November is going to be a month that sheds light on the things lurking underneath the surface of all of our lives. With Scorpio Season remaining in effect for much of the month until the 21st, trust that your inner investigative nature is likely to make an appearance!
This will be an introspective and transformational period where many of us will be focused on growing and healing. The period surrounding the New Moon in Scorpio taking place on November 4th in particular is ideal for shadow work or to engage in reflective and meditative practices like crystal healing, reiki, yoga or taking spiritual baths.
A Full Moon partial lunar eclipse will take place on November 19th in the sign of Taurus. Look out for urgent revelations and sudden conclusions relating to the balancing of your needs and the desires of those close to you.
Here's what you can expect for your sign in November:
Aries
AriesLaci Jordan for xoNecoleSince Scorpio season began on October 23rd, you may have found yourself paying increased attention to matters related to sex, death, inheritance, or investments. Experiences and people related to this, or to all things taboo and hidden under the surface, have been highlighted for your awareness and reflection for the majority of this month. Adding to the intensity that this month will bring for you is the New Moon in Scorpio taking place on November 4th, illuminating a transformational area of your chart. Expect positive new experiences and beginnings with a lover, or financially. They are likely to positively transform your perspective and approach to life.
The following day, Venus will light up the area in your chart ruling your profession. Your money-making abilities are likely to be boosted for a full four months until this cycle ends in early March 2022. Secure that bag, Aries! Use this opportunity to ask for a raise, or to otherwise make upward moves in your career! Later in the month on November 19th, someone, something, or a situation that has been getting in the way of you feeling like your best self is likely to eclipse out of your life. Or you may decide to take steps toward ending a toxic relationship or leaving an unhealthy environment in the three days preceding and following the 19th.
It is likely to be an emotional time for you so take a moment to reflect and recharge. Whoever or whatever exits your life at this time wasn't meant to remain for the long haul. After the heavy energy and experiences during the week of the 19th, you may feel like getting away when the Sun enters your house of travel, expansion, and exploration on the 21st. Embrace the bolder and more daring energy that's entering your life now while you have a chance! When the Sun leaves Sagittarius and enters Capricorn at the end of December, it will be time to put your career hat back on.
Taurus
TaurusLaci Jordan for xoNecoleThe sun has been illuminating the area in your chart ruling partnerships and marriage since late October. Are you thinking about taking things to the next level with your significant other? Or are you reflecting on whether or not you should call it quits? New relationships (or a fresh start in an existing relationship) are likely to occur on or around November 4th, when the New Moon in Scorpio breathes new life into your serious partnerships. The following day, on November 5th, Venus enters your 9th house adding a sense of beauty, good fortune, and enhancement to the area of your chart ruling travel, expansion, bold moves, and new experiences. You are going to enjoy this period, which will last for four months until early March. Don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone Taurus!
Whatever bold moves you make now are likely to work in your favor. Use this period to expand your horizons.
Learn something new or explore a new locale. The full moon taking place on November 19th will feature a partial lunar eclipse. This period will be one of self-awareness and self-actualization for you. You may have been in the dark when it comes to an aspect of yourself that hasn't been serving your relationships or higher self. You are likely to have a slight epiphany about something you have been in denial about or that was kept hidden from you. When the sun enters Sagittarius and your 8th house on the 21st, you will notice an energy shift on a focus towards sex and investments.
Sex will take on a healing and deeply transformational slant during this period, a perfect phase for exploring sexual healing modalities like tantric sex, tantric self-pleasure, or something more intense like BDSM. That would be an excellent phase to work on balancing your root chakra.
Gemini
GeminiLaci Jordan for xoNecoleThe Sun has been illuminating your 6th house since late October, emphasizing your focus on health, work, and daily habits. Your focus on these areas will likely continue until the Sun enters Sagittarius and your 7th house on the 21st when your attention will shift to how you can contribute your newly revitalized self to the improvement of your close relationships. Strengthening your focus on this area will be the New Moon in Scorpio taking place on November 4th. The period surrounding the 5th of the month is an ideal time to begin a new daily habit that will benefit your health or your work. Can you squeeze in a quick HIIT workout between Zoom meetings? What about a walking meditation during your lunch break? Have you been curious about starting a Keto diet? Now is a great opportunity to embark on a new beginning as it relates to your health and exercise habits.
