What inspired me to write this piece is very simple. Most of us spend at least 6-8 hours in our bedroom, so I personally think that it should be the most invested room, décor-wise, in the entire house. Like me? I've worked from home since 2000 and I spend a ton of time in my living room. It's pretty warm and cozy, no doubt. However, the time I've slowly put into making my bedroom the way it is now? Whether it's a catnap or retiring for the evening, I'm literally thrilled whenever it's time to go into that space. And that's because of how I've decorated it.
Spring is the time of year when a lot of us do some cleaning and adjusting to our surroundings. If your bedroom is "cool" yet you know, deep down, that it really could be much better, here are some inexpensive ways (like literally under $50 a pop except for the wake-up light which is around $150) to make your bedroom the one room in the house that evokes so much calm, peace and beauty that you almost, quite literally, can't stand it.
1. Buy Yourself a Wake-Up Light
Unlike a lot of people I know, I actually like it when daylight savings time causes us to "fall back". That's because I enjoy the fall and winter seasons, including the fact that it stays darker longer. Which is why I have blackout curtains hanging up in my bedroom; to me, the darker it is when I retire for the evening (or try and catch a nap), the better. Yet regardless of the time of year that you prefer, something that you might want to invest in is a wake-up light. The long short of it is, it mimics sunrise in order to ease you into light instead of "jar" you with it. Some come with alarm clocks and lighting settings that makes it easier on your eyes to read before turning in. If this is something you'd like to add to your bedroom, there is a list of some really great ones right here.
2. Install Some Color-Changing Light Bulbs
Speaking of lighting, overhead lighting is pretty much the worst when it comes to your bedroom. In the daytime, go with natural light (if you don't want anyone looking into your bedroom from the outside in, you can always get your bedroom windows professionally tinted, so that you can see out and others can't see inside). At night, how about some LED (LED ones last longer and are better for the environment) color-changing light bulbs? Some also mimic the sun by being warmer in the morning and evening and cooler in the middle of the day. However, a more dramatic spin is to get the kind of bulbs that literally change to a variety of colors. Some are even remote- or voice-activated (I know, right?). You can read up on some of the best of the best by checking out The Spruce's "The 7 Best Color-Changing LED Bulbs of 2021".
3. Get Bedding That’s in Calming Colors
Color psychology is very much so a real thing. So when it comes to creating a warmer and cozier space in your bedroom, adding colors that are proven to calm you is your best bet.
Lavender symbolizes serenity, grace and silence. Blue-grey is all about sophistication and elegance. Dusty pink evokes femininity and beauty. Sage green is rooted in wisdom, peace and growth. Beige promotes internal peace of mind, simplicity and warmth. Taupe represents modesty, maturity and dignity. Sea blue is all about calm, inspiration and health. And pale orange represents creativity, happiness and encouragement.
These are just some of the colors that can help to calm your senses, even if you use them as merely accent colors to your overall bedroom décor.
4. Fill a Diffuser with Lavender, Bergamot or Vetiver
It's one thing to have a room that is visually beautiful. You're taking it up a few notches to have one that smells absolutely amazing. As far as your bedroom goes, scented soy candles are one option. Only, if you're someone who doesn't open up your windows a lot (for continual air circulation's sake) or you forget to blow your candles out, well, you can see how problematic that could become.
The alternative? An essential oil diffuser. Not only is it safer but the overall benefits are numerous. Essential oil diffusers are able to help to relieve anxiety, boost your immunity, calm your senses, eliminate odors and improve the quality if your sleep—all things that you definitely want to transpire in your bedroom, right? As far as some of the best scents to use, lavender reduces your blood pressure and heart rate and helps you to sleep better, bergamot eases the feelings that are associated with anxiety and stress and, vetiver calms nervousness, helps with anxiety and is even an oil that has a reputation of helping with healing that is associated with emotional trauma.
5. Put a Faux Tree in Your Bedroom (or Hang Some Ceiling Plants)
Without question, one of the best additions to my bedroom is this tall faux plant that I have in one of my corners. There's something about it that makes me feel really peace-filled and relaxed. And just why is it fake? Although I did grow up with quite a few plants in my home, I don't really like the upkeep that they require. And since a lot of stores have some pretty impressive fake ones these days (lots of arts and crafts stores have them, for instance), I decided to take the low-maintenance route.
Speaking of greenery, another awesome option is to hang some plants from your ceiling. You can put up some literal ones (you can check out a MasterClass on how to do that here) or you can find some fake greenery vines (also at arts and crafts stores) and come up with creative ways to hang them. If you want to do something like a vine wall, a sistah broke down how she did it on YouTube. Check it out here.
