I don’t know who needs to hear this today, but you are pretty. Not pretty cool, or pretty fun, or pretty crazy, but pretty—as in full of beauty. All too often, it feels like any consumable media is tailored to make us feel small. Sex sells, sad songs get sung, and disaster draws attention. Even beauty standard public enemy #1—Kylie Jenner—cries on camera about the struggle to feel accepted in her own skin, botox and all. Constantly reconciling between what she sees and the public’s perception of how she should view herself. It’s one thing to talk, and maybe cry, for the camera, but there’s an ultimate vulnerability in singing about the struggle to accept one’s appearance.

Gina Kaz captures this vulnerability in her latest release, Pretty. The song is short and sweet, reminiscent of something that could have been on the Uptown Girls soundtrack, but with a modern, to-the-point approach. There’s a story being told in Pretty that empathizes with the feminine feeling of not living up to expectations. There’s a true earnestness to Gina's voice that transcends the discomfort of what she sings in her lyrics: “She doesn’t know how to feel pretty, and all she wants is that.” The song’s perspective looks beyond herself, sympathizing with the idea that maybe the mind is incapable of truly accepting the body—or at least finds comfort in the struggle. Still, Gina Kaz captures the weightlessness that is necessary for true self-expression and reflection. Pretty creates a feeling of being suspended in a bubble, floating towards self-love.

With a background in music therapy, it’s no wonder that Gina's delicate delivery chooses the power of positive thinking over dwelling in the frustration that a phrase like “I want to scream I hate this patriarchy” might invoke. Pretty seeks to find a resolution to the internal conflict of wanting to hide ourselves while yearning to step into our full potential. The chorus begins with: “And she dances like no one’s around, and she hates her body sometimes, wishes it would stop.” Why is it that people like to dance by themselves? Is there an innate judgment that we perceive at the very onset of human expression? While Pretty grapples with the notion of achieving self-love, it leaves to the imagination that perhaps the judgment itself negates love. If we saw ourselves the way we look at those we love, would it really be that hard to feel pretty? And if we let go of judgment, might the whole world be made to feel beautiful?

When sometimes it seems like all we have is our voice, we’re all too scared to lift it and sing. Protest songs don’t have to be about fighting against something with ferocity. Sometimes, asking questions and being vulnerable and honest in our true expression can sow the seeds of change. Gina Kaz performs with bravery and writes with a fearlessness that we can only hope to proliferate in these intolerant times. Hunnypot Approved!