On Friday 17 November, singer and songwriter Amanda Black released her much-awaited album titled From My Soul To Yours. The project took her two years to put together and comes after her album titled Mnyama (Black). In a gathering of 'Amanda lovers' at Artistry restaurant in Johannesburg on Wednesday, she gave guests a taste of what has been happening in her life for the last four years. "This project is almost like a digital diary of some sort. All my projects are musical diaries of what is happening or has happened in my life," she told the audience. Dressed in a yellow two-piece airy number, Amanda says making the project has not been smooth sailing. "It's been quite a journey getting here. Man, it's been tough. There's been a lot of fights, and tears but we are here." Most of the songs on the project are produced by long-term friends and producer, Christer Mofenyi Kobedi to name a few, who agree that it's been "one hell of a bumpy ride" getting to the end of the album. "But it was worth the fights and long nights," Amanda said.

STANDARDS OF BEAUTY

Although she lives in her own bubble, her music is still very much influenced by outside forces. "The album is about me but also a response to what is happening in the outside world and it's evident in the song My Body where I sing about loving my body," she says. "I had to go back to a time when I hated my dark skin, the shape of my body. The reason why I'm hell-bent on loving myself and my body is because I didn't before. I'm an artist, I reflect my world and respond to what is happening inside and outside." Amanda came into the music industry as what many described as a 'soul sister' comfortable with rocking natural hair and presented the 'proudly African' brand. "I came in like that, it's always been me. Being in a superficial industry like the one that we are in where people are valued for pretending and not being authentic came with many challenges." Amanda says when she came into the music industry, she was told she was not beautiful enough. "I was told I was ugly. I needed to do a full-face beat, dress a certain way, and behave a certain way. That was never Amanda. I healed from that back then. But I am back here again. But now, it's different because I am sure of who I am. Then, it was me reclaiming my blackness. I grew up as what many call a coconut, but I had to reclaim my blackness. But now I'm having to do it again with the criticism from people about my looks."

VIRAL PICTURE

In September, a picture of her performing on stage in Maseru, Lesotho wearing a dress and tights was circulated on social media and received much criticism. Many said she didn't put enough effort into the performance. "The pictures went viral and not the great performance. I was not hurt by the responses from people because it was not the first time I experienced social media bullying or trolling about how I look," she says. "I have never looked like anyone in the industry and that has been me. I have gone through it before; body shaming, being told I don't dress like a celebrity, I do not meet the industry standards of beauty. I have been there," she adds. "This time was different because of where I am with myself. My love for myself has never been superficial. Someone said I look like them when they are cleaning. The problem is that I look like them. People put me on a pedestal because of what people think I am. I have always been very honest, what you see is what you get."

NO MAKE UP

Her face is bare, even during her launch, with zero makeup and her hair is natural and uncombed. She says that she stopped wearing makeup about a year ago. "I don't even put on a face anymore, even when on stage. It took me a while to get there. I started last year when we were on tour for my project Umnyama. That was the first time I got on stage without makeup. It was a big thing. I felt free like I had reached another milestone of self-love. It didn't take away from me being me," she adds. "Am I not presentable without makeup? That's your decision to make. But my decision sent waves to the team but what it did for me was incredible. It allowed me to let go of many things and be free."