6. Design a Floral Accent Wall
Speaking of stuff on your walls, if flowers are more your thing, another great idea would be to DIY a variation of your own floral accent wall. You could go to the same arts and crafts store that you would get a faux tree or some fake greenery from for some of your favorite blooms. I actually checked out a video from a sistah who made one for her wedding out of fake flowers from The Dollar Tree, chile. If you want to see how she pulled it off, all you need to do is click right here. Another sistah did one in under 20 minutes (I know, right?). You can see how she did it by going here.
7. Add a Window Treatment That Includes Fairy Lights
Again, I'm someone who prefers to sleep in pitch darkness. However, I do find something really inviting and beautiful about bedrooms that have fairy or twinkle lights somewhere in it. If you're either over the way your bedroom window currently looks or you've been trying to figure out how not use the starkness of your overhead lighting so much, a cool idea can be to add some fairy lights to your curtains. If you adore that idea yet, at the same time, it seems like it might be a bit of a fire hazard, no worries—there are window curtain lights that exist. They're pretty affordable too. You can read more about them by checking out Penlight's article, "12 Best Window Curtain Lights (Buyer's Guide)".
8. Put Down a Faux Fur Rug
Something that I semi-recently purchased for my own bedroom is a big ole' faux fur rug. It's honestly one of the best investments I've made for my home in a hot minute because it definitely makes my bedroom space look and feel cozier. Plus, since it's right beside my bed, I like the way it feels on my feet when I wake up. I found mine for around 40 bucks. Everywhere from Walmart and Overstock to Wayfair and even Etsy carries them.
9. Purchase a Cable Knit Throw
Pretty much, in every room of my house, there are throw blankets. I like how they can help to bring a pop of color to any room. Plus, it doesn't matter what the weather is like outdoors, I'm the kind of person who likes to snuggle up underneath one while I'm listening to music or watching television. Well, the kind of throw that looks really beautiful in a bedroom is a large cable knit one. If you're someone who likes to knit on your down time, you can start now and probably have a nice-sized-non-rushed one ready by fall (some step-by step instructions are listed here). Or, if you'd rather have one right here and now, Walmart, Target and home improvement stores sell them. I'm gonna be honest, though. Some of the best ones I've seen are on Etsy's site. Just go there and put "cable knit throw" in the search field.
10. Hang Up a Self-Love Mission Statement
Something that will easily—and instantly—make any room more aesthetically appealing is artwork…or at least something on the walls. Let me tell it, bare walls are the absolute worst. And while mission statements are traditionally reserved for places like home offices, I want to encourage you to consider creating one that you can design, blow up and frame to hang either above your bedroom or on the wall across from it (so that you can look at it, every morning that you wake up). The theme should be self-love. A literal mission statement about why you deserve to love yourself and how you will go about doing it on a daily basis. It is time and effort well-spent.
11. Put Some Throw Pillows (on the Floor)
I don't know about you, but I used to have corners of my room that were barer than I would like for them to be. The dilemma is, I didn't want to put any furniture there because it would take up too much space and I already had things that I needed like a lamp. For me, the solution has been big throw pillows.
It's another wonderful way to add a pop of color that you might like without going to overboard. And it's another easy way to make your room feel warm and peace-filled without spending a lot of cash in order to do it.
12. Create a Reading Nook
Reading in bed is great. Still, if you'd prefer to use that space solely for sex and sleep, how about making yourself a little reading nook? All you need is a small table, a comfy chair and little things that will personalize the space like perhaps a plant or some flowers; a footstool; some candles; a mug (so that you have something to put your favorite drink in); a reading lamp and anything else that will encourage you to go over and make time for (at least) a chapter a day. I've even seen someone turn a closet into a nook (you can see it for yourself here). It's the perfect final touch to making your bedroom tranquil and beautiful.
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Amber Riley has the type of laugh that sticks with you long after the raspy, rhythmic sounds have ceased. It punctuates her sentences sometimes, whether she’s giving a chuckle to denote the serious nature of something she just said or throwing her head back in rip-roarious laughter after a joke. She laughs as if she understands the fragility of each minute. She chooses laughter often with the understanding that future joy is not guaranteed.
Credit: Ally Green
The sound of her laughter is rivaled only by her singing voice, an emblem of the past and the future resilience of Black women stretched over a few octaves. On Fox’s Glee, her character Mercedes Jones was portrayed, perhaps unfairly, as the vocal duel to Rachel Berry (Lea Michele), offering rough, full-throated belts behind her co-star’s smooth, pristine vocals. Riley’s always been more than the singer who could deliver a finishing note, though.
