Jill Scott’s language is love.
Saturday marks the 20th anniversary of the singer’s debut offering Who is Jill Scott ?: Words and Sounds, vol. one. The interrogation was strictly for the new fans, who ultimately came out thanks to Scott’s masterful and responsive fabrics of poetry, jazz, R&B, and go-go. The singer / songwriter was not at all confused by her being as she had done the work necessary to get to the core of her black femininity. She just thought we were worthy enough to be aware of her findings. Little did she know that her revelations would inform me along with a generation of young black women as they sailed for love.
Self love has become a buzzword in recent years. Like the term self-care, it has been deformed for capitalist purposes and has been used to persuade personal investment in major brands. As time passes, it becomes more difficult to erase the trash of economic interest, and bear the stench of emotion caused by greed. But when listening to Scott’s first work, it becomes clear that his interest was always to maintain the purity of the concept. Through her words, she taught me to wrap my own soul in worship.
In the Latin-infused song “One Is the Magic Number,” Scott lists the power that comes from understanding your own glory. “I found lasting love for myself / if I am passionately seeking my spirituality / I must begin with myself,” he sings at the end of the first verse.
Self love is a very personal journey and I have learned the correct way to navigate it from the high priestess of progressive passion. Scott was among the special team of black women in music, along with Lauryn Hill and Erykah Badu, all then in their twenties who were wise beyond their years, who were willing to publicly express their devotion to their own existence. In a world where black women are not always safe or cared for, it is imperative that we understand the fulfillment that results from being their own cape. Jill Scott has been a teacher teacher.
The singer also allowed her debut album to be a lesson in loving others, meaning romantic couples. Scott fed, defended, and even regretted his lovers, without thinking twice before being an open book. She guides us through the various stages of love, without shying away from being madly in love, an emotion that Gen Zers sometimes tends to elude in search of situations and adventure. But in Who Is Jill Scott?His intentions were as uncontaminated as holy water and he was not afraid to give it his all.
In my own life, there have been times when I held back on romance. I clung to love with an iron grip, unknowingly, crushing it with cold, calloused hands. My reluctance to give freely came from fear that the exchange would not work. As I listen to Scott’s words and sounds, I realize that it is not true love if you are holding back. Limits are key, that’s true, but there is a clear difference between having healthy limits and being afraid to take off your armor and embrace the renewal of sweet love.
Loving and being loved: Those are the most important lessons from your debut album that have accompanied me for decades. She was a little girl when her debut was released and she was completely unaware of the role her sweet sermons would play in my life. But as I matured, keeping her album on repeat, I realized that it was always her goal to teach black women how to give and receive the best gift of all: love.
