents in the past decade—disappointments, setbacks, and a whole lot of things people never saw. Ten years later, survivor means I’ve learned how to keep moving forward, even when life throws curveballs. It means I don’t take a single day for granted. Every wrinkle, every scar, every lesson—I earned it. And honestly? I’m just grateful to still be here, still singing, still loving, and still living out my purpose.  

Q: “Black Queen” feels bigger than a song—it feels like a statement. Was there a specific moment in your life that inspired you to write it?  

“Black Queen” came from a lifetime of experiences. As Black women, we’re expected to be everything to everybody. We hold families together, build businesses, support our communities, and somehow still manage to show up looking fabulous. (😀) With my writing partner, Jeff Dillard, we wanted to create something that celebrated us—not for what we do, but for who we are. Every survivor, every mother, every entrepreneur, every woman who’s ever doubted her worth—we wrote that song for her.  

Q: You’ve worn many crowns: artist, entrepreneur, wife, advocate, survivor, and community leader. Which role has taught you the most about yourself?  

Being a cancer survivor. No contest. Cancer has a way of introducing you to yourself. It strips away all the stuff that doesn’t matter and forces you to figure out what you’re really made of. I discovered strength I didn’t know I had. I learned that asking for help isn’t weakness. And I learned that life is way too short not to chase your dreams and tell people you love them. I do that every day!  

Q: Your music celebrates strength, but it also embraces vulnerability. How have life’s toughest battles shaped the woman and artist we hear today?  

Life taught me that strength isn’t pretending everything is okay. Strength is being honest when it’s not.  

The older I get, the less interested I am in perfection. I want authenticity. I want truth. That’s what shows up in my music now. I’ve experienced enough highs and lows to know that people connect with what’s real. If my journey has taught me anything, it’s that our scars don’t make us weaker—they make us relatable.  

Q: As a two-time cancer survivor, what message do you hope reaches women who may be fighting battles nobody else can see?  

First, I’d tell them to give themselves some grace.  

A lot of women are carrying things nobody knows about. We smile, show up, go to work, take care of everybody else, and keep pushing. But sometimes we need to remember that it’s okay not to be okay.  

I want women to know they’re stronger than they think. Keep fighting. Keep believing. Keep showing up for yourself. And don’t be afraid to let people love on you while you’re going through it.  

Q: Chicago knows Simone Green, but your roots run back to Little Rock, Arkansas. What pieces of Arkansas and Chicago still live in your spirit and your music?  

Arkansas gave me my soul. Chicago gave me my edge.  

Growing up in Little Rock taught me the value of family, faith, friendship, and community. Chicago taught me how to hustle—hard, how to dream bigger, and how to own my voice. I think my music is a blend of both. It’s got Southern warmth mixed with Chicago confidence.  

Q: Soul Sanctuary helped establish your reputation in Chicago’s music scene. Looking back, what chapter of that journey still means the most to you?  

Honestly, the relationships.  

Of course I remember the performances, but what stays with me are the people. The artists who became friends. The audience members who became family. The people who came week after week because they needed that space.  

Soul Sanctuary reminded me that music isn’t just something we listen to—it’s something we experience together. At that time in my life, I really needed that.  

Q: You’ve had success in music, television, advertising, and business. What has kept you grounded through all those different seasons of life?  

My faith, my family, and a healthy understanding that none of us are as important as we think we are, lol. 😆  

Seriously though, success comes and goes. Trends change. Careers evolve. But character is what remains. I’ve always tried to focus on being a good person first and everything else second.  

Q: The “Black Queen” video offers a glimpse into your real life beyond the spotlight. Why was authenticity so important for this visual?  

Because the song is authentic.  

I didn’t want a video full of smoke and mirrors. I wanted people to see real beauty, real relationships, real joy, and real women. What you see in that video is a reflection of the life I’ve built and the people I love. That’s what makes it special.  

Simone Green

Q: Through your work with Different Shades of Punk and The Tatisa C. Joiner Foundation, what have fellow survivors taught you about courage and healing?  

They’ve taught me that courage doesn’t always look the way people think it does.  

Sometimes courage is walking into another doctor’s appointment. 

Sometimes it’s asking questions. Sometimes it’s admitting you’re scared.  

I’ve met women who inspired me on days when they were fighting for their own lives. That’s powerful. Those experiences taught me that healing happens faster when we stop trying to do everything alone.  

Q: Your upcoming album shares the same title as the single. What do you hope listeners discover about Simone Green that they haven’t heard before?  

I hope they hear the whole woman.  

Not just the singer. Not just the survivor. 

Not just the businesswoman.  

I want people to hear the joy, the lessons, the love story, the heartbreaks, the victories, and the growth. This project is probably the most honest I’ve ever been as an artist. It’s definitely my best work.

Q: Years from now, when people talk about Simone Green’s legacy, what do you hope they remember first: the music, the message, the resilience, or the woman behind it all?  

The woman.  

Because if people remember the woman, they’ll remember all the other things too.  

I hope people say, “She used her gifts well. She lifted people up. She made people feel seen. She loved hard. She lived fully.”  

If they say that, then I’ve done exactly what I was put here to do.

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