Portraying Effie White, she displayed the dynamic emotions of a song such as “And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going” in Dreamgirls on London’s West End without buckling under the historic weight of her predecessors. With her instrument, John Mayer’s “Gravity” became a religious experience, a belted hymnal full of growls and churchy riffs. In her voice, Nicole Scherzinger once said she heard “the power of God.”
Credit: Ally Green
Riley’s voice has been a staple throughout pop culture for nearly 15 years now. Her tone has become so distinguishable that most viewers of Fox’s The Masked Singer recognized the multihyphenate even before it was revealed that she was Harp, the competition-winning, gold-masked figure with an actual harp strapped to her back.
Still, it wasn’t until recently that Riley began to feel like she’d found her voice. This sounds unbelievable. But she’s not referring to the one she uses on stage. She’s referencing the voice that speaks to who she is at her core. “Therapy kind of gave me the training to speak my mind,” the 37-year-old says. “It’s not something we’re taught, especially as Black women. I got so comfortable in [doing so], and I really want other people, especially Black women, to get more comfortable in that space.”
“Therapy kind of gave me the training to speak my mind. It’s not something we’re taught, especially as Black women."
If you ask Riley’s manager, Myisha Brooks, she’ll tell you the foundation of who the multihyphenate is hasn’t changed much since she was a kid growing up in Compton. “She is who she is from when I met her back when she was singing in the front of the church to back when she landed major roles in film and TV,” Brooks says. Time has allowed Riley to grow more comfortable, giving fans a more intimate glimpse into her life, including her mental health journey and the ins and outs of show business.
The actress/singer has been in therapy since 2019, although she suffered from depression and anxiety way before that. In a recent interview with Jason Lee, she recalls having suicidal ideation as a kid. By the time she started seeing a psychologist and taking antidepressants in her thirties, her body had become jittery, a physical reminder of the trauma stacked high inside her. “I was shaking in [my therapist’s] office,” she tells xoNecole. “My fight or flight was on such a high level. I was constantly in survival mode. My heart was beating fast all the time. All I did was sweat.”
There wasn’t just childhood trauma to account for. After auditioning for American Idol and being turned away by producers, Riley began working for Ikea and nearly missed her Glee audition because her car broke down on the highway while en route. Thankfully, Riley had been cast to play Mercedes Jones. American Idol had temporarily convinced her she wasn’t cut out for the entertainment industry, but this was validation that she was right where she belonged. Glee launched in 2009 with the promise of becoming Riley’s big break.
In some ways, it was. The show introduced Riley to millions of fans and catapulted her into major Hollywood circles. But in other ways, it became a reminder of the types of roles Black women, especially those who are plus-sized, are relegated to. Behind the scenes, Riley says she fought for her character "to have a voice" but eventually realized her efforts were useless. "It finally got to a point where I was like, this is not my moment. I'm not who they're choosing, and this is just going to have to be a job for me for now," she says. "And, that's okay because it pays my bills, I still get to be on television, I'm doing more than any other Black plus-sized women that I'm seeing right now on screen."
The actress can recognize now that she was navigating issues associated with trauma and low self-esteem at the time. She now knows that she's long had anxiety and depression and can recognize the ways in which she was triggered by how the cult-like following of the show conflicted with her individual, isolated experiences behind the scenes. But she was in her early '20s back then. She didn't yet have the language or the tools to process how she was feeling.
Riley says she eventually sought out medical intervention. "When you're in Hollywood, and you go to a doctor, they give you pills," she says, sharing a part of her story that she'd never revealed publicly before now. "[I was] on medication and developing a habit of medicating to numb, not understanding I was developing an addiction to something that's not fixing my problem. If anything, it's making it worse."
“[I was] on medication and developing a habit of medicating to numb, not understanding I was developing an addiction to something that’s not fixing my problem. If anything it’s making it worse.”
Credit: Ally Green
At one point, while in her dressing room on set, she rested her arm on a curling iron without realizing it. It wasn't until her makeup artist alerted her that she even realized her skin was burning. Once she noticed, she says she was "so zonked out on pills" that she barely reacted. Speaking today, she holds up her arm and motions towards a scar that remains from the incident. She sought help for her reliance on the pills, but it would still be years before she finally attended therapy.
