Erykah Badu just made quite the statement with her latest fashion look, but the internet isn’t so sure exactly what that statement is just yet. The “Next Lifetime” singer attended Billboard’s Women in Music ceremony over the weekend, where she was recognized with the coveted icon award. Her speech certainly inspired the crowd, where she referred to women as the wisest and most invincible people on earth.
But it was her out-of-this-world outfit had the internet talking immediately. Her puffy tan pantsuit consisted of large, oversized parachute-like pants, mixed with a black headpiece. Designed by Myah Hasbany, the heavily accentuated backside of the fit is what had the internet talking, as it appeared to many to be a direct comment on BBL culture.
Fans took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to praise Badu’s fit. One user wrote, “Erykah Badu will always find a way to send a message within her appearance. This....made all them BBLs b-tches look stupid.” Another user added, “Erykah Badu in inflated bbl pants is the funniest lol where can I find them?
Other users, however, were not so quick to assume Badu’s intentions with the intricate fit. “I don’t think Erykah Badu was taking a lash at bbl culture I think she wore something that exaggerated a women’s silhouette for a women’s award show,” one user wrote, asking people to “think outside of the box” a bit more.
Another user seemed to agree while speculating that Badu’s message may be even bigger. “Education is so important… Erykah Badu isn’t mocking BBLs, BUT she was making a statement as Black women like Saartjie Baartman were once displayed in shows to entertain White people… racism & commodification of the Black woman’s body,” the user wrote.
Enslaved and taken to Europe in the early 1800s, Sarah Baartman was put on display for paying audiences in “freak shows” in Paris and Europe. Today, she is commonly seen as “the epitome of colonial exploitation and racism, of the ridicule and commodification of black people,” per BBC.
In an Instagram post Badu shared of a “short film” showcasing the fit, one of the most liked comments is a reference to Baartman. Some other Instagram posts Badu shared on her stories seem to hint more towards this theory than the BBL one as well.