You may even find yourself making a new connection with a coworker as your mind shifts to adding more structure to your work, your diet, and your health. The highlight of November for you will take place on or around November 5th when Venus shines beams onto your 8th house of sex, investments, and other people's money for a full FOUR months. Don't be surprised if you receive a sudden unexpected windfall, or if you embark on a journey of sexual healing that transforms you on a mental, emotional, and physical level.
At the end of the month on November 19th, a partial lunar eclipse will take place in the area of your chart that rules hidden enemies and your subconscious mind. Pay attention to any insights you receive from your intuition or gut feelings during this period of time, especially as they relate to frenemies. When Sagittarius season begins on the 21st, carve out some time to strengthen your bond with your significant other or business partner.
Cancer
CancerLaci Jordan for xoNecoleThe Sun has been lighting up your 5th house of fun, flirtation, creativity, and recreation since Scorpio season started on October 23rd. Enjoy three more weeks of good times, enhanced artistic abilities, and increased opportunities for flirting! Lean into this by tapping into your inner child. You know how the saying about all work and no play goes! Take this time to have fun before the Sun enters your house of well-being and work on the 21st, at which time you'll find yourself having to take on more of a structured approach to life. The New Moon taking place on November 5th will further illuminate this area of your chart; you may pick up a new hobby, create something, or lock down a cutie for cuffing season!
This is an ideal time for working on your sacral chakra or carrying orange and yellow crystals.
The most exciting news for you this month is an extended visit from Venus to your seventh house of long-term relationships, marriage, and business partnerships - and she's bringing blessings and positive vibes with her! Expect a boost of good fortune when it comes to your relationships. What starts out as a fun flirtation early this month may end up standing the test of time over the next several months. Are you already in a serious relationship? Don't be surprised if things reach a higher level of intimacy over the next four months.
At the end of the month on November 19th, a partial lunar eclipse takes place in the area of your chart ruling your social circle. Take it that there's something you didn't previously know about someone in your friend group. You may receive an epiphany and this may be an emotional time for you. Whatever realizations you make now are unlikely to be fully revealed or resolved until the Taurus solar eclipse in April 2022. Tread cautiously and take time for yourself!
Leo
LeoLaci Jordan for xoNecoleIt's time to get your house in order Leo! Prepare for a month that focuses on foundations of all kinds, especially as they pertain to your home, your job, your health, and your family. The New Moon taking place on the 5th will emphasize your focus on family and living arrangements. Are you moving to a new place in the three days immediately preceding and following this new moon? Do you plan on taking on a caregiving role soon for a friend or loved one? Getting a new roommate? Welcoming a new member to the family?
Rest assured that you have blessings on your side. Now is an ideal time to rearrange your home or to invest in some decor that will breathe fresh life into your crib. Your new living or family arrangements are likely to be beneficial or to otherwise work out in your favor. Venus will shine lucky beams into all endeavors relating to your health, daily habits, and work for the next four months, beginning on November 5th! Have you been thinking about picking up a new workout routine or diet? Now is the time to start - you are likely to receive impressive results from it that will be evident by the time this cycle ends in March 2022.
Despite all of the positive vibes from the Sun and Venus, keep an eye out for a partial lunar eclipse taking place in the area ruling your career. Take it that you may be in the dark as it relates to something going on at work or in your professional field. Whatever it is is unlikely to be revealed until April 2022.
Virgo
VirgoLaci Jordan for xoNecoleExpect to spend more time with your siblings this month, Virgo. Whether it's in person or virtually, this month's focus will be on your communication with siblings, neighbors, your use of (and purchasing of) technology, and short local trips. This is a favorable time for short road trips or purchasing new gadgets. The great news for the month is when Venus lights up the area in your chart ruling friendships, fun, and creative endeavors.
Use this period of time to focus on picking up new hobbies, tapping into your creative side, or embracing your fun, flirtatious side.
Better yet, combine the two! Sign up for a few art or dance classes. Online dating will also be especially fruitful during this phase. On the 19th, a full moon partial lunar eclipse will take place in your house of expansion. Are you itching to make bold new moves, or to set up travel plans? Take your time, and make sure you cross your t's and dot your i's before booking that flight. Lunar eclipses conceal. Take it that you may be in the dark about something you were looking forward to boldly embarking on.