This stress was only compounded by the trauma of growing up in poverty and the realities of being a "contract worker." "Imagine going from literally one week having to borrow a car to get to set to the next week being on a private jet to New York City," she says. After Glee ended, so did the rides on private planes. The fury of opportunities she expected to follow her appearance on the show failed to materialize. She wasn't even 30 yet, and she was already forced to consider if she'd hit her career peak.
. . .
We’re only four minutes into our Zoom call before Riley delivers her new adage to me. “My new mantra is ‘humility does not serve me.’ Humility does not serve Black women. The world works so hard to humble us anyway,” she says.
On this Thursday afternoon in April, the LA-based entertainer is seated inside her closet/dressing room wearing a cerulean blue tank top with matching shorts and eating hot wings. This current phase of healing hinges on balance. It’s about having discipline and consistency, but not at the risk of inflexibility. She was planning to head to the gym, for instance, but she’s still tired from the “exhausting” day before. Instead, she’s spent her day receiving a massage, eating some chicken wings, and planning to spend quality time with friends. “I’m not going to beat myself up for it. I’m not going to talk down to myself. I’m going to eat my chicken wings, and then tomorrow I’m [back] in the gym,” she says.
“My new mantra is ‘humility does not serve me.’ Humility does not serve Black women. The world works so hard to humble us anyway."
This is the balance with which she's been approaching much of her life these days. It's why she's worried less about whether or not people see her as someone who is humble. She'd rather be respected. "I think you should be a person that's easy to work with, but in the moments where I have to ruffle feathers and make waves, I'm not shying away from that anymore. You can do it in love, you don't have to be nasty about it, but I had to finally be comfortable with the fact that setting boundaries around my life – in whatever aspect, whether that's personal or business – people are not going to like it. Some people are not going to have nice things to say about you, and you gotta be okay with it," she says.
When Amber talks about the constant humbling of Black women in Hollywood, I think of the entertainers before her who have suffered from this. The brilliant, consistent, overqualified Black women who have spoken of having to fight for opportunities and fair pay. Aretha Franklin. Viola Davis. Tracee Ellis Ross. There's a long list of stars whose success hasn't mirrored their experiences behind the scenes.
Credit: Ally Green
If Black women outside of Hollywood are struggling to decrease the pay gap, so, too, are their wealthier, more famous peers.
Riley says there’s been progress in recent years, but only in small ways and for a limited group of people. “This business is exhausting. The goalpost is constantly moving, and sometimes it’s unfair,” she says. But, I have to say it’s the love that keeps you going.”
“There’s no way you can continue to be in this business and not love it, especially being a plus-sized Black woman,” she continues. “We’re still niche. We’re still not main characters.”
"There’s no way you can continue to be in this business and not love it, especially being a plus-sized Black woman. We’re still niche. We’re still not main characters.”
Last year, Riley starred alongside Raven Goodwin in the Lifetime thriller Single Black Female (a modern, diversified take on 1992’s Single White Female). It was more than a leading role for the actress, it also served as proof that someone who looks like her can front a successful project without it hinging on her identity. It showcased that the characters she portrays don’t “have to be about being a big girl. It can just be a regular story.”
Riley sees her work in music as an extension of her efforts to push past the rigid stereotypes in entertainment. Take her appearance on The Masked Singer, for instance. Riley said she decided to perform Mayer’s “Gravity” after being told she couldn’t sing it years earlier. “I wanted to do ‘Gravity’ on Glee. [I] was told no, because that’s not a song that Mercedes would do,” she says. “That was a full circle moment for me, doing that on that show and to hear what it is they had to say.”
As Scherzinger praised the “anointed” performance, a masked Riley began to cry, her chest heaving as she stood on stage, her eyes shielded from view. “You have to understand, I have really big names – casting directors, producers, show creators – that constantly tell me ‘I’m such a big fan. Your talent is unmatched.’ Hire me, then,” she says, reflecting on the moment.
Recently, she’s been in the studio working on original music, the follow-up to her independently-released debut EP, 2020’s Riley. The sequel to songs such as the anthemic “Big Girl Energy” and the reflective ballad “A Moment” on Riley, this new project hones in on the singer’s R&B roots with sensual grooves such as the tentatively titled “All Night.” “You said I wasn’t shit, turns out that I’m the shit. Then you called me a bitch, turns out that I’m that bitch. You said no one would want me, well you should call your homies,” she sings on the tentatively titled “Lately,” a cut about reflecting on a past relationship. From the forthcoming project, xoNecole received five potential tracks. Fans likely already know the strengths and contours of Riley’s vocals, but these new songs are her strongest, most confident offerings as an artist.
