Neequah turns criticism into song

Fast-rising recording artiste Neequah has joined the list of artistes promoting body positivity, encouraging people to ‘love the skin they’re in. Her song Ms Melanin has been receiving heavy rotation on the local airwaves and has become somewhat of an anthem for black women across the island.

In an interview with The Gleaner, the 22-year-old artiste, whose real name is Shanica Allen, revealed that having been teased about the colour of her skin while growing up, self-confidence was a learnt trait. She is now at a place where she is comfortable with who she is, and she wants to use music to help other women get to that place of self-love.

“The song was personal for me. I come from an Indian family, and most of my relatives are light-skinned. Growing up, I was always asked what I was mixed with because I was darker than all of the other women in my family. I used to think it was so stupid for people to think that because I was darker, I must be mixed with something, but my response to them was always that I was just blessed with more melanin,” she said.

Neequah added that she learnt long ago not to take society and their opinions personally, so she wasn’t offended by what people said about the colour of her skin.

STRONG AND CONFIDENT

“I have always been strong and confident in my skin. I even think that if I was light-skinned, I wouldn’t be as cute as I am,” the artiste said.

The video for Ms Melanin was released two weeks ago and has already amassed over 50,000 views on YouTube. But, more important than the views, Neequah revealed, is the overwhelming response she has been getting from women about the song. Based on the feedback, the singer says that the song has been achieving its goal of making people feel good about themselves. “The most standout part for me is when I get the DMs on Instagram with girls telling me that the song helped them through some tough things and made them feel more confident and good about their skin. Some people say the song make dem stop bleach,” she said with a laugh.

Neequah says that having achieved what she set out to do with the song, her wish now is for more entertainers to spread messages to push body positivity.

“We have to realise that we have a voice. Our whole point for being an artiste is using our voice and platform to help others and push others in a positive way.”