When the Sun enters Sagittarius and your 4th house on the 21st, your focus will naturally shift to matters relating to your family, your foundation, and your home. Use that time to take care of any loose cracks in your house or in your family relationships before they get out of hand!
Libra
LibraLaci Jordan for xoNecoleNovember will shed new light on your sense of self-worth and more tangibly, your financial worth. You are likely to find yourself re-evaluating the yardsticks and other people to which you compare yourself and your successes. This is the perfect time to embark on new activities and experiences geared toward boosting your self-esteem, finances, and sense of worth. This is especially true with the New Moon in Scorpio illuminating this area of your chart on the 5th of the month. Any new jobs, side hustles, or self-esteem boosting endeavors are favored during the three days preceding and three days following this phase.
The highlight of the month for you will be when Venus lights up your 4th house of family, home, and real estate. Expect good fortune and blessings as it relates to those areas and for the entire four months that Venus will remain in that area of your chart. Keep your eye on a partial lunar eclipse taking place in your 8th house of sex, transformation, death, and other people's money. Lunar eclipses conceal, and with this partial lunar eclipse occurring in your area of things lurking underneath the surface, take it that you are in the dark about something related to your investments and sex life. Whatever it is won't be revealed until April 2022, so be sure to vet any potential sexual partners or investment opportunities with a fine-tooth comb.
Sagittarius season arrives on the 21st, shining beams on the area of your chart ruling siblings, technology, short-distance travel, and neighbors. You are likely to purchase and/or receive gadgets for Christmas and to spend increased quality time with your siblings and neighbors. These experiences will be especially meaningful and beneficial for you during this time. Short distance travel is emphasized this month through to December 21st for you specifically.
Of all the signs, you are among those most likely to be embarking on an above-average amount of short-distance travel for the holidays so buckle up!
Scorpio
ScorpioLaci Jordan for xoNecoleNow's your time to shine, Scorpio! You are likely to receive increased attention now through to the end of the month when the Sun enters your second house of value and self-worth. This is particularly true on the 4th when the New Moon in Scorpio lights up your first house of self - you are likely to receive a level of recognition for something you've been diligently working behind the scenes on. Take credit where it's due Scorpio - you deserve it!
A special treat for you will begin on the 5th of the month when Venus enters the area of your chart ruling your relationship with siblings, neighbors, technology, and short-distance travel. Venus will remain here for four months during which you are likely to see a boost in these areas of your life. Whether you plan on speaking at a conference, starting a blog, establishing a social media presence, or diving into online dating, expect increased communication during this phase - it will work to your benefit financially and/or romantically!
Be wary, however, of a partial lunar eclipse occurring in your house of partnerships and marriage. You may be in the dark about an issue as it relates to your spouse or business partner. Whatever it is will come to light during April 2022's solar eclipse, so hold tight!
Sagittarius
SagittariusLaci Jordan for xoNecoleWhat has your intuition been trying to tell you for the past week or so, Sagittarius? Whatever gut feelings you have been experiencing since the 23rd of October are likely to continue through to the end of this month. Pay close attention to them, because whatever messages you receive during this period of time are likely to be extremely valuable for you. This is particularly true during the period surrounding the New Moon on the 4th and the partial lunar eclipse on the 19th.
New Moons are a period of new revelations and experiences whereas Full Moons are a period of culmination and conclusions.
Don't be surprised if a hunch you have around the 4th is confirmed during the period surrounding the Full Moon in Scorpio taking place on the 19th. But don't boldly act on your hunches yet, Sag! Lunar eclipses conceal - whatever hunches you receive may only be partially true, with the rest to be revealed on or around late April 2022. The best news of the month for you? Venus enters your house of finances, self-esteem, self-worth, and beauty.
The period between now and March 2022 will be a literal glow-up for you! Tap into this energy by investing in your finances, your appearance, and in building any skills that will boost how valuable you are in the workspace and from a romantic perspective. All the introspective work that you do now will feed the highlight of the year for you which will be your birthday phase beginning on the 21st.
Do the inner work now, during the first three weeks of the month, so that your outer self can begin to shine when Sag season begins at the end of the month!
Capricorn
CapricornLaci Jordan for xoNecoleSure, you're the boss chick of the zodiac. But you don't need to keep your work hat on all the time, Capricorn! As the hardest working sign in the zodiac, I am personally giving you permission to shift your focus from your career into your social life. Believe it or not, investing in yourself socially will not only boost your friendships but can also have beneficial effects on your career and overall health. Don't neglect that opportunity this month, Cap!
This is especially true during the period surrounding the New Moon in Scorpio taking place on November 4th. You may embark on a new friendship that will prove extremely valuable to you. This will become especially apparent six months from now during the Full Moon in Scorpio taking place in April 2022. The highlight of the month for you will take place on the 5th when November enters your first house of self and appearance. Venus will remain there for the next four months.
You are likely to find yourself focused on your physical appearance and the way in which you present yourself to others. Both will be enhanced and will become more refined and attractive! Expect increased attention during this period; people will take notice of you and are likely to respond to you favorably. Invest in a new wardrobe, schedule cosmetic treatments, or take a public speaking course to ensure you are presenting yourself in a way that accurately reflects who you are.
A partial lunar eclipse is taking place in your house of children, creativity, fun, and recreational sex. Lunar eclipses conceal. If you're a parent, pay close attention to your children. If you're single and mingling, make sure you thoroughly vet a potential lover before meeting up in person or having sex. If something is hidden now, it is not likely to be fully revealed until April 2022.
Aquarius
AquariusLaci Jordan for xoNecoleYou've been on a journey of expansion and knowledge-building, Aquarius! Now's the time to apply all that you've learned and experienced to your profession. The New Moon in Scorpio taking place on the 4th is likely to provide an opportunity to enhance your career. If you are interviewing, applying for, or starting a new gig in the days preceding and following this new moon, your endeavors are likely to go well. Venus enters your house of introspection and intuition on the 19th and will remain here for the next four months. Looking for love? It will come, as long as you do the inner work first! Take moon ritual baths, get reiki, focus on your yoga practice, and/or meditate regularly.
When you shift your focus to the love of self, you will attract love from others without even realizing it.
The period between now and March 2022 is ideal for engaging in shadow work. Dig deep into who you are - flaws and all. Acknowledge and accept all aspects of yourself, even the parts you may be ashamed of or in denial about. You are not perfect, but you are worthy of love. And you can't love another until you love yourself first. This period is intended to remind you of that.
Keep an eye on a partial lunar eclipse taking place in the area ruling your family and home. You may be partially in the dark about something relating to your family, home, or real estate. Hold off on making any major decisions, like purchasing a home or selecting a new roommate, during the week of the 19th.
Pisces
PiscesLaci Jordan for xoNecoleGo big or go home this month Pisces! November offers a rare opportunity to live boldly as the Sun and the New Moon in Scorpio lights up the area of your chart ruling travel, expansion, knowledge, and enlightenment. You may find that the travel bug bites you really hard this month with you biting the bullet and booking that vacay you've been putting off all year. Not in a position to travel? You are likely to find opportunities to expand your horizons within the confines of your neighborhood, whether it's through visits to museums or signing up for some courses.
If you choose to expand your awareness in some way this month Pisces, don't be surprised if you find your social circle expanding as a result! Venus is entering your house of friendships on the 19th where it will remain for a full four months. Enjoy a larger social circle and newfound popularity through to March 2022! Have you been experiencing any issues with your neighbors, siblings, or with technology? Don't aim to make any major or permanent decisions relating to those during the three days leading up to and following the lunar eclipse taking place on the 19th. Take time and watch how you communicate with your siblings and neighbors during this time.
Lunar eclipses conceal. Whatever is hidden relating to those things is unlikely to be fully resolved until April 2022. Overall, this will be an expansive month for you, Pisces! The knowledge and connections that you make from your new experiences over the next several weeks are likely to create a confident new you that could potentially aid your career growth during Sagittarius season and beyond.
For more about zodiac signs, horoscopes, and astrology, check out xoNecole's Horoscopes section here.
Featured image by Laci Jordan/xoNecole
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On set inside of a mid-city Los Angeles studio, it’s all eyes on Chlöe. She slightly shifts her body against a dark backdrop amidst camera clicks and whirs, giving a seductive pout here, and piercing eye contact there. Her chocolate locs are adorned with a few jewels that she requested to spice up the look, and on her shoulders rests a jeweled piece that she asked to be turned around to better showcase her neck (“I feel a bit old,” she said of the original direction). Her shapely figure is tucked into a strapless bodysuit with a deep v-neck that complements her décolletage.