“I am so much more comfortable as a writer, and I know who I am as an artist now. I’m evolving as a human being, in general, so I’m way more vulnerable in my music. I’m way more willing to talk about whatever is on my mind. I don’t stop myself from saying what it is I want to say,” she says.
Credit: Ally Green
“Every era and alliteration of Amber, the baseline is ‘Big Girl Energy.’ That’s the name of her company,” her manager Brooks says, referencing the imprint through which Riley releases her music after getting out of a label deal several years ago. “It’s just what she stands for. She’s not just talking about size, it’s in all things. Whether it’s putting your big girl pants on and having to face a boardroom full of executives or sell yourself in front of a casting agent. It’s her trying to achieve the things she wants to do in life.”
Riley says she has big dreams beyond releasing this new music, too. She’d love to star in a rom-com with Winston Duke. She hasn't starred in a biopic yet, but she’d revel in the opportunity to portray Rosetta Tharpe on screen. She’s determined that her previous setbacks won’t stop her from dreaming big.
“I think one of my superpowers is resilience because, at the end of the day, I’m going to kick, scream, cry, cuss, be mad and disappointed, but I’m going to get up and risk having to deal with it all again. It’s worth it for the happy moments,” she says.
If Riley seems more comfortable and confident professionally, it’s because of the work she’s been doing in her personal life.
She’d previously spoken to xoNecole about becoming engaged to a man she discovered in a post on the site, but she called things off last year. For Valentine’s Day, she revealed her new boyfriend publicly. “I decided to post him on Valentine’s Day, partially because I was in the dog house. I got in trouble with him,” she says, half-joking before turning serious. “The breakup was never going to stop me from finding love. Or at least trying. I don’t owe anybody a happily ever after. People break up. It happens. When it was good, it was good. When it was bad, it was terrible, hunny. I had to get the fuck up out of there. You find happiness, and you enjoy it and work through it.”
Credit: Ally Green
"I don’t owe anybody a happily ever after. People break up. It happens. When it was good, it was good. When it was bad, it was terrible, hunny. I had to get the fuck up out of there. You find happiness and you enjoy it and work through it.”
With her ex, Riley was pretty outspoken about her relationship, even appearing in content for Netflix with him. This time around is different. She’s not hiding her boyfriend of eight months, but she’s more protective of him, especially because he’s a father and isn’t interested in becoming a public figure.
She’s traveling more, too. It’s a deliberate effort on her part to enjoy her money and reject the trauma she’s developed after experiencing poverty in her childhood. “I live in constant fear of being broke. I don’t think you ever don’t remember that trauma or move past that. Now I travel and I’m like, listen, if it goes, it goes. I’m not saying [to] be reckless, but I deserve to enjoy my hard work.”
After everything she’s been through, she certainly deserves to finally let loose a bit. “I have to have a life to live,” she says. “I’ve got to have a life worth fighting for.”
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In a statement to People magazine, Doherty revealed that Turner had "died peacefully" in her home in Switzerland, which she shared with her husband, music producer Erwin Bach. Doherty also announced that a private funeral service would be held at an undisclosed date for Turner's close family and friends.
"Tina Turner, the 'Queen of Rock'n' Roll,' has died peacefully today at the age of 83 after a long illness in her home in Küsnacht near Zurich, Switzerland. With her, the world loses a music legend and a role model. There will be a private funeral ceremony attended by close friends and family. Please respect the privacy of her family at this difficult time," the statement read.
Tina Turner
Photo by Harry Langdon/Getty Images
In addition to the public statement, Turner's passing was also confirmed on her social media accounts. Although, at the time, details surrounding Turner's cause of death were limited, it was ultimately revealed that the "River Deep Mountain High" songstress passed away from natural causes. This comes years after Turner underwent a kidney transplant, which her husband donated, and suffering from various health issues. The list included high blood pressure, stroke, and intestinal cancer.
As the news circulated online, many of Turner's close friends and fans paid homage to the icon by expressing how much she meant to them. The list included Angela Bassett --who played Turner in the 1993 film What's Love Got To Do With It-- Beyoncé, Dionne Warwick, Mariah Carey, Ciara, and longtime friend Oprah Winfrey.
In an Instagram post, Winfrey recounted how her friendship with Turner started. The 69-year-old explained that she was a massive fan of the "Proud Mary" vocalist, and upon meeting, the pair's bond would blossom into a decades-long sisterhood.
