Singer gets candid about what it means to be an 'in-between girl'

pulse

August 10, 2017 2:32 PM

"I've gotten passed over for jobs—ads, campaigns, beauty and fashion stuff—because I am an in-between."

Betty Who.

Everyone has an opinion about a womans body. Whats fit, whats sexy, whats strong, whats too strong, what size it should be—up top, down below, all around. Enough! At WH, the only opinion we want to hear about a womans body is from the owner of that body.

So we passed the pic to eight provocative public figures, from actresses and athletes to a body-positive model and singer. We simply gave them one prompt and then pressed record: "My naked body is..."

"My naked body is... the body I was given in this life. It has been a point of stress, but in the last year, I've tried to take steps to have it be something that gives me strength and not anxiety.

"I grew up with body-image issues. I was six feet tall when I was 12. You have this image of what a woman should look like.

"Everybody is different, and that's not really something you understand when you're young—that every single human being feels they're not perfect.

"Even the girls you looked to as being perfect, they always feel like someone else is.

"I've gotten passed over for jobs—ads, campaigns, beauty and fashion stuff—because I am an in-between. I'm always too much or not enough of something.

"I'm lucky enough that I'm not auditioning to play the role of someone else. I've carved a space for myself where I make music that doesn't appease anyone but myself. No one is better at that than I am.

"I just signed to Wilhelmina [modeling] agency—their Curve branch. I remember looking at their portfolio of models online and thinking, That's totally right for me; this is where I belong. But then I talked to someone, and they're like, 'You're not plus-size!' Technically I am. If you're above a size 8, you're plus-size. The way we talk about it seems so contrary to what you see in the world and what you know to be true about your body. There's just this very strange void for the in-between girls.

"Instead of desperately trying to be skinny, I've been on this quest to be strong.

"To me, sweating and exhausting my body bring me back down to earth when the world feels like it's spinning out of control. Whether it's Spin class or yoga or dancing, all of a sudden I have more clarity."

Betty Who's latest album is "The Valley". She's currently traveling the country on her Party in the Valley tour.

This article originally appeared in the September 2017 issue of Women's Health. For more great advice, pick up a copy of the issue on newsstands now!

Enhance Your Pulse News Experience!

Get rewards worth up to $20 when selected to participate in our exclusive focus group. Your input will help us to make informed decisions that align with your needs and preferences.

I've got feedback!

pulse