Tyrese’s messy divorce with ex-wife Samantha Lee wasn’t all for nothing, as the singer has created a double album’s worth of music inspired by the harrowing ordeal.
Sitting down with Kenny Burns on Instagram Live on Wednesday (February 15), Tyrese elaborated on the effort he’s named Beautiful Pain and how it’s hard for men to be vulnerable and speak their truths when they’re going through something.
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“I want to give y’all the heads up,” Tyrese began. “For all of the uber-sensitive people. One thing y’all not are gon’ do, whether I’m a man, a woman, Black, whatever — y’all not gonna be able to stop me from speaking, walking and living in my truth.
“And if your brain is triggered by a man having real conversations about his thoughts and his feelings and what he experienced and you look at that as bashing or tearing down someone because they happen to be a woman, then your whole process is wrong.”
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He continued: “Because my ex is doing ‘Miracle Mondays’ all over Instagram… taking shots at me every day, called my current girlfriend a jezebel. I just want y’all to keep the same energy with people being able to express themselves. She’s allowed to feel whatever she want to feel. She can use whatever platform she want. She can write a book, do a podcast.”
“I wish her well. But if you can express your thoughts and feelings and play victim, then I can express my thoughts and my feelings through my music, through me writing books, me doing interviews. And you gotta hold that the way I gotta hold that because – it’s work. ”
The singer appeared to be referencing the cease and desist order Lee hit him with in the fall after talking about their split on social media. In said posts, Tyrese claimed Lee delivered “15 blatant lies under penalty of perjury” and was dragging out an “unexpected divorce” for the past two years.
“Do you know what it’s like to go two straight years and have everybody that loves you, everybody who has your back, including your attorney to tell you: don’t say nothing, don’t defend yourself, don’t clear your name, don’t speak on it, we’re gonna present it in court!” Tyrese said in response to the order.
As for the album, Tyrese has not revealed a release date but announced in an Instagram post that he is currently in meetings with labels to get it out after he was dropped by his previous record label on the one-year anniversary of the death of his mother.
“Can you imagine having millions and millions of records sold? About to release 13 movies this year, I’ve made the most important album of my life and I don’t have a record deal?? Lol,” he wrote on Instagram. “God truly has a sense of humor! Mr Sweet Lady, Stay, SHAME, How you gonna act like that? Lately, Signs of love makin? Lol Yeah it’s wild but I TRUST GOD!!!!”
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He continued: “Label execs…Plz don’t come 2my office with sensitive ears. When I press play on this album over the next two weeks? I want you to be fully present and allow yourself to submerge into this musical bath! I want you to hear and feel everything…. The whole album is live. Not one beat machine was used for this #BeautifulPain album!”
He went on to thank the various radio stations supporting him despite his hiatus from music for playing the album’s first single “Don’t Think You Ever Loved Me,” which you can listen to here.
