India Arie And How The Most Woke Singer We Know, Isn’t A Fan Of The Word

The singer believes there’s a basic need in Black consciousness that’s not being addressed.

India Arie was 25 years old when she first came into the music business. Labeled a neo-soul singer, the talent who has the ability to write, sing and play the guitar, was pigeonholed. The complaint is made by many artists, that the label or some other external force put them into a box. But spend ten minutes with Arie, and it’s clear, she’s so much more than a singer.

On Friday, Arie’s first extended play dropped called SongVersation. Admittedly, the name may sound a little kumbaya-y, but the singer explained that 1) She doesn’t care and 2) It’s the literal meaning of what the album is suppose to do for the listener.

“Everybody has a spiritual body,” she said noting Iyanla Vanzant’s words. “Everybody has a physical body, and so your spiritual body is the stuff that holds all of your emotions like your body holds your organs, your food, your muscles, your water. Your spiritual body holds your emotional state and your mental state.”

“You wash your hands when you shake a bunch of hands. You have to wash your energy when you’re around people. It’s hard for me to say self-care is washing, although, I think it is.”