Visual moodboard · V1 · Music for the Soul

The
Return

A live experience at the Illuminarium.

The soul's journey — lived, lost, and found again.

By Erica Mason

Explore the experience

The VIP Experience

Performance Run of Show

Act I — The Assignment

Opening video for The Return starts

  1. 01Stay Ready
  2. 02Do It Anyway
  3. 03No Smoke
  4. 04Get Out The Way

Act II — The Journey

  1. — Talking break — Erica speaks to the audience (keys playing while talking)
  2. 05Unappreciated
  3. — Talking break (keys playing while talking), flows into Tug A War
  4. 06Tug A War
  5. — Erica talks a little more (keys playing while talking)
  6. 07Queer Christian Reprise

    Sit and sing for a moment

  7. 08Holy Water

    Starts a cappella, into the full song, rides out on piano. We will likely flow here

Act III — The Return

  1. — Video intro to Act III. If no video: Erica talks about the album — it is being recorded live, and fans get it in the portal
  2. 09Moving
  3. 10Royalty
  4. — Back to back
  5. 11Feeling Myself
  6. 12Been On It
  7. 13Gimmes
  8. — Erica talks, going into
  9. 14God Shit
  10. 15Big Energy
  11. — Pause — Erica invites fans to apply for the retreat
  12. 16Better

    Closer

  13. 17The After Party

Set List

Now playing 01

Stay Ready

0:00 / 0:00

Man I hit rock bottom and took the stones and built an empire They ask how you come up out the smoke not smell like the fire They say Life can be a bitch so I made her my wife I Fell in love adversity and learned how to fight You don’t know what wholeness feels like Until you been empty You’ll learn you’ve always been enough By the time you have plenty Sometimes you gotta lose it all just to find yourself To realize you had it all when you was by yourself

Cause I was down bad Got up up on my bagggg Now I’m up again Had to recognize who The fuck I is Had to Run it back Ain’t no fumbling I hear you niggas mumbling But you don’t speak my lingo So focused on my numbers That they lining up like bingo I don’t been through shit some I probably never speak about I done had some lows that I pastor only preach about I done did some things that some niggas only think about Wrote this on my heart so nobody else could ink it out

If you stay ready you aint gotta get ready If you stay ready you aint gotta get ready If you stay ready you aint gotta get ready If you stay ready you aint gotta get ready If you stay ready you aint gotta get ready If you stay ready you aint gotta get ready If you stay ready you aint gotta get ready If you stay ready you aint gotta get ready

Total set length · 16 songs49:16

Jump to lyrics

Pre-Show00

The VIP Experience

Doors open at 6:00 PM. This is the VIP Experience — the audience doesn't know it yet, but they're already inside the story.

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“The return is about walking in my godly, divine nature. It is about being exactly who I am, as I am, and owning it — not just being introduced to her, but embodying her.”

Visual direction

As VIP takes their seats, the screens come alive with the Origin Film — the sizzle reel telling the story of the return, of remembering who she is. It builds to a crescendo, then cuts to black. Erica emerges. This is the threshold moment — she's not performing yet, she's arriving, the same way the audience just watched her arrive on screen.

A host sits with her. The room shifts from screen to table. Light bites, hors d'oeuvres, and drinks are already being served, and the room settles into breaking bread together. Then the real conversation begins — Erica and her guest, roughly 30 minutes, unguarded, audience able to ask questions and go deeper than the music alone allows. The final 30 minutes belongs to photos — closeness, proof of presence, the moment made physical.

Motifs in play

  • The threshold — screen to presence
  • The table — breaking bread
  • The conversation — unguarded

Lighting note

Screens dim as the table warms. Intimate pools of light replace the wide cinematic glow — the room shrinks on purpose, so it feels like the audience earned the closeness.

