Social Media platform, TikTok has really helped us to discover incredible talents. One of those incredible talents being Queer, Indie=Pop Artist, Courtney Govan. Courtney is a beyond stunning human being, however, the artistry that she embodies is truly unbelievable. When you hear her voice, not only are you ENGULFED in chills, but you can recognize her voice anywhere.

After one listen, her voice will be stuck in your head, and you honestly will not be able to get enough. She is absolutely fabulous. Before (not after) is an introspective look into Govan’s desire to dismantle the way that fat humans are treated. Although this song is from a personal lens with a specific narrative, at its core this song is for all the people in the world who have felt societal pressure to change things about themselves instead of loving themselves as they are.

Govan finds it is virtually impossible to go through her day without coming across side by side photos of someone losing a massive amount of weight with a caption something like: Finally living my best life. It can be extremely hard to find room to accept and celebrate yourself for who you are when you are constantly consuming unsolicited content & ideologies centered around why you shouldn’t.

“For some reason it is a controversial topic for fat people to live comfortably in their own skin without actively trying to lose weight. We as a whole are constantly surrounded by the idea that you need to change yourself under the guise of improving your ability to find love, success, and even happiness. This narrative against ‘fat people’ is frankly dehumanizing and the foundation for a multitude of mental health problems and trauma throughout the community.” – Courtney explains.

“I don’t know about you but I am ready for some fat body stories in pop music! I know it feels hard to exist in a world that has a problem with you accepting yourself but I wrote “before (not after) so that we could block out all their noise. My entire life I have dealt with unsolicited comments about my body.”…

…”Changing the way I look and losing weight has always been the thing I “had” to do in order to be successful, healthy, and even happy. At the end of the day, I am the person living in this body. I love myself. I’m proud of myself and I want others who look like me or who struggle with their appearance to know that they don’t need anyone else’s validation in order to be all the things they want in life and more. Like I always say your body is perfect because it’s your body.” – Courtney continued.

Before (not after) is an introspective look into Govan’s desire to dismantle the way that fat humans are treated. Although this song is from a personal lens with a specific narrative, at its core this song is for all the people in the world who have felt societal pressure to change things about themselves instead of loving themselves as they are.

“Before (not after)” is out now on all of your favorite music streaming platforms. If you are as hooked on her vocal ability as we are – you’re going to want to keep up with her across social media platforms. Be sure to connect with her on Tiktok, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Facebook.