Erykah Badu delivers messages at the Los Angeles Billboard Women in Music event, using fashion as her medium. The neo-soul queen turned heads and sparked conversation this weekend after taking the stage clad in attire that showcased her rear end in what most have deemed an intentional body-positive review of Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) culture.
Badu strutted on stage in a tan bodysuit that lovingly accentuated an absurdly exaggerated backside, an obvious nod to the Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) trend all but commandeering social media and celebrity life. And the internet, naturally, had a lot to say.
Some fans backed her, lauding her for using her platform to poke fun at the increasing pressure to augment one's body to hideous limits surgically. Others just thought it was funny, a classic Badu moment, a woman who has built her career around pushing limits and provoking thought.
Badu has always used her art, whether it is her music, visuals, or even her attire, to challenge society's status quo. She wasn't satirizing the trend when she stepped out in an outfit that reflected the exaggerated proportions of some of the most viral BBL result photos of the day. She scrutinized a culture obsessed with Robocop's unattainable and frequently dangerous beauty standards.
BBLs have become one of the most popular cosmetic procedures, fueled by influencers, celebrities, and social media filters that erase the boundaries between reality and fantasy. Though enthusiasts celebrate freedom of choice in body modification, there's also an undeniable discussion regarding the risks, unrealistic expectations, and societal pressures involved in these extreme augmentations.
Erykah Badu's risk-taking at the Billboard event serves only to cement the truth that she is a cultural phenomenon who won't be boxed in. Whether she's donning an imposing headpiece, wearing more layers and unconventional fabrics than you'll see on some runways, or, as is the case here, drawing exaggerated attention to the beauty obsession of today, Badu makes moves in the way she intends.
Whether funny, thought-provoking, or typical of the crazy world of Erykah Badu, the message was pretty simple: We live in a world where bodies are being increasingly altered to conform to a mold, and perhaps, just perhaps, it's time to interrogate why. Only Erykah could pull off an outrageous concept like this and make it feel like high art.
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