During that time, Winfrey shared that she was in awe of Turner's resilience from her past childhood traumas and being abandoned by both her parents to how she overcame her violent relationship with ex-husband Ike Turner. The former television host added that Turner's ability to preserve through life's hardships inspired an entire nation.
"I started out as a fan of Tina Turner, then a full-on groupie, following her from show to show around the country, and then, eventually, we became real friends. She is our forever goddess of rock 'n' roll who contained a magnitude of inner strength that grew throughout her life. She was a role model not only for me but for the world. She encouraged a part of me I didn't know existed," Winfrey wrote while honoring her longtime friend.
Tina Turner
Photo by Rob Verhorst/Redferns
"Once she claimed her freedom from years of domestic abuse, her life became a clarion call for triumph. I'm grateful for her courage, for showing us what victory looks like wearing Manolo's and a leather miniskirt."
Winfrey wrapped up her words by recalling her conversation with Turner regarding death. The Oprah Winfrey Show host revealed that Turner embraced it because "she had learned how to live surrounded by her beloved husband, Erwin, and friends."
"She once shared with me that when her time came to leave this earth, she would not be afraid, but excited and curious. Because she had learned how to LIVE surrounded by her beloved husband, Erwin, and friends. I am a better woman, a better human, because her life touched mine. She was indeed simply the best," Winfrey stated.
With Turner's untimely death, the "What's Love Got To Do With It" singer leaves behind an immaculate career spanning over 60 years. Alongside her countless hit songs, Turner's past accolades consist of eight Grammy Awards, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and a Grammy Hall of Fame for three of her songs.
"The Best" songstress' other achievements included Turner earning her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, becoming a double inductee in the Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame once in 1991 with Ike Turner, and again in 2021 as a solo artist, etc.
Turner is survived by her husband, Erwin Bach, many friends, and fans. Turner had four sons, two of whom she adopted while married to Ike. Her biological sons, Craig and Ronnie, both sadly passed away in recent years. To date, it is unclear if Turner has mended her relationship with her two adopted sons, who belonged to her ex-husband Ike Turner.
Turner’s music has impacted many people thanks to the beautiful storytelling and powerful words. In honor of Turner's legacy, xoNecole is looking back at her most memorable quotes on life, love, aging, and beauty over the years.
Tina Turner
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Tina On Life
"If you are unhappy with anything…Whatever is bringing you down, get rid of it. Because you'll find that when you're free, your true creativity, your true self, comes out."
-via 1986 interview with Ebony magazine.
Tina On Love
"He [Erwin] shows me that true love doesn't require the dimming of my light so that he can shine. On the contrary, we are the light of each other's lives, and we want to shine as bright as we can, together."
via Turner's book, Happiness Becomes You: A Guide to Changing Your Life for Good.
Tina On Her Greatest Beauty Secret
"My greatest beauty secret is being happy with myself. It's a mistake to think you are what you put on yourself. I believe that a lot of how you look has to do with how you feel about yourself and your life."
-via 2016 interview with Woman & Homemagazine.
Tina Turner - What's Love Got To Do With It (Official Music Video)
Tina On Aging
"Fifty is the new 30. Seventy is the new 50. There are no rules that say you have to dress a certain way, or be a certain way. We are living in exciting times for women. Keep up with fashion, keep up with your figure and the clothes you wear. If you look good and you can still do it, then go and do it. I have never worried about age."
-via 2009 interview with the Daily Express.
Tina On Death
"Even when it's time to go and leave to another planet, I'm excited about that because I'm curious to know what it is about. Nobody can tell you because nobody has come back. I'm not excited to die, but I don't regret it when it's time for me. I've done what I came here to do. Now is [time for] pleasure. I've got great friends. I have a great man in my life now. I have a great husband, and I'm happy."
-via 2013 interview with Oprah Winfrey.
Tina On The Legacy She's Leaving Behind
"My legacy is that I stayed on course from the beginning to the end because I believed in something inside of me that told me that it can get better…So my legacy is a person that strived for wanting it better and got it."
-via 2013 Oprah interview.
Tina On How She Would Want To Be Remembered
"As the Queen of Rock 'N' Roll. As a woman who showed other women that it is OK to strive for success on their own terms."
via April 2023 interview with The Guardian.
Although xoNecole and the world are mourning the loss of the incredible Tina Turner, it is humbling to know that she accomplished so many things, personally and professionally, during her time here and continues to show why she was, in fact, "simply the best," even after death.
We will miss you, Queen. Rest in Power!
Tina Turner - The Best (Official Music Video)
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