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Growing up being biracial can often come with conflicting messages being thrown your way, as well as feeling the need to conform to a certain image or standard. For example, it can be extremely annoying sitting inside of a Starbucks and then having someone try to “figure out who you are,” then saying you don’t look or act like a certain race.
Yes, that has happened to me more times than I can count. And as a matter of fact, it’s not just annoying… it’s infuriating.
Whether certain comments are meant to be malicious or not, it can cause someone to feel very conflicted about their identity. So, MICHELLE wrote a song about those feelings!
MICHELLE consists of Sofia D’Angelo, Julian Kaufman, Charlie Kilgore, Layla Ku, Emma Lee and Jamee Lockard. The collective consists of very open minded young adults who are predominately POC + queer. These native New Yorkers have been influenced by a diverse range of artists and sounds, and have brought them all together to pack a unique and refreshing vibe into their music. MICHELLE’s debut album HEATWAVE was released in 2018, and “FYO” is their first single since October’s “UNBOUND.”
“‘FYO’ is about belonging to different worlds but feeling rejected by both,” says Jamee Lockard. “Growing up as a mixed-race minority in the US, my self concept was warped by other people telling me what I am and am not, pushing and pulling me between identities. Although my feelings of cultural dissonance still ebb and flow, now I have the vocabulary, support system, and perspective to unpack that inner conflict on my own terms. We should never give others the authority to define who we are.“
Super glue your ears to “FYO”! Listen below.
