SUNNI

“Stones + Spells” ⭐️ I love writing because I always somehow end up referencing songs I love.

I’ve been in a “Baduizm” and “Mama’s Gun” phase lately. The way that Erykah Badu captures the complexities of love in every way, she takes you with her as she’s processing the experiences of her internal and external world, while trying to understand her relationship with herself at the same time. She writes every doubt, every change of heart, every moment of certainty and every misunderstanding. Sometimes all on the same song. Many of the songs feel like she never arrives at a solution, and maybe she wasn’t looking for one. The best part about her lyrics is while she’s talking about the way she feels, she always takes accountability for the role she plays in her suffering, not to the point of blame, but in acknowledgment that she has contributed to the confusion and conflict in her life. You can hear it in the lyrics of songs like “No love,” “Certainly,” and “Green Eyes.”