Though subtle, her quiet wardrobe directives give the air of a woman who’s been here before, and certainly knows what she’s doing. At 24 years young, she’s a “Bossy” chick in training— one who’s politely unapologetic and learning the power of her own voice.
“I'm hesitant sometimes to truly speak my mind and speak up for myself and what I believe,” she later confessed to me a couple of weeks after the photoshoot. “It's always scary for me, but now I'm realizing that I have to, in order to gain respect as a Black woman— a young Black woman— who's still navigating who she is. And you know, I'm realizing that closed mouths don't get fed. And if I keep my mouth shut just because I'm afraid of what people's opinions of me will be or turn into, then that's not any way to live.”
For Chlöe, the journey into womanhood is about embracing who she is, without succumbing to the perceptions of what others think of her. From the waist up she’s everything you’d imagine. A gorgeous goddess with the kind of sex appeal that some work hard to embrace but fail to exude. But unbeknownst to anyone not on set, her bottom half is covered by a white robe, surprising coming from the girl who boasts “'Cause my booty so big, Lord, have mercy” on her first hit single “Have Mercy.”
But that’s the beauty of Chlöe. There’s more to her than meets the eye. More than what a few sensual photos sprinkled throughout an Instagram feed could ever tell you. Just like the photo-framing illusion of her portrayed from the waist up, what we know about the songstress is just the tip of the iceberg. There’s so much more beneath the surface.
Some hours later Chlöe leans back in a high chair as her locs are transformed from a formal updo to a seemingly Basquiat-inspired one. It’s pure art, and at her request, no wigs are a part of the day’s ensemble. She’s fully embracing her natural hair, a decision that wasn’t always a socially accepted one.
In the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia, (Mableton, to be exact) Chlöe began to explore the foundation of her self-image. At an early age she and her younger sister, Halle, demonstrated a vocal prowess and knack for being in front of the camera that caught their parents’ attention. Soon after, they were sent on a parade of local talent shows and auditions, and eventually broke into the digital space with song covers on YouTube.
It was during these early years that Chlöe first learned that the entertainment industry could be unforgiving to those who didn’t fit a particular beauty standard. Despite the then three-year-old snagging a role as the younger version of Beyoncé’s character, Lilly, in Fighting Temptations, casting agents requested that her natural locs be exchanged for more Eurocentric tresses. Ironic, considering that growing up Chlöe saw her hair as no different than that of her peers. “I remember specifically in pre-K we had to do self-portraits and I drew myself with a regular straight ponytail, like how I would put my locs in a ponytail,” she says. “I just never saw myself any different.”
Chlöe would also learn the true meaning of a phrase that would later become an affirmation posted on her bedroom mirror: “Don’t Let the World Dim Your Light.” After attempting to wear wigs to fit in, the Bailey sisters instead chose to rock their locs with pride, which undoubtedly cost them casting roles. Yet they would have the last laugh when making headlines as the “Teen Dreadlocked Duo” who landed a million-dollar contract with Parkwood Entertainment, and the coveted opportunity to be groomed under the tutelage of a world-renowned superstar.
Credit: Derek Blanks
While that could be the end of a beautiful fairytale of self-empowerment, the reality is that it’s just the beginning of the story of her evolution. For most girls, the transition into womanhood takes place in the comfort of their own worlds, often limited to the number of people they allow to have access to them. But for Chlöe, it’s happening in front of millions of critiquing eyes just waiting for an opportunity to either uplift or dissect her through unwarranted commentary.
Many in her position wouldn’t be able to take that kind of pressure. But Chlöe is handling it with grace. “I feel like all of us as humans, we have the right to interpret things how we want,” she says. “I put art out into the world and it's up for interpretation. I'm learning that not everyone is going to always like me and that it's okay.”
Chlöe isn’t the first artist to receive criticism for her carnal content, and she certainly won’t be the last. In 2010, Ciara writhed and rode her way to banishment on BET when the then 24-year-old released her video for “Ride.” In 2006, 25-year-old Beyoncé received backlash for “Déjà Vu."
