Kelly Rowland On Being A 'Woman's Woman' And Surrendering To Her God-Given Gifts
I think we’ve all imagined what it would be like to have Kelly Rowland as a friend. Her warm, big-sister energy has a way of making us feel like we’ve known her all our life, even though we’ve only scratched the surface of her depth. Fortunately for us, a new interview has given us new insight into the Grammy award-winning singer’s upbringing and how it shaped her perspective on sisterhood, community, and living out her dreams.
On Tuesday, Kelly appeared on the season 3 premiere episode of Kerry Washington’s Street You Grew Up Onto series to discuss her upbringing as a child and the maternal figures that shaped her outlook on forming sisterly bonds.
The Power of Sisterhood | Kelly Rowland on Street You Grew Up On
During the conversation, Kerry points out that when she thinks of Kelly, she thinks of someone who “really embraced your sisters,” adding that Kelly is a “woman’s woman” in her eyes.
Kelly shares that her knack for connection is one that’s deeply influenced by the presence of her mother and aunties growing up, which has helped her to dig deep with her friends.
“When I’m in a friendship and it just feels surface, I ask why,” the former Destiny’s Child singer says. “I’ll just say, ‘You’ve been distant, why are you distant? Are you okay? Do you need to talk?’”
She adds, “And I’ll say, ‘Maybe that’s what you needed this time, and I respect that, I understand that, then I’ll move back. But I’m concerned.’”
All throughout Kelly's life, the presence of her female relatives has felt spiritual. So much so that she reflects on a divine encounter that she experienced with her paternal grandmother, who sang for Lena Horne and Count Basie, that confirmed her purpose.
“One day — I can’t remember if I was warming up or something — and I could feel every part of this woman,” she recalls. “And I felt like she was saying, ‘I’m living through you,’ like ‘I’m living my dream through you.’ And I was just like, well, have at it.”
The “outer body” experience shifted Kelly's perception of her talents, allowing her to fully embrace her gift of singing and surrender. “I stopped second-guessing myself. I had to stop second-guessing myself — I was like, just roll with it.”
While Kelly has been a beacon light to many Black girls through her music and — persona, she takes time to empower the little Black girl inside of her who had the dream of becoming a star and went for it.
“I would say, continue to dream big, blow your mind with your dreams, like let them scare you, and run to them,” she concludes.
And we’ll be the first to say, we love the woman Kelly’s become.
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Featured image by Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images
Aley Arion is a writer and digital storyteller from the South, currently living in sunny Los Angeles. Her site, yagirlaley.com, serves as a digital diary to document personal essays, cultural commentary, and her insights into the Black Millennial experience. Follow her at @yagirlaley on all platforms!
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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You've Never Seen Luke James In A Role Quite Like This
Over the years, we've watched Luke James play countless characters we'd deem sex symbols, movie stars, and even his complicated character in Lena Waithe's The Chi. For the first time in his career, the New Orleans-born actor has taken on a role where his signature good looks take a backseat as he transforms into Edmund in Them: The Scare—a mentally deranged character in the second installment of the horror anthology series that you won't be able to take your eyes off.
Trust us, Edmund will literally make you do a double take.
xoNecole sat down with Luke James to talk about his latest series and all the complexity surrounding it—from the challenges taking on this out-of-the-box role to the show's depiction of the perplexing history of the relationship between Black Americans and police. When describing the opportunity to bring Edmund's character to life, Luke was overjoyed to show the audience yet another level of his masterful acting talents.
"It was like bathing in the sun," he said. "I was like, thank you! Another opportunity for me to be great—for me to expand my territory. I'm just elated to be a part of it and to see myself in a different light, something I didn't think I could do." He continued, "There are parts of you that says, 'Go for it because this is what you do.' But then also that's why it's a challenge because you're like, 'um, I don't know if I'm as free as I need to be to be able to do this.' Little Marvin just created such a safe space for me to be able to do this, and I'm grateful for everything I've been able to do to lead to this."
Courtesy
Them: The Scare, like the first season, shines a light on the plight of Black Americans in the United States. This time, the story is taking place in the 1990s, at the height of the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles. While the series presents many underlying themes, one that stands out is Black people and the complicated relationship with the police. "For the audience, I think it sets the tone for the era that we're in and the amount of chaos that's in the air in Los Angeles and around the country from this heinous incident. And I say it just sets the tone of the anxiety and anxiousness that everybody is feeling in their own households."
James has been a longtime advocate against police brutality himself. He has even featured Elijah McClain, the 23-year-old Colorado man who died after being forcibly detained by officers, as his Instagram avatar for the past five years. So, as you can imagine, this script was close to his heart. "Elijah was a soft-loving oddball. Different than anyone but loving and a musical genius. He was just open and wanted to be loved and seen."
Getty Images
Luke continued, "His life was taken from him. I resonate with his spirit and his words...through all the struggle and the pain he still found it in him to say, 'I love you and I forgive you.' And that's who we are as people—to our own detriment sometimes. He's someone I don't want people to forget. I have yet to remove his face from my world because I have yet to let go of his voice, let go of that being [because] there's so many people we have lost in our history that so often get forgotten."
He concluded, "I think that's the importance of such artwork that moves us to think and talk about it. Yes, it's entertaining. We get to come together and be spooked together. But then we come together and we think, 'Damn, Edmund needed someone to talk to. Edmund needed help... a lot [of] things could have been different. Edmund could have been saved.'
Check out the full interview below.
Luke James Talks Ditching Sex Symbol Status For "Them: The Scare", Elijah McClain, & Morewww.youtube.com
Featured image by Getty Images