Judith Hill redefines Hollywood in a strong woman’s perspective
I’ll always be a dream
“Baby, I’m Hollywood!”
Giving you all the good feels
But I’m more than what I seem
Honey, I’m the realest of thе real
Judith Hill personifies Hollywood as an inspiring woman in her new album “Baby, I’m Hollywood!” out on March 5th. Everybody wants to make it big in Hollywood. But let’s be honest: it’s not always that glamorous.
Judith Hill lifts the curtain and seems ready to show what’s going on behind the scenes. Even if the show must go on, anything isn’t as glorious or pretty as it seems. This statement is also the mirror of her existence. If life can be difficult in this industry, living day to day and fighting for what you want isn’t always easy for anyone as well.
Facing racism as an African-American and Japanese woman
In “Baby, I’m Hollywood!” the singer-songwriter allows herself to be vulnerable enough to put into words how she faced racism and depression. In “Americana”, she expresses her struggles to find her place as an African-American and Japanese woman, in a country where everybody is sorted by boxes:
“Lay low, ‘cause the heat’s gonna get ya get ya
Stay woke on the streets yea you gotta gotta
Look both ways to see who’s coming so that
We know how to be in Americana!”.
Songs with movie soundtrack value
Some of the tracks of this soulful album could be in a Hollywood movie. The catchy and cheerful rhythms let us picture the main character discovering L.A. and Hollywood until an encounter changes her existence. Judith Hill also sings about falling in and out of love. A typical scheme of life and romantic comedies.
She even shares with us a moving piano ballad which could be listened to after a breakup:
“Music man, music man play me a song on the guitar
I want to get lost in the sound of your beautiful strings
Spin me around and around with the melodies” (“Silence”).
It’s getting hard not to imagine a heartbreaking scene where the fictional character is all alone in a room, wondering what went wrong or remembering the good times.
“Newborn Woman” is the great finale just before the end credits: it’s that moment where the character regains self-confidence and is ready to move on with her life. We can easily create a whole universe around “Baby, I’m Hollywood!” because this whole album screams authenticity. She shares the highs and the lows of her life with her own words. She doesn’t let anyone direct her. This woman’s journey is relatable.
Women in the Entertainment industry
Authenticity and realness are precisely the two points that the Hollywood landscape lacks when it comes to women. Don’t get us wrong: female parts tend to multiply, and that’s a good thing. However, this interest in heroines may have arisen for the wrong reasons. Movies with female leads got marketing potential and are making good box office figures. Furthermore, only a few female screenwriters or directors are really behind it.
The overwhelming Man Gaze in Hollywood
These movies are still made by men. Even if women are not as objectified as they used to be since 2017 and the #MeToo movement, some scenes or ways to picture a female character are still problematic to this day. Fortunately, women tend little by little to regain power by proposing their representations, just like Judith Hill does with this new album.
Cathy Yan’s vision of Harley Quinn (“Birds of Prey, 2020”) is a good example: if Batman’s enemy was indeed sexualized in the previous film, the director turned her physical appearance into a formidable weapon to defeat her enemies (mainly men). And if a reference is made to her physique, it comes above all from Harley Quinn, who lives her adventure the way she wants. In “Baby, I’m Hollywood!” Judith Hill remains the only master of her life and her destiny too.
Outstanding career nonetheless
Judith Hill’s name isn’t unknown in the music industry. The Grammy Award-winner used to be Prince’s little protégé, and she has already been part of live groups during Michael Jackson, Josh Groban, and Stevie Wonder shows. She even wrote the soundtrack of Spike Lee’s movie, “Red Hook Summer” (2013). She also appeared in the tele-hook The Voice; looks like she’s always ready to achieve another goal.