"I put art out into the world and it's up for interpretation. I'm learning that not everyone is going to always like me and that it's okay.”
So much so that over 5,000 fans signed an online petition demanding that her label re-shoot the video because it was “too sexual.” Even 27-year-old Janet didn’t escape critical headlines when she shed her image of innocence for a more risqué appearance with the 1993 release of janet.
It’s almost as if public reproach is a rite of passage for young Black women R&B singers on the road to stardom. Good girls seemingly “go bad” whenever they embrace the depths of their femininity, and fans only like you on top figuratively. But Chlöe has learned not to bow down to other people’s opinions, but to boss up and control the narrative. As the saying goes, well-behaved women seldom make history. If sex appeal is her weapon, she wields it well.
On set, Chlöe exudes the energy of Aphrodite in an apple red, off-shoulder dress with a sexy high split. In between shots, she mouths the lyrics to Yebba’s “Boomerang” as it echoes throughout the space in steady repetition at my recommendation. The hour grows late, yet Chlöe is heating things up as eyes stare in deep mesmerization of the girl on fire.
Credit: Derek Blanks
Through music, she explores the depths of her being, a journey that seems to be, at its foundation, rooted in self-discovery. Whereas their debut album The Kids Are Alright (2018) boasts a young Chloe x Halle empowering their generation to embrace who they are while finding their place in the world, their second album Ungodly Hour (2020) shows the Bailey sisters shedding the veil of innocence for a more unapologetic bravado.
What fans looked forward to seeing is who Chlöe shows herself to be on her debut solo album In Pieces. In an interview with PEOPLE, she confesses that releasing her first project without her sister was “scary.” "It was a moment of self-doubt where I was like, 'Can I do this without my sister?’”
Chlöe has never been shy about sharing her insecurities or her vulnerabilities, all of which are laced throughout the 14-track album. “I want people to have fun when they listen to it and to just realize that they're not alone and it's okay to be vulnerable and raw and open because none of us are perfect; we're all far from it. And I think it's healing when we all admit to that instead of putting up a facade.”
The gift of time has given the self-professed “big lover girl” more encounters with romance and heartbreak. Love songs once sung for their beautiful riffs and melodies become more than just abstract lyrics and are replaced by real-life experiences, which she tells me is definitely in the music.
In her single “Pray It Away,” for example, she contemplates going to God for healing instead of going at her ex-lover for revenge for his infidelities. “With anything dealing with art, I am completely vulnerable,” she says. “I'm completely myself, I'm completely open and transparent. So it's pretty much all of me and who I am right now.”
Has Chlöe been in love? That still remains to be said. Of course, she’s been linked to a few potential baes, but dating in the digital age isn’t as easy as a double tap or drop of a heart-eyes emoji. It requires a level of trust and vulnerability that’s hard to earn, and easy to mishandle. To let her guard down means to potentially set herself up for disappointment. “It’s difficult dating right now, honestly, because you really have to kind of keep your guard up and pay attention to who's really there for you. And you know, I'm such an affectionate person and I love hard.
"So when I meet the one person that I really, really am into, it's hard for me to see any others and I get attached pretty easily. And you know, I don't know, it's…it's a scary thing.”
Credit: Derek Blanks
“With anything dealing with art, I am completely vulnerable. I'm completely myself, I'm completely open and transparent. So it's pretty much all of me and who I am right now.”
While broken hearts yield good music (queue Adele), what’s in Chlöe’s prayer is the desire to be happy. What does that look like? Well, she’s still figuring that out herself. “Honestly, I'm the type of person who I don't truly learn unless I experience it. So it's like I can view and watch my parents and watch the loving relationships that I see in my life and be like, ‘Oh, I want that. I would love to have that.’ But then I also have to experience [love] on my own and see what my flaws or my faults might be or see what my good things about myself are. I feel like it's really all about self-reflection. And even though our base is our family and that's our foundation, we are still our own individuals and we have to find out specifically the things about ourselves that may be different from what we saw from our parents when we were growing up.”
