Erykah Badu performs "Annie Don’t Wear No Panties" at Billboard Women In Music 2025. It was legend meeting the next generation she birthed when Ms. Erykah Badu received the Music Icon Award from R&B star Summer Walker.

Badu’s bodacious bodysuit drew comparisons to historical figures, ancient sculptures, and ongoing beauty trends.

When asked to give advice to young women trying to break into the music industry, Erykah didn’t miss a beat. She simply said: “Suck hard.” Cue: gasps, laughs, confusion — and a whole lot of Twitter threads.