Meghan Thee Stallion is taking a break from music.
The Grammy-winning singer revealed her plans to step out of the studio for a while and focus on self-care in a new interview with InStyle, in which she also promotes her new partnership with beauty brand Revlon. “Fans can expect new music when I’m in a better place,” the rapper said. “Right now, I’m focused on healing.”
She added that part of that break was about the demands of the music industry altogether. And in the place of making music, the mind and voice behind “Hot Girl Summer” says she’s spending more time with her dogs, exercising, bingeing TV, and perhaps most importantly, setting boundaries for her physical and mental health.
“The music and entertainment industry can be a grind, so it’s important to take time off and avoid burning out,” she explained. “Life is all about balance.”
Stallion’s statements come on the heels of her first and only major public response to the Tory Lanez shooting trial. Published in Elle, the Houston-raised singer and rapper addressed the racist and sexist responses to her being shot in the foot by the Canadian rapper, whose legal name is Daystar Peterson. The former friend and member of Stallion’s inner circle shot Stallion in the foot in July 2020 after they left a party in the Hollywood Hills.
“I wish I could have handled this situation privately. That was my intention, but once my attacker made it public, everything changed. By the time I identified my attacker, I was completely drained,” she recalled, before speaking to its impact on her mental health. “Many thought I was inexplicably healed because I was still smiling through the pain, still posting on social media, still performing, still dancing and still releasing music.”
At the time, Stallion said she was in “a happier place” but was still facing mental health challenges, including anxiety.
“I understand the public intrigue, but for the sake of my mental health, I don’t plan to keep reliving the most traumatic experience of my life over and over again,” she wrote. “I’m choosing to change the narrative because I’m more than just my trauma.”
In December, Lanez was found guilty of one felony count each of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, negligent discharge of a firearm and carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle. He was initially slated to be sentenced in January and is facing more than 20 years in jail, but the sentencing was again delayed.