Her ideal beau, she tells me, is someone she can feel safe to be her fun, goofy self with, but who also gives her the space to be the boss chick chasing her dreams. A man who understands that just because the world compliments her doesn’t mean she doesn’t want to hear those words from his lips or feel it in his touch. A bonus if he shows up on set after a long hard day of work with vegan cinnamon rolls. You know, the basic necessities. “I like whoever I'm with to constantly tell me they love me and that I look beautiful because I do the same. I am a very mushy person, and if I see something or you look good, I will never shy away from saying it out loud. And I want whoever I'm with to do the same, be very vocal. Tell me that you love me. Tell me what you love about me because I'm doing the same for you because that's just the person I am.”
Noted.
Until she meets her match she’s married to the game, and for now, that seems to be perfect matrimony.
Credit: Derek Blanks
On stage at the 2021 American Music Awards, Chlöe solidified her position as a force to be reckoned with. It was a full-circle moment. In 2012, bright-eyed and baby-faced Chloe and Halle would walk onto the set of The Ellen Degeneres Show and blow the audience away as they bellowed out their future mentor’s song. Ellen would present the sisters with tickets to attend the AMAs, assuring them that they would be back and had a promising future. Nine years later, Chlöe descends from the sky cloaked in a snow-white cape and matching midriff-baring bodysuit for her debut performance. It’s the first time she’s graced the stage of the very award show that she was once an audience member of.
As she shakes and shimmies and boom kack kacks out her eight counts, it’s clear that she’s in her element. Just like her VMA performance a couple of months prior, and the many more stages she’ll continue to grace, she brings an energy that has earned her comparisons to the beloved Queen Bey herself. An honorable statement, considering few R&B songstresses are getting accolades for their entertainment capabilities. It’s on these very stages, in front of hundreds of astonished eyes and millions more glued to their televisions at home, that she tells me she feels most sexy. Powerful, even.
But off stage, it’s a different story.
It’s more than just the commentary about her image and media-flamed rumors that get to her. Mentally, she’s in competition with herself. The desire to be the best burns at the back of her mind with every performance, every production, and every time she steps into the booth. Before, she could share the weight of this burden with her sister. Being a part of a duo meant she could turn to Halle for quiet confirmation and encouragement without a word being exchanged. But lately stepping on the stage means stepping out on her own. And despite being a breathtaking, five-time Grammy-nominated star, Chlöe doesn’t escape the reality that sometimes we can be our own worst critics.
Over the last year, she’s been coming to terms with who she is on her own while overcoming the fear of failing to become who she’s destined to be. While the world waits to see how Chlöe wins, the real triumph is in every day that she chooses herself and continues to walk in her purpose. “I don't really have anything all figured out, honestly. But what I try to do, a lot of prayer. I talk to God more and I just try to do things that calm my mind down and just breathe.”
To whom much is given, much will be required. She’s been chosen to walk this path for a reason. Once she fully embraces that everything she’s meant to be is already inside of her, she’ll be an unstoppable force. “My grandma, Elizabeth, she just passed away and my middle name is her [first] name. So I feel like I truly have a responsibility to live up to her legacy that she's left on this earth. I hope I can do that.”
There’s no doubt that she will. With a role in The Fighting Temptations at three years old, a million-dollar record deal, a main role on five seasons of Grown-ish, five Grammy nominations, a number one solo record in Urban and Rhythmic Radio, a debut solo album, and starring roles in recently released movies Praise Thisand Swarm (just to name a few), Chlöe’s certainly already made her mark, and she’s just getting started.
No flex.
Credits
Photographer & Creative Director: Derek Blanks
Executive Producer: Necole Kane
Co-Executive Producer: EJ Jamele
Producer: Erica Turnbull
Digitech: Chris Keller
DP: Alex Nikishin
Gaffer: Simeon Mihaylov
Photo Assistant: Chris Paschal
2nd Photo Assistant: Tyler Umprey
Features Editor: Kiah McBride
Special Projects: Tyeal Howell
Hair: Malcolm Marquez
Makeup: Yolonda Frederick
Fashion Styling: Ashley Sean Thomas
For More: Cover Story: Issa Rae Comes Full Circle
The actress dropped a few screengrabs of the film on her Instagram, leaving the fans squealing after noticing Keith Powers as her love interest (and who happens to be 20 years her junior). "It’s almost time! First look at my new movie, THE PERFECT FIND, coming to @Netflix on June 23! @NetflixFilm#ThePerfectFindNetflix#Tudum," the post was captioned.
