XLVII. The Masked Singer

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March 2, 1994Chicago, Illinois

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March 2, 1994
Chicago, Illinois

"We're here with the ultimate mega star, a little girl from 36th Street— Really 63rd— who made her name telling people she just wanted to have fun. Now, she's got millions of people screaming her name." Her green contacts shift to me as she says my name, a cue for the camera man to pull away from her and reveal me. "Lyric." Oprah introduces to the live camera feed as the audience loses their minds. "We have Lyric and today is just a girl's day in our jammies!"

"Yes," I cheer, raising a hand as I laugh.

A laughing Oprah looks to the audience. "I asked her to come on the show. I had to ask through her people and her manager calls me back—" She briefly looks to me. "Dorian called me back," she laughs. Oprah's eyes turn back to the excited spectators. "He says, 'Lyric would love to but she has one condition.' I was nervous! I'm thinkin' to myself, I'm goin', this woman is a star. She's gonna have a crazy request. Umbrellas attached to every seat or something," jokes Oprah, earning a giggle from me. "I ask him what the request is. He says, 'Everybody has to wear pajamas. She wants it to be like a slumber party.'"

I was joking when I told him that, but the more I thought about it, the better an idea it became.

Everyone looks just like me. My pajamas are from JC Penney. I just bought them two weeks ago. I don't look any wealthier than anyone else here with the exception of my earrings. I wear a matching friendship bracelet my niece gifted me and that's it. A ponytail of my natural curls is an intentional choice, as is my lightest form of makeup my team allowed me. I want to be on an even playing field with everyone in here. I'm more comfortable this way.

I giggle swooping a stray coil behind my ear. "I wanted everyone else to feel at home."

"If Lyric says she wants everybody in their pajamas then everybody better be in their pajamas." I laugh off her dramatics as I fight the urge to overthink. Did I pull my diva card with this one? "This is our slumber party," Oprah says.

"Exactly!"

"The folks at home can't see this even the camera crew is in their pajamas!" Oprah's laughter dies down as she turns to me. I can see just by the look in her eye that the interview is officially starting. "How are you?" I only smile first. "Can you think of the last time somebody asked you that?"

"I get asked a lot more than you'd imagine," I laugh, breaking down the bridge she was building to an emotional moment so early in the show. "I'm doing great though. Life is great for me right now."

"I can see it all over you," she says, turning to the audience. "Isn't she glowing?" I reach for Scarlet to crawls into my lap as Oprah hypes me up. I'm more focused on how excited I am that they let me bring my cat on stage than her compliments. "You can see it all over you! You put out two albums in the last year. Do you work better when you're happy?"

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