Monaleo Shares Her Self-Care Routine for Anxiety and Depression

BEATIN' DOWN YA PLAYLISTMonaleo Is Over Second-Guessing HerselfWe spoke to the 'Beatin Down Yo Block' rapper about her daily wellness routine, her new musical releases, and self-care tips.

By Talia Smith

May 9, 2022

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If there were a physical embodiment of magnetism, it would be Monaleo. The young rapper is charismatic, witty, and on a mission to carve out her own lane within the world of music. She's already seen success in this pursuit: Her viral hits like "We Not Humpin" and "Beatin Down Yo' Block" have taken over social media and garnered her a throng of devoted fans. 

Did we mention she's also fly as hell? Her music videos and Instagram page are treasure troves of beauty and fashion inspo for those drawn to the baddie aesthetic: 24-inch plus bust-down, middle-part units or wet and wavy textured strands, punctuated by streaks of color. The lips are glossy, the lashes are fluttery, the sunglasses are straight from 2003, and the threads are classically hip-hop. 

Monaleo started performing as a young child, singing at the behest of her grandmother in front of her small Baptist church in Houston, Texas, a congregation that was then about 15 or 20 people strong. "I would get so nervous. I felt like I was performing in front of a hundred people," she tells Allure. "I would practice my song the entire week. It was crazy. But I thank my grandmother [who pushed me] because it built character, and that's when I knew very early on that I loved music."

Though she started off singing and playing the piano, it was Monaleo's younger brother, who goes by the stage name Young Rampage, who got her into rapping. "I took him to the studio for his birthday and he wanted me to record a verse on one of his songs," she recalls. She hopped on the track, posted a clip of it to Instagram, and noticed an overwhelmingly positive response. "I was like, okay, let me try to really pursue this because it got a greater response than any of my other singing videos or videos of me playing piano. Eight months later, I went to the studio and recorded 'Beating Down Yo Block'."

But it's not just the music and the fashion: Monaleo's openness about her personal mental health journey has served as guidance and inspiration for some of her young women fans. The self-described suicide survivor has been candid about this particular struggle and has made it her mission to raise awareness. Just as her star began to rise, in fact, she was dealing with bouts of depression and anxiety as well as homelessness. Her message has resonated with Gen Z audiences, who are coming up in a culture where self-care is centered more than ever before. 

We spoke exclusively with the artist on her journey in music, her self-care routine, and the advice she's found most useful for dealing with her own anxiety and depression.

Allure: What was it like seeing your songs blow up on social media?

Monaleo: It was super surreal. I was like, "I can't believe this is happening before my eyes." It was like going up the incline at the gym — I was trying to keep up with it. There were still a lot of personal things that I was healing from and still am healing from. I just had to figure out how to balance. I think that was the most shocking part, trying to figure out how to balance my personal emotions with just business and trying to build my career.

"Beating Down Yo Block," contrary to how it sounds, is a very emotional song for me because I wrote it at a very emotional time in my life. And I feel like that's the reason why it resonates with so many different people because the anger and that aggression and those real raw emotions translate through that song. 

Courtesy Mars/Instagram

There would be days where I just didn't feel like doing shit. There would be days where I just wanted to be in my bed eating ice cream. But I had to suit up and go with the flow because I didn't want my moment to pass. 

I feel like [its popularity] was something that I manifested even through the song — you can hear it — I'm instilling a sense of confidence, a sense of success into myself. At that time, I was homeless. I had nowhere to go, I didn't have a job. I was trying to figure it out. I think that song just captures the essence of perseverance and being able to put on your big girl pants and figure it out, make a way out of no way essentially.

Allure: Can you speak a little bit more about why advocating for Black women's mental health is so important to you?

M: I don't want to be strong every day. I'm not a bodybuilder. [Black girls and women] don't get to be emotional about shit. If we're emotional about something we're overacting, we're angry Black women. As soon as they see a Black woman expressing herself publicly, she's a drama queen, she's extra, she's dramatic. Why is she taking this to social media, et cetera. 

I want to further the conversation about being a human being and having real fucking emotions. People have really lost sight of that. Especially when you're an artist, people kind of look at you and idolize you. They project these characteristics and these traits that you didn't even ask for. They just kind of put you in this box as a trophy or a doll. They want to gaze at you and be able to interact with you whenever they feel like it.

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So, I have to be comfortable with myself and I have to create an environment where I'm comfortable because I can't rely on everybody else in this world to make sure that I'm comfortable. You get so used to being uncomfortable, especially as a Black woman. You swallow it and don't say anything about it. You almost forget that you fucking have a voice. I forget a lot of times. But what I learned is that sometimes just opening your mouth about certain things about how you feel is a superpower, it literally can move mountains.

ALLURE: What advice do you give to young girls who are going through the same thing and might not have a support network?

M: The people who are the most comfortable with themselves and at a peace in their minds are the ones who are confident and stand firm on what they believe in. Spend a lot of time with yourself, figuring out what you like, what you don't like, what you're comfortable with, what you're not comfortable with, and what your boundaries are. Identify those things, give them a name, and then implement those boundaries.

Then from there, you figure out your morals, values, ethics, what is important to you as an individual. There's a lot of power in being able to stand on your own. The people who stand on their own are so fucking admirable to me.

I always second-guess myself. A lot of my anxiety and a lot of my depression comes from compromising with people and putting myself in uncomfortable positions or putting myself last, second to everybody else's opinions. If [I'd stopped second-guessing myself sooner,] I would have felt a lot more confident in who I am. Confidence conquers anxiety. 

ALLURE: That is so true and beautifully said. During those low moments, what is your self-care routine?

M: I have a different routine for anxiety and I have a different routine for depression. If I go to sleep feeling anxious about something, I wake up and all those emotions come flooding back in like nothing ever happened.

So what I'll do is go outside for some sun therapy on my back porch, because they say sunlight helps reduce the symptoms of anxiety and depression. I also like to clean my whole house with citrus-scented things. I spray my cabinets with this lemon spray, then wipe them down with the lemon Lysol wipes. I light lemon candles or orange candles, I drink lemon tea, I take a bath with orange peels. It's like a breath of fresh air. If I'm feeling depressed, I will surround myself with things that I love the most. I love the color pink so I take a bath with a pink sparkly bath bomb. 

ALLURE: Musically, what can we expect from you in 2022? Any new projects or things in the works?

M: I might come with an album sometime next year, I think right now I just need to hone in and try doing some experimental tracks this year. I want to try my hand at a couple of different sounds and techniques as an artist.

ALLURE: Would you ever consider exploring any other creative mediums?

M: Yes, girl. I want to do voice acting eventually. Also creative directing — my next few songs and videos that are accompanying those songs, and typing out the treatment. I'm excited to show the world my creative side.

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Talia Smith is an investigative journalist who has a deep passion for documenting and investigating political, social, and human rights violations that affect overlooked and underrepresented people across the globe. When she's not reporting, she's watching endless amounts of Studio Ghibli films.

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