All eyes were on Erykah Badu during her performance at the 2025 Billboard Women In Music Ceremony.
At the event on Saturday (March 29), the neo-soul icon performed and accepted the Icon Award while wearing a thought-provoking bodysuit that caused a debate on social media. Some suspected the knit taupe ensemble was a reference to exploited and enslaved 19th-century Khoisan performer Sarah Baartman, while others thought Badu was poking fun at BBL culture.
Although Badu hasn't explained the meaning of her bodysuit, in an Instagram reel on Sunday (March 30), the five-time Grammy winner shared that the "full figured form" was her concept, brought to life by designer Maya Hasbany.
"A lil Hippy. Rise of the dark divine feminine. - a short film by E. Badu," the Dallas musician captioned the post.
While the interpretations are valid and completely up to perspective, it can also be argued that Badu's bodysuit was a reference to Upper Paleolithic Venus figurines. The most famous artifact is "Venus of Willendorf," a handheld limestone piece discovered in 1908. The shapely pieces depict womanhood and fertility.
With Badu often performing in one-of-a-kind outfits, we can expect to see more unique fashion by the singer upon the release of her sixth album, which will be produced by The Alchemist.