Larrieux was born and brought up in the neighborhood of Greenwich Village in New York City. Her mother was a dance critic and professor who encouraged Larrieux to grow up in a free-spirited, artistic environment. Many of her influences are drawn from R&B, soul, jazz, folk, hip-hop and gospel, with flashes of Middle Eastern, West African, and Indian ethnic styles. She lives in New York City with her husband and two daughters.
As a solo artist, her music is mostly categorized as fitting within the nu-soul genre, though she also dabbles in jazz, blues and gospel sounds. She sang lead vocals with Sade's band Sweetback while Sade was on hiatus. On her last album 'Lovely Standards' she gravitated away from nu-soul to produce a cover album made up of songs from the jazz and blues singers that inspired her. Larrieux is also influenced by Jimi Hendrix, Joni Mitchell, Stevie Wonder and Prince — as she has previously credited on her website.
I n I
Amel Larrieux Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wonderin' why I could never find to many girls that look like me
All I saw was hair so blonde and eyes so very blue
And the words under the picture said and you can get this look to
They cannot define beautiful to me
Someone elses eyes don't see what I see
Followin like I'm blind just won't do for me
[Repeat Chorus]
Ini, ini
Some people talkin' bout when judgment day will come
Looking down upon those not down with their religion
You must believe in all they say and all they do
And if you don't then heaven's gate's are closed to you
I do not subscribe to their philosophy
I don't think my god wants them judgin' me
Followin' like I'm blind just won't do for me
God knows what's in my heart
That's why I got to be chorus:
Ini,ini
In this song, titled I n I, Amel Larrieux talks about the issues of representation and conformity in society. The lyrics start with the artist recalling her childhood, where she wonders why there aren't many girls that look like her in magazines. She sees the typical beauty standards of blonde hair and blue eyes being touted as the ideal, and the pressure to conform to that look. However, Amel rejects that notion, stating that she can define her own beauty, and she won't be blindly following what others dictate. She affirms that she is perfect as she is, created that way by God.
The song then shifts to societal judgment, particularly on the basis of religion. Amel rejects the idea of people dictating how she should believe and practice her faith. She doesn't want anyone else to impose their beliefs on her, and she doesn't want to blindly follow them. Instead, she affirms that God knows her heart and understands her, and that's why she continues to be who she is.
Overall, Amel Larrieux's lyrics in I n I talk about the importance of self-love and individuality, rejecting societal pressures and judgment on appearance and beliefs. She uses her personal experiences to convey a powerful message of self-acceptance and self-worth.
Line by Line Meaning
A little girl I was looking at a magazine
When I was a child, I remember staring at a magazine
Wonderin' why I could never find to many girls that look like me
I was curious as to why there weren't many girls that looked like me in the magazine
All I saw was hair so blonde and eyes so very blue
The only thing I saw were girls with very blonde hair and blue eyes
And the words under the picture said and you can get this look to
The words under the picture advertised that I could achieve this look
They cannot define beautiful to me
Other people cannot define what beauty means to me
Someone elses eyes don't see what I see
What I think is beautiful might be different from what someone else thinks
Followin like I'm blind just won't do for me
I will not follow blindly without questioning what I am being told
God made me just fine that's why I got to be
I am perfect the way I am because God made me this way
Ini, ini
This is the chorus of the song which is repeated multiple times throughout
Some people talkin' bout when judgment day will come
There are people who discuss when Judgment Day will happen
Looking down upon those not down with their religion
These individuals look down upon people who do not follow their specific religion
You must believe in all they say and all they do
They expect you to believe everything they say and do
And if you don't then heaven's gate's are closed to you
If you do not believe in what they believe, then you will not be able to enter heaven
I do not subscribe to their philosophy
I do not agree with their beliefs and ideas
I don't think my god wants them judgin' me
I believe that my God does not want other people to judge me
Followin' like I'm blind just won't do for me
I will not blindly follow others without questioning their beliefs
God knows what's in my heart
God is aware of what I truly feel and believe
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: AMEL LARRIEUX, GUESLEY LARRIEUX
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind