Monaleo says latest single was a ‘way to display Black American pride’ and honor her ancestors

“Soulaan” refers to “the distinct culture, history, and knowledge of Black Americans before and after colonization in America,” as reported by soulaan.com. It’s a term Monaleo connected with, so much so she made it part of her latest song.

“That spoke to me, because my ancestors were slaves. It felt like a really beautiful way to display Black American pride and continue honoring the people [who] came before me,” she says in an interview with Billboard, adding she knew shortly after learning the term that she “wanted to find a way to incorporate that message into my music.”

“I grew up with my grandmother and my mother, Southern Black American women, so the culture and the roots run really deep,” she explains. “It doesn’t sound like I’m preaching, but I’m just getting my generation to understand the importance of knowing your history.”

Monaleo’s message continues in the “Sexy Soulaan” video, which features the Black American Heritage Flag, alongside flags from Haiti, Angola and Congo.

“We’re all Black,” she says of her decision to include the flags. “When cops pull us over, they’re not trying to figure out if you’re from Haiti or Jamaica. … They just see you as a Black person here in America. I wanted to show some solidarity across the diaspora, and that’s why you see the flags stitched behind me.”

As for why she chose a Black American Heritage Flag instead of the American flag, she explains, “A lot of Black Americans don’t really resonate with the American flag, because we know how much blood has been shed over it. And we know that we’re not really included.”

She adds the flag was created to recognize Black Americans and give them something to “be proud of.”

“Sexy Soulaan” appears on Monaleo’s Who Did the Body project, which is set to arrive on Friday. 

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