Khari Toure is an artist and a spoken word poet who has now gone viral several times for his deeply personal songs. In one of them, entitled “Thick and Thin,” he speaks directly to his wife, who was feeling depressed about her struggle to lose weight.
In it, Toure said he had married her entire person, not her body, and that he would love her and be attracted to her no matter how much weight she gained or lost.
The song quickly racked up almost two million shares, with men and women alike sharing how Toure’s lyrics touched them.
Toure himself took to social media after the song was released to explain a little bit of the background. He had found his wife’s weight loss journal at home and when he looked inside, he was pained to read her comments expressing anger and frustration with her body.
“We live in a society that uses advertising, movies, magazines, and television, to try and convince plus-size women that their curves are unhealthy or unattractive,” wrote Toure.
“So, it’s important for a husband to constantly reaffirm his wife’s beauty. His hug must be a safe haven from a society that says his wife is not beautiful enough. His words must be a healing balm for her. Most importantly, his actions must prove that his love for her is not based solely on her physical appearance or superficial standards.”
Toure said that he knew he and his wife would both change physically over the course of their marriage, with changes in health and lifestyle as well as sickness, children, and age.
But he said he considers it extremely important for couples to support one another however they can — whether that means working out together or helping one another keep a sense of humor while struggling.
“Our bodies change throughout the years, but the vows of love, loyalty, and respect that a couple makes while on the altar should remain consistent for a lifetime,” said Toure. “That is the message that I was trying to convey in this video.”
It’s a message that’s been felt loud and clear all around the internet as fans shared his music video.
Toure also went viral for his song “Love Yourself,” which he wrote after his daughter Nia told him she had been teased at school. In it, he encouraged children to feel proud of who they are and not worry about the unkind things their peers at school say to them.
He was particularly interested in reaching out to children with disabilities.
Toure invited many children to appear in his music video for “Love Yourself,” including those with autism, Down syndrome, learning disabilities, and hearing impairments.
He hoped his song would empower children everywhere.
The song, entitled “Love Yourself” has been viewed more than 11 million times.
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