But what can we expect from Netflix's newest romantic comedy? Here's everything we know about Union's new film, 'The Perfect Find.'
In the film, Keith Powers plays Gabrielle Union's boss' son.
Map that one out in your mind.
After being fired from her high-profile job and losing her long-time boyfriend in a chaotic way, Jenna (Union) is forced to move back to New York City in an attempt to revive her career. Things get a bit messy as she finds herself working for her frenemy, Darcy (Gina Torres), but also falls for her younger, charming coworker, Eric (Powers), who also happens to be Darcy’s son. Jenna is then faced with the decision to risk it all on the secret romance, and see if there can be a future with Eric despite their age and generation gap.
“Rom-coms are back,” director Numa Perrier teases to Netflix’s Tudum. “This is the movie. You’re going to laugh, you’re going to cry and it is very sexy. We will have our chemistry, we will have our sensuality, we will have all the things.”
When it came to selecting Powers as her love interest, Union says it was a no-brainer.
Courtesy of Netflix
“Everyone was like, ‘Okay, that might be a slightly younger person that people might throw it all away for,’” she told Vanity Fair. It also helped that Union and her husband, Dwyane Wade, were fans of how Powers and his on-again-off-again girlfriend, Ryan Destiny, handled their relationship publicly.
“We were openly fanning about Ryan and Keith and just loving how they moved through Hollywood, how they handled their relationship, how they handled the public love. It was just kind of a natural progression of a friendship that already existed, but it comes out of respect. He has an enormous amount of respect for Dwyane, I have an enormous amount of respect for Ryan, and it just made working super easy.”
The movie also stars Devale Ellis, DB Woodside, Janet Hubert, La La Anthony, Niecy Nash, and Gina Torres.
Perrier gives flowers to the cast, revealing that Torres is a scene-stealer as Eric’s mom and Darzine e-zine founder Darcy Hill and so much more. “She’s so magnetic, she lights up every room,” Perrier says. “We wanted her to just be an absolute New York fashion woman who’s bold and unapologetic and takes up all the space in the room. That’s who Gina Torres is. We don’t get to see her like that a lot because she plays very buttoned-up characters, but she really got to let go in the role of Darcy.”
Perrier similarly praised Hinds and Anthony, who plays Billie and Elodie, Jenna’s best friends and chosen family. “The three of them together, you feel like these are friends that have known each other and are supporting each other through every good and bad decision that they’ve made,” she says. “You feel that realness.”
Union says the film offered her the opportunity to tell a story that resonates.
Courtesy of Netflix
“[It] really sparked something inside of me about older women and how we can oftentimes disappear from society, almost, in terms of people looking at us as like we are past our prime,” she revealed. “That we carry no value, that no one sees value in a woman over 28, much less over 35, much less over 40, but baby, I’m thriving. So I wanted something that spoke to that that I hadn’t done before. Which is tough, because I’ve done a lot of rom-coms. This one is new. I’m thrilled.”
The film is based on the 2016 novel of the same name by Tia Williams.
Union was busy producing a rom-com for another A-list actor when she was inspired to make her own. Her production company, I'll Have Another, had recently optioned Robinne Lee's The Idea of You, "a very specific story to an aging white woman," Union tells Vanity Fair, "I knew it wasn't something I could just shove myself into because it really wasn't the right story for me…. We got Michael Showalter and Anne Hathaway and Cathy Schulman, and it was up and running."
The movie left Union with a desire to do the same for the culture. "It made me be on the lookout for a story that made me feel the same way, basically," That's when she was presented with the idea of bringing Tia Williams's 2016 novel, The Perfect Find to the big screen, a book suggested to Union by producer Tommy Oliver. "I'd already read it. I love that book. I love Tia. She's the shit. We have mutual friends. I'm like, Oh, my God, why didn't I think of that?"
Grab the book here!
Remember when Dwyane Wade surprised Union on set with the sweetest over-the-top romantic gesture? This was the set.
Wade sent a group of singers, dancers, and musicians to serenade Union with some of her favorite songs and also hand her a bunch of gorgeous white flowers. D'awwww!
Filming for The Perfect Find started in June of 2021 and lasted only seven weeks, officially ending by August. The film will be released on Netflix on June 23. Will you be watching?
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Featured image courtesy of Netflix
