India Arie Celebrates 20th Anniversary Of Debut Album, Says A Part Of Her Voice Isn't On The Album At All
At the age of 14, I was introduced to a song that, for the first time, had me take a true look at myself. I looked at my hair, I looked at my skin. I took a second look at people, seeing only the best in them. I knew that I was black, and here was a woman that was welcoming that into a world where I was singing Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera and dancing to N'Sync. She said she loved who I was, as I was. She said she loved my skin and that no one could take that love she had for me away.
That singer was India.Arie.
And this was 20 years ago. A long 20 years ago, when India.Arie's debut album, Acoustic Soul, hit the airwaves and giving us all the life we didn't know we needed. And in an interview with Essence, she admitted she wasn't too thrilled about the anniversary.
"Being consistent with anything for 20 years is a celebration and the success is a celebration, too. The release of 'Acoustic Soul' was the tail-end of a whole tumultuous era in life, but it's still a nice thing to point at as something to celebrate. Fulfillment is not the right word, but it's the best word I can think of right now. I feel this really grounded sense of accomplishment."
In the interview, she also revealed that she hadn't heard her first album in a while until recently, and when she listened, she recognized the power in her voice at such a young age and its ability to effect change in the music industry. Sis was only 25 years old and had been working on the project since 22. How many of us can say we have the same mind frame we did when we were 25?
She continues:
"When I listen to 'Acoustic Soul', I really hear where I was emotionally and developmentally because there was part of my voice that's not even on that album at all. There's a whole part of me that's not even there but I didn't have it then. I hear a kid."
With Acoustic Soul, India.Arie was positioned to join the ranks of turn-of-the-millennium neo-soul mavens such as the D'Angelos, or the Erykah Badus, or Jill Scotts, and even Alicia Keys of the culture. These artists re-introduced elements of intimacy, spirituality, and organicism absent in "mainstream" radio R&B. These performers, many of whom wrote their own material, all drew from old school soul, and filtered it into the new wave of social consciousness, Black Feminist thought, and New Age spiritualist symbolism.
In fact, in many ways, India unquestionably led this movement--her and her guitar.
Her success led her to a 50-city tour with the one and only, Sade, and ultimately led to seven Grammy nominations. Seven! All of which she didn't win.
"It took me a good three or four years to realize that winning none was a certain type of success too."
Whew, ladies: read that again, and get your entire life, m'kay? She continued:
"Because everybody was talking about me. I sold under a million copies and everyone was talking about me. At the moment it sucked, but in the end, it all worked out for the best."
To celebrate the moment, India.Arie invited us all along to a special Acoustic Soul 'songversation' virtual event via her social media. The "Brown Skin" singer went directly to fans and cemented the moment through conversation and song, which we wouldn't have any other way, and honestly, was the perfect way to commemorate such a refreshingly ground-breaking body of work.
"I knew I was something different for the industry, I knew I looked different, I sounded different and the songs I wanted to sing were different. I thought I was telling people, 'Make way, something different's coming,' but in hindsight, I was telling all of our stories about what it means to affirm yourself because the world will always tell you that you're supposed to be something different."
A. Word.
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Charmin Michelle is a southern native and creative spirit who works as a content marketer and events manager in Chicago. She enjoys traveling, #SummertimeChi, and the journey of mastering womanhood. Connect with her on Instagram @charminmichelle.
Exclusive: Melanie Fiona On Making High-Vibrational Music & Saying Yes To Partnership
Melanie Fiona is back! After taking a little more than a decade-long hiatus, she has officially made her return to music and blessed us with two singles, “Say Yes” and “I Choose You.” While both singles are very different from each other, they both reflect who she is today and the type of music she wants to make. In our conversation, the mom of two expressed what she learned during her time away.
“It's interesting, even when I said it is like coming back, I don't ever feel like I really left because I was always still performing. I've still been public. It's not like I went into being this recluse person or version of myself, but the thing that I really learned in this process is that I think things take time,” Melanie says in a xoNecole exclusive.
“I think often we're so caught up in it, being on the timing of demand or popularity, or, like, striking while the iron is hot and the thing that I've learned is that everything is on God's time. That's it. Every time I thought I would have been ready, or, like, things were taking too long, I had to reship some things, personally, professionally, in my life. I also gave myself permission to make a living, not just make a living, but make a life for myself.”
Making a life for herself included getting married to Grammy-nominated songwriter Jared Cotter, starting a family, and embracing new landscapes, such as podcasting as a co-host of The Mama’s Den podcast. She also began doing more spiritual work and self-care practices like meditation, sound healing, Reiki, acupuncture, and boundary setting, which allowed her to get in touch with her inner voice.
“I wasn't putting out music, and I wasn't experiencing a number one record, but I was being a number one mom,” she says.
