"HE WHO DWELLS IN THE SHELTER of the Most High, will abide in the shadow of the Almighty": Psalm 91 is Fantasia Barrino Taylor's daily prayer. Among churchgoing folk, it's called the Psalm of Protection, and it's no surprise this is her touchstone, as Barrino Taylor has had a tumultuous life-"all that stuff," as she alludes to her history of abuse, struggles with literacy, and early motherhood. After winning American Idol at 19, the preacher's kid from High Point, North Carolina, felt the unrelenting weight of stardom, and by age 26 had landed in the hospital for a suicide attempt. That was 13 years agothrough which she has risen from the proverbial ashes, fully spreading her wings.
Talking to Barrino Taylor feels like you're sitting in a pew at a Baptist church, listening to a sermon. As she speaks through her life its trials, its tribulations-I'm crying. She's crying.
If I'm being honest, I'm pretty sure the Holy Spirit was in the room. Maybe that's what led Barrino Taylor to divulge that three angels have revealed themselves to her throughout her life.
The first angel appeared when she was auditioning for American Idol. She and her brother had befriended an older man the first day, talking for hours. "The next day, when we got back, they wasn't letting anybody else in. We go to the other side of the building, and we see him. He says, 'How did it go?" I said, 'It didn't?' He let me in." She never saw him again, although after her win, "that would've been his time to shine," she says, slightly bewildered.
This story is from the December 2023/January 2024 edition of ELLE US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the December 2023/January 2024 edition of ELLE US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MUSIC for This MOMENT
Featuring NORMANI, GRACIE ABRAMS, FLO MILLI, COCO JONES
Ms. Bright Side
For Dua Lipa, queen of the dance floor and everyone's big sister, life is only worth living if you're having fun.
SUMMER SOUNDS
Meet the breakthrough artists you'll have on repeat.
JEWEL WILL STILL SAVE YOUR SOUL
Artifice is out, mental health is in, and Jewel's been ready for this moment her entire life.
BODY BY BOTOX
Barbie neck. Angular shoulders. And a long-lasting back massage? Injections are no longer just for your face.
The MAGIC of CHARLOTTE TILBURY
The world's most beguiling makeup artist on beauty, stars, love, and sex.
ONLY IN VENICE
As the Venice Biennale marks its 60th edition, the city's art scene has never been more vibrant.
RISE & SHINE
Van Cleef & Arpels's Poetic Complications collection is the ultimate pick-me-up.
GREATEST HITS
Musicians are revisiting their fashion \"eras\"-and with them, their pasts.
THEY'RE WITH THE BAND
Thanks to groups like Blackpink and boygenius, musicians' synchronized dressing has reached new heights.