Quotes About Authenticity

In the late 1960s, English artists like the Rolling Stones and Joe Cocker began recording in the States, and at that point, they realised, 'We can get real African-American voices on our records; we don't have to pretend any more.'

I feel like, throughout 'True Romance,' I was unsure of myself in terms of songwriting. Even though it was my voice, I feel there were a lot of other voices on that record, too.

Media gatekeepers - editors, publishers, film studios and the like - need to begin investing in talent behind the scenes, developing and resourcing marginalized voices to tell their own stories. At the end of the day, it's about the story and what will enable the audience to truly see, understand, and know the life and times of the subject.

The women like us because we're the first real women rappers, and the men like us because we're strong. We're not some soft little rappers with soft little voices. The men who see us end up going, 'Hey! They're kickin' it!'

I think when we do our job right, our artists don't sound like anybody else. I have a real hard time with voices that sound like other big voices.

The thing that separates Sophie from the music I do for other people is that it's 100% written by me. In the past, I've written my songs and then asked friends if they could record the vocals. I didn't want to use my own voice, because other people have much better voices. I was hearing the music with a voice that I don't have.

I would never ever want to be an actor playing anyone other than myself. I can't do voices or anything. No, it's not for me. There are lots of people who are trained actors and I feel it's offensive for me to do it.

I used to bury myself in character parts and put on a lot of makeup and use a lot of props. At first I thought it was clever to put on false noses and to do funny voices, but then I suddenly thought, no, that's wrong, you don't do it from the outside, you work from within.

We need to make sure we're bringing in diverse voices and not expecting everyone to be a representation of their ethnicity or their age or their gender, but judge them individually and make sure that we're figuring out who the person is and not just checking a box.

The most important thing is that you honor that musical integrity, whether you make music that sounds like ABBA or you make music that sounds like Void.

I would be doing anything to avoid a 9-5 job and high heels. Lifeguard, beach volleyball player, whatever.

Even if you're not ready to live at your full volume, turn it up halfway and get there.

You often hear when you talk to guys in our industry, that this is my personality, I just turn the volume up, but over the years, I've really become me. No volume turned up, no nothing. I've been able to go out there and just be myself. It's through solid performance after solid performance that people just take you for who you are.

I passionately believe if you put on an act, the audience will be able to tell. That does not mean that I am going to be talking in top volume all the time in private conversations... Clearly, broadcasting has to be an extension of yourself; it's an exaggerated version of you.

Most people say when they get on screen, the most successful acts are people who are just themselves and turn the volume up. But in my situation, I gotta turn the volume down.

For those of us working in fashion, it is very easy to add your name to a committee list, walk a red carpet and claim to care. But taking tangible, hands-on steps to create change speaks volumes.

I've lived my whole life in the life - I've lived my whole life doing the thing, I've been doing my own thing. And I think my life speaks volumes about what one must do.

I'm always about being comfortable. You will never see me voluntarily in a pair of heels.

'We really shouldn't look like a church.' I've heard that so much I want to vomit. 'Why?' I ask. 'Do you want your bank to look like a bank? Do you want your doctor's office to look like a doctor's office, or would you prefer your doctor to dress like a clown?'

I absolutely loathe the idea of doing a fragrance simply as a moneymaker. Personal brand to make money? Vomit.

My music is almost like vomit! It's a horrible way to put it, but I feel it, I say it, and I doubt myself all the time throughout my whole life, but when it comes to music, I just don't. I don't doubt myself.

I don't want to put up this act of being a voracious reader, which I am not.

It's pretty easy to get sucked into a vortex of others and what their thoughts are and letting other people's judgments of you make you actually believe them about yourself. And sometimes you just need people to remind you that none of it means anything.

Nobody voted for me on account of my origins. People voted for me because of what I am and what I stand for.