For whatever reason, people (women especially) are often seen to be incomplete without the love and attention of an outside party. As a single-ish pan Black man with kids, I’ve had to deal with this myself, from scrolling and seeing nothing but married people to having people ask “so Speed, when’re you getting married?” Truthfully, it’s no one’s damned business.

However, my dealings with “you need a partner to be whole” will always pale in comparison to what women go through. I’m an outside party here, but one who still wants women to be free to just…be. Elle Baez, known for her affirmations, positivity and feministic messaging, comes to our speakers today with a new jam. “I Am The Man” is aligned with Baez’s other offerings, as it blends modern pop sounds with doo-wop R&B vibes to craft a song about self-love and remembering that you are more important and worth more than who you’re sleeping with or dating. It’s also a song that says “hey, you are enough. You don’t need a partner, a man, a FWB or whatever to be considered fulfilled.” What sets “The Man” apart from other songs, even others of Baez’s, is the rich live instrumentation we hear on the track. Nothing feels digitized and that extra bit of care allows for the realness of the song’s message to shine through even more.

Baez, when asked about the song, said she “wanted to make a song with old-fashion vibes that took female empowerment to the next level.” A song where she defies societal “norms” through the instrumentation and the message?! In other, less exclamatory, words, this is one that you need to check out if you’ve ever wanted to combat archaic thoughts. Plus, as the message goes, women don’t need a relationship to be whole. Fellas, we’re not that necessary and that’s okay. That’s honestly the way it should be. Why? Well, women are strong and powerful and enough as is. That’s especially true when when society tries to shame them for not doing whateverthefu*k old white guys think they should be doing. No one needs someone else to love them–as long as they love themselves. So let this song–and Baez’s discography–remind you that the world is quickly becoming caramel and queer and old white guys were never the decisionmakers on what it means to be a “real” woman.

Check this out and be sure to keep your ears open for more from Elle. She’s partnering with Google Pixel this month and she’s definitely making a big mark in a short amount of time. So, support dope music in all its forms and remember that you don’t need a man to be complete. Besides, the love you give yourself always trumps the “love” someone else tries to give.