“How many selfies do I take to get the right one? How many people are going to like this photo?”
Singer-songwriter Goapele was recently hailed by Rolling Stone as the spiritual love child of Sade and D’Angelo: “Goapele can kick it in the streets as in the lounge.”
Goapele stars in #WhereIsBeauty, the new short film making plenty of noise in Hollywood. During a break on the set, Goapele (Go-op-ule) told Reel Urban News, “It’s been wonderful. I feel like everything came together so organically.”
#WhereIsBeauty pairs Goapele with director Angela McCrae. The two have roots together in the L.A. social scene. “Angela and I were in the same circle and had mutual friends,” says Goapele.
While relaxing between takes in a downtown Los Angeles artist space, Goapele recalls how the starring role of “Nina” grabbed her attention. “As soon as I saw the storyline and the idea behind “#WhereIsBeauty, the transformation and what is our identity and how we look at ourselves as women, I was already sold.”
“I can relate to what the main character, Nina, is going through,” says Goapele, who has been challenged by her own personal and professional insecurities. “I know what it’s like exposing yourself. And asking, what you are letting go of and what are you letting into your life. I’ve had to go through that so many times. It’s scary and yet empowering.”
According to director McCrae, #WhereIsBeauty is a visual depiction of a woman’s journey to define beauty for herself. Asked about the challenges of telling this story as a woman of color, Goapele focused on belief in oneself. “You must have self-confidence and be yourself and have individuality in spite of all the other images out there. Am I enough? Am I dressed like I’m going to fit in? Am I young enough? Am I mature enough and are people going to take me for real?”
Those insecurities are reflected in a recent study conducted by Dove, which found that 82 percent of women feel the beauty standards set by social media are unrealistic.
Goapele is passionate about the link between social media and beauty, “I think #WhereIsBeauty comes a long at a perfect time from a social media aspect. “If we didn’t already have a lot of pressure leaving the house and being in our daily life, starting to document it with selfies is an added pressure. A lot of young women are growing up with social media and that was not normal years ago. How many selfies do I take to get the right one? How many people are going to like this photo?”
But on the flipside, the actress points out that social media may still have a positive impact on young women. “There is the business behind that. If you have a lot of followers, you can benefit from that. I think it’s been a great outlet for a lot of us who are trying to get messages out there and who are marketing ourselves. We have a direct connect with fans and the public.”
Goapele’s South African father Douglas Mohlabane, an exiled political activist who had battled apartheid, met her Jewish mother Noa in Nairobi, Kenya. Goapele was born and raised in Oakland, Calif.
Goapele acknowledges the struggles millennial women face as they search for inner and outward beauty. But with the rise of social media she points out that women don’t need to face these challenges alone. “I like that we can connect. You don’t have to travel to other counties to find commonality and get to see other people’s swag,” she adds with a smile.
[…] #WhereIsBeauty stars soul and R&B singer-songwriter Goapele. “This is my first time working with a singer who has not had typical acting training,” says White. “This has been great. She’s been natural. Her music really coincides with the film. Goapele sings of independence. She sings of empowerment. Her song ‘Closer’ is about being one with the universe. This is perfect for her to talk about a woman who’s starting to look at beauty standards and say hey, that’s not the standard for me.” reelurbannews.com/whereisbeauty-star-goapele/ […]
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