Just when we thought 2020 was a wrap and we would try again in 2021 (God willin’), two queens from Houston blessed us with a remix to the hot girl quarantine season anthem, “Savage.”
During this global shelter-in-place period, “Savage” has taken the internet by storm, galvanizing people and their actual mamas to challenge one another in giving their best version of sassy “Savage” choreography. It has depicted the pure beauty of the human spirit, which will always find a way to create and maintain community, even during a time when the world’s health chart and economic recovery horizon are uncertain. But one thing we know for sure: God is real, and music heals.
In receiving this gift from Space City through the airwaves, there are two lessons we can learn from Queen B and Thee Stallion:
1. “I’m a boss, I’m a leader … and my momma was a savage … I got this s—- from Tina.” — Beyoncé
Embrace and understand yourself and your lineage.
Oftentimes, we search for understanding around who we are and why we are the way we are. The mistake we may make is searching for those answers externally, when many of these answers may be right under our noses. Beyoncé discusses that she is a boss and a leader because these were traits she emulated from her mother. Use some of this time to dig into those facets of yourself, as you may currently find yourself isolated with loved ones or on constant family video chats. Record your family members and ask pointed questions that help clarify parts of you that you may not only be revelatory but also life-altering in how you see yourself and the world around you.
2. “I’m a savage, attitude nasty… hood but I’m classy, rich but I’m ratchet … A mood and I’m moody. Ah!” — Megan Thee Stallion
You are not a monolith; you can be and feel many things.
Savage is defined as uncontrolled and severe. Meg is letting us know that even though she is a savage, she is also other things, whether that is being bougie, classy, rich or ratchet. Then she finishes the line by calling herself a whole mood but also moody.
During this period and beyond, you will have waves of emotions — many that will be hard to identify and place. That’s OK. I’ve been battling between bouts of feeling motivated and creative, to wanting to just lay in bed all day and watch “The Jeffersons.” We are not monolithic and need to give ourselves space and grace to experience how we are feeling without self-judgment.
