Testimony: India.Arie

I learned very hard lessons about love and relationships, and I still came out the other side believing in love. That’s a hard thing to do. It’s hard to know how bad it can be and still know that you’re ready to do it again, and again, and again.

The 3 Year Relationship

It wasn’t even about what happened. More than anything it was about us thinking we were going to be together for a long time. When it didn’t happen that way, that hurt and I had to understand why, you know what I mean?

The healing process started after I stopped being mad.

The album ‘Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship’ is very much about the healing process. I talk about what really went wrong. There’s no pointing fingers -- it’s about the healing process. I know for myself that I took the time to really do the emotional work. What I mean by that is, I was inside and explored what the lessons were for me. It wasn’t about blaming the other person. It wasn’t about the other person at all. It was about me understanding what my lessons were in that relationship, and taking this hurt and discovering how that was going to affect my life moving forward. I took it all, even the part that I didn’t want to take. I took it all and owned it, and let that change my life however it had to. The main thing is that it wasn’t about the other person.

Black Love

There’s only a black man shortage if you don’t have faith. Whoever is for you is gonna be for you. He might not be black.

Her Career

I’ve been blessed to be able to find success and still not ever wear anything I don’t want to wear or say anything I don’t want to say. I’ve gotten to say everything I wanted to say. I talk a lot about love, black love, spirituality, and God, and I still have been able to live my craft. I have a lot of friends who haven’t been able to do that. I take every chance that I get to testify, or to even just be in the public eye and speak my heart; thank people for supporting me. It means a whole lot to me. Anyone who’s never been in the music industry might not really understand how much it means, but it means a whole, whole lot. A lot of people don’t get a chance to live their dreams the way they see it.