There are some people still holding out hope for a new Lauryn Hill album. Almost 30 years since her iconic debut album, she has been largely coasting on the success. A live performance ends up feeling like you hit the lottery. It doesn’t seem like she’s even interested in making more music. But that still doesn’t stop her fanbase from pleading for more music.
But why exactly did she walk away from everything? What’s stopping her from moving forward with new ideas? Now, the “Nothing Even Matters” singer is opening up about her extended hiatus from the music industry.
Lauryn Hill Explains Why She Hasn’t Released Anything in Almost 30 Years
In a post on Instagram, she revealed why she refuses to release more music since The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Ultimately, it has a lot to do with creative burnout that has persisted for decades. Where a lot of people create with money in mind, she’s kept matters extremely pure. “When you’re inspired and desire to be principled, what doesn’t get talked about enough is the drain,” Hill wrote.
“Nor the challenge to find safety so that you can create with integrity,” she continued. “Most see opportunity as dollars only and often exclude the ‘sense’. The Score nor Miseducation were made because we were ‘allowed’ to represent what we did; we fought for every inch. Wild success can cause greed that begins to denigrate the art for the money.”
Additionally, the Fugees member compared herself to Harriet Tubman because of how they challenged certain systems. “I was like a Harriet Tubman figure in some respects, running to speak difficult truths to power before certain forces tried to close those doors. If it was so easy to do, where is that expression now on the world stage? Systems fear what they can’t control. Creativity is most potent when it’s free,” Lauryn Hill added.
‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’ is certified Diamond by the RIAA
She continued the Tubman comparison by explaining how she trail-blazed the music industry. In her extended absence, she argued that the time allows other artists to take their time with their music.
“If I did nothing else, I introduced standards and possibilities to a generation that didn’t know they could operate on that level before then. I am often doing things outside the support of the system before people can even realize what I’ve done. Another artist who values inspiration then recognizes its value and re-presents it to an audience then ready to receive it.”
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