“I used to only recognize beauty in other things, but now I acknowledge the beauty in me,” Stacy Barthe, the singer-songwriter of our new What’s Underneath episode, tells us. And that’s a giant leap from an attempted suicide caused by a lifetime of hating her body and feeling marginalized by men due to her size. With her debut album, BEcoming, about to be released, the brains behind hits like Rihanna’s “Cheers,” has found a new voice for her deeply sensitive, personal lyrics — her own! For us, the beauty pours out of every pore, not only when she sings with her deeply intimate voice (a What's Underneath first at 8:56!), but when she reveals poetic epiphanies, like how her weight actually saved her life. Today, Stacy has come to value her accomplishments, including spending days in the studio with her childhood heroes (Pharrell and Diddy, to name a few). But what we love most is how Stacy has reached the point where she can embrace the fluidity of life: “I’m forever becoming. I’ll never be complete, because completion is death.”

To see Stacy’s entire journey from feeling less-than to feeling “dope,” watch her video above!

xo,
Elisa + Lily

Follow Stacy on Instagram: @iamstacybarthe
Follow her on Twitter: @stacybarthe
Stacy's video was edited by Andrea Cruz
The What's Underneath Project is produced by Elisa, Lily, & Mona

Thank you, Glowing Co, for sponsoring Stacy's episode.

All editorial decisions were made by us (StyleLikeU) and are in keeping with the mission of the What’s Underneath Project.