BODUR's "GORGEOUS" is an overt celebration of intersectionality

Newly known by the artistic alias BODUR, 25-year-old Chloe Bodur has always been empowered by finding herself and representing her heritage in her music. Proudly the product of multiple cultures, the Turkish-Sri-Lanken musician was born and raised in North West London, and experiences the beautiful synergies and struggles of her intersectionality everyday.

A self-professed “ode to her diaspora daughters,” her latest track “GORGEOUS” is written as a celebration of women of colour, giving voice to the journeys of self-acceptance specific to those with similarly multi-hyphenated identities.““GORGEOUS” defines what’s expected of a girl from my background, learning to love myself and my heritage,” BODUR explains. Accompanied by a visual of BODUR soaking in self-love in front of a gilded mirror, the track simply radiates.

“Every line questions what it means to be “home”. I have a constant feeling of wanting full acceptance from my Turkish and Sri Lankan roots without settling into one binary identity. It’s all about accepting the middle space, defying what’s expected of you, and loving yourself despite the barriers we’ve faced.” Indeed, revelling in this convergence is an ethos that has underpinned much of BODUR’s artistic career.

Decadently adorned and mesmerisingly sinuous, the production of “GORGEOUS” itself sits on a plane somewhere above musical borders: both avant-pop, and experimentally electronic in its distorted sound. Powerful poetics also punctuate the track’s lyrics to add to the atmosphere of acceptance: “look what you did for your daughters, brown bread, buttered and gorgeous,” BODUR sings, showing her appreciation for her ancestors breaking down stigmas and taboos for generations to follow.

Similarly, BODUR now hopes to concretise her own legacy in inspiring South Asian and Middle Eastern women in the UK. By proudly showcasing her heritage and making it inextricably pivotal in her artistic mission statement - even challenging herself to learn how to play the oud, a traditional Turkish musical instrument - her authentic light is sure to act as a beacon ablaze. For anyone who’s ever felt like not enough, or are all too familiar with the feeling of “searching for a symbol” of home but not knowing what it looks like, “GORGEOUS” is a hand in the dark.