India Arie Accuses Music Industry of Being Sexist, Racist, and Deceitful: “I’ll Never Heal From All of It”

Soul singer India Arie is calling out the music industry for its practices, claiming that it is “racist, sexist and deceitful.”

The “Brown Skin” singer participated in the viral “10 Year Challenge” on Instagram, where users post side-by-side then and now images of themselves. In participating in the challenge, the R&B veteran was reminded of how brutal the industry can be, claiming that back then, the industry made her feel like she wasn’t beautiful.

“Seeing old pictures reminds me of how TRASH the music industry is,” she began. “SHEER and utter Trash. The music industry is racist.sexist.deceitful. It steals from artists. Trash. I’ll never heal from all of it because some of it shaped my life in ways I can’t get back.”

In “truth,” the musician continued, “I was just way ahead of my time.”

In her lengthy statement, she revealed that although she’s endured so much, she remains grateful and “imagines this journey was meant to be.” The 46-year-old then went on to thank everyone who “hurt, used, sued, played, stole from, and betrayed her, adding she has grown from it. She also added that her most “powerful days are still to come.”