Goapele was recently interviewed by FDRMX and expresses some dope views about her music! Read more below and if you would like to continue make sure you click the link below to visit the FDRMX site.Goapele, whose name means “to move forward” in the language of Setswana, has been fulfilling that prophecy with fire. Raised in a South African exile community by parents who fought fiercely against the Apartheid system, she found her voice at a young age. Even before high school, she was active in combating racism and sexism with various organizations. She channeled her passion into soul and R&B, self-releasing her first album in 2001 and launching her independent label the very next year. While never afraid to tackle political and socioeconomic issues in her music, she upholds that the broader message is love. FDRMX met up with her for an exclusive interview at Primary Wave Music in Manhattan to discuss her newest album, Strong as Glass.
“The album overall is different phases of love, and I feel like it’s the heart, soul, and mind of a woman,” explained Goapele. “In the beginning [of a relationship], it feels different, and that’s more what ‘Hey Boy’ [with Snoop Dogg] is; flirtatious and exciting. You get more in the depths of it with ‘Some Call it Love.’ Then there’s ‘Perfect,’ which addresses love from the standpoint of a community, with some of the craziness and violence that’s been happening for a while, especially over the summer. It’s for people who feel like they’re fighting for their lives every day; the criminalized youth. I wanted to come at it with a love perspective. Strong as Glass is about feeling strength and vulnerability as a woman and not wanting to be taken advantage of, in relationships or by the world.”
With feminism playing such an important role in Goapele’s message, we wondered how she felt about its current state in our society. “I think it’s an interesting time. In some ways, I feel like my personal life more empowered now,” she said. “In the beginning, I felt like I really didn’t want to be exploited and I needed to come into the industry on my own terms, but now I feel like the foundation has been laid out so I can do songs that are sexy. And that’s okay, because there is a balance there.”
Goapele was so opposed to this exploitation in the initial stages of her career that she decided to forego a professional photoshoot for her first album cover. What many may not know is that the photo was taken without makeup, in her backyard.
“I really wanted put myself out there authentically,” she explained. “I had done a photo shoot that was all made up and everything, and it probably looked good, but I just didn’t want it to be about the marketing. I wanted it to be about the music. So I was like, ‘Let’s just take a photo now! No makeup, no nothing.’ I wanted to feel like people were getting the real me and see how they gravitate towards it. It was super raw, and a lot of the production was also super raw, but the feeling was there. I feel like I’ve been able to let down my guard more as I go, but also give more of myself. I’m trying to give the best of me each time and not be afraid of that.”
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