“I was experiencing things that were allowing me to heal and get in touch with myself so that I could make new music from a space of joy and freedom, and excitement again because I definitely feel like I did lose some excitement because of just politics and industry and what it can do to your mental health and even your physical health. So giving myself the space to really just say, ‘Hey, it's okay. Everything's right on time.’”
The joy and excitement are felt in one of two new singles, “I Choose You,” which is more of a lovers rock vibe, a tribute to Melanie’s Caribbean roots. While the Grammy award-winner is known for ballads like “It Kills Me” and “Fool For You,” she is becoming more intentional about the music she makes, calling it high-vibrational music. She says her music is a “reflection of my life,” as it captures every facet, from hanging out with friends to riding around in her car.
“Say Yes” has the classic R&B vibe Melanie is known for. However, both songs are inspired by her relationship. Melanie and Jared got married in December 2020, and the Toronto-bred artist dished on their relationship. Fun fact: he is featured in the “Say Yes” music video.
“When we first started dating, I had come into that relationship post a lot of self-work. I had gotten out of a long-term relationship, I had a year and a half to date and be by myself and do a lot of work on myself alone. And when we met, I remember feeling like this has to be my person because I feel it,” she says.
“And so when we went into that relationship, and we started dating, I was very clear. I was like, I know what I want. I'm very clear on what I need, and I'm not going to withhold my truth about myself in this process because of pride or fear of rejection. I know you love me, but I'm coming with my heart in my hand to let you know that if we're gonna get there, we have to put fear aside and say yes. So that was kind of like my open letter to him, which is why the video is us having a conversation.”
Melanie also shares that saying yes to her partner has empowered her in many ways, including motherhood and showing up for herself. Her new EP, also titled Say Yes, will be available at the top of 2025.
Check out the full interview below.
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'Boomeranging': 4 Signs It's Okay To Rebound To Your Old Job
Stories like Nelly and Ashanti's second go 'round at love prove that wanting that old thang back isn't always a bad thing. And this even applies to jobs. Recent research shows that 43 percent of people who resigned during the Great Resignation in early 2021 admitted they were "better off at their old job," and 41 percent felt they "quit their job too quickly." Other reports show that about a quarter of employees “boomeranged” to their old jobs voluntarily last year.
But just like in relationships, there are key things to consider before going back to a former employer. I mean, there was indeed a reason you left, so going back might be one of the worst mistakes you've made—twice.
Let me help you out with this one. Here are four major signs it's a good idea to rebound or "boomerang" to your old job:
1. There's new management.
This is one of the most important signs that going back to an old job is a good idea. If you left the job due to toxic, inexperienced, or burned-out management, you might have a better experience with new people in leadership. At least you can start over to build a fresh perspective and connection. A 2019 study found that 57 percent of professionals have left a job because of their manager, and 14 percent have left multiple jobs because of their managers.
Schedule an informative coffee or virtual meeting with an HR professional at your old company or have lunch with a former colleague to get a sense of the new management.
If you don't really have those types of ties to your old job, keep tabs on their latest developments by following their company's LinkedIn page, setting up Google alerts, or checking for news releases about updates from the company.
2. You can take on a role you'd wanted previously but couldn't get back then.
Budgets change along with the times, so maybe this time around, there's room to pay you what you're worth in a higher position. Check job boards, LinkedIn, or other online platforms to see what opportunities are now available, and utilize the experience you once had at the company to sell why you'd be perfect for that role. Harvard Business Report found that 28% of “new hires” were boomerang hires who had resigned within the last 36 months last year. It also found that boomerang employees were more likely to be managers than non-managers.
3. They're finally offering remote or flex schedules.
If you left because you wanted to prioritize time with your children, you felt like you didn't get enough time off after childbirth, or you need to take care of elder family members, this is the perfect reason to consider going back. After the pandemic, more than 40 percent of workers in three industries worked remotely. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics report from October 2024, of 61 detailed industries, 44 had more than 10 percent of their workforce working remotely in 2021. In 2022, the top four industries in 2021 still had over 46 percent of their workforce working remotely.
While there has been news that companies, particularly in tech, are forcing people to go back to the office, while some are requiring employees to go in a few days per week, many have begun fully embracing remote work, changing their tune from years back. In an effort to retain a workforce who has expectations of work-life balance, flexibility, and wellness prioritizing, remote work is now something competitive companies embrace, and that could include your former employer.
4. Your old job was more fulfilling or more of a culture fit than your current one.
Sometimes, money and titles aren't everything. Maybe you had more autonomy at your old job, you were treated with respect, or you felt more accepted and free to be yourself at that company. The new job might have offered more money or a title raise, but the office culture just isn't that great.
If you left your previous job simply to try something new or you were offered more money at another company for a promotion and you're finding that that wasn't the best move, it might be a good idea to reach out to your old HR manager. Maybe they miss you, too.
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