Artist: Lera Lynn
Hometown: Athens, Georgia; now lives in Nashville
Song: “What Is This Body?”
Album: Something More Than Love
Release Date: July 15, 2022
In Their Words: “We all go through so many iterations of physical self, especially women. We grow, we mature, we thrive, we age, we wither and die. Through all of those changes we are made to examine our physical selves and reconcile what we once were with what we’re becoming. It’s a never-ending identity challenge.
As a mother, my physical self-concept has been completely turned upside down and then righted again. That’s an otherworldly experience. And an identity crisis in itself. You sit and watch your body download a whole new operating system and transform into a temporary baby hotel. And then, magically, your body morphs back into itself again (almost).
“As a woman, I’ve felt the societal pressure to look a certain way as well as the societal emphasis on and preference for youth. I’ve felt the pressure from the entertainment industry to abstain from pregnancy. I’ve felt both totally alienated from my physical self and completely at home in my skin. The relationship is constantly changing because my body is constantly changing, and it takes constant mindfulness to tune out the noise and love my body.
“And I do love my body. It is a magical machine carrying me and my ideas through the world. I am so grateful for my health and strength and beauty. It is fleeting. And that is beautiful too. As society is evolving, we are questioning more and more the self-valuation though our physicality, as well as the definition of beauty. I think it’s changing and I’m glad. It’s coming just in time for me to get gloriously old and saggy.” — Lera Lynn
Photo Credit: Alysse Gafkjen