Palette

  • #1F1614

    Deep cosmos

  • #5A3A2E

    Table wood

  • #A6442F

    Particle dust

  • #E3A981

    White flash

  • #D9B98C

    Candle gold

Pre-Show00

The Origin Film

Begins 10 minutes before show start. The audience doesn't know the show has already begun.

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“Ancient. Vast. Pre-language. The feeling of existing before you had a name.”

Visual direction

Cinematic silhouette-forward. Dark environments illuminated by a single divine light source — halos, portals, eclipses, doorways. Warm amber-to-deep-teal palette. Film grain texture throughout. No faces — only figures. Light behaves like presence, not physics. The aesthetic sits between surrealist fine art photography and a cinematic fever dream.

Motifs in play

  • Door — closed, glowing
  • Cosmos — vast, ancient
  • The many voices

Lighting note

Pre-language darkness. Particle drift. Low haptic frequency in the walls.

Palette

  • #1F1614

    Deep cosmos

  • #373841

    Nebula indigo

  • #A6442F

    Particle dust

  • #747788

    Door glow

  • #E3A981

    White flash

Act I

The Assignment

She arrives knowing exactly who she is. This is before the world touched her.

Lighting

Full warm gold, cosmic particles, amber and deep copper tones throughout.

Act I01

Stay Ready

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“Sovereign. Certain. The soul's declaration on arrival — I was built for whatever comes.”

Visual direction

Human and embodied. Cold theatrical light — sharp beams, ice-blue and teal rays cutting through heavy smoke and haze. Black and near-black environments with a single light source doing all the work. The figure is small against vast darkness — present but pressured.

Where the Origin Film world is warm and cosmic, this world is cool and earned. The body is active: kneeling, reaching, opening, sitting on the ground. Light behaves like a beam, not a halo — it finds you, it targets you, sometimes it breaks through you.

Motifs in play

  • Door — faint, watching
  • Cosmos — remnant particles

Lighting note

One warm pool. Gold pulses expanding outward.

View lyrics +

Man I hit rock bottom and took the stones and built an empire They ask how you come up out the smoke not smell like the fire They say Life can be a bitch so I made her my wife I Fell in love adversity and learned how to fight You don’t know what wholeness feels like Until you been empty You’ll learn you’ve always been enough By the time you have plenty Sometimes you gotta lose it all just to find yourself To realize you had it all when you was by yourself

Cause I was down bad Got up up on my bagggg Now I’m up again Had to recognize who The fuck I is Had to Run it back Ain’t no fumbling I hear you niggas mumbling But you don’t speak my lingo So focused on my numbers That they lining up like bingo I don’t been through shit some I probably never speak about I done had some lows that I pastor only preach about I done did some things that some niggas only think about Wrote this on my heart so nobody else could ink it out

If you stay ready you aint gotta get ready If you stay ready you aint gotta get ready If you stay ready you aint gotta get ready If you stay ready you aint gotta get ready If you stay ready you aint gotta get ready If you stay ready you aint gotta get ready If you stay ready you aint gotta get ready If you stay ready you aint gotta get ready

Palette

  • #03070A

    Cosmic warm black

  • #142029

    Deep copper

  • #23495F

    Old gold

  • #578498

    Pool gold

  • #B7CDD6

    Amber halo

Act I02

Do It Anyway

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“Committed. Cinematic. The soul choosing the assignment before she knows what it will cost.”

Visual direction

As the cinematic build begins, the room starts showing movement — light sweeping across the walls like wind through tall grass, or the feeling of descent. Not dark yet. Still beautiful. The soul is moving toward the world and she doesn't know what's coming.

By the time the hype drops, the room is fully alive — light and motion and her at the center of it. The audience feels the momentum before they understand it.

Motifs in play

  • Descent — movement toward earth

Lighting note

Light like wind through tall grass. Builds to full motion.

View lyrics +

Verse 1 If you ain’t failed couple times you ain’t ready for this I don’t crumble Under pressure I go heavy with this Driving straight to the hole I don’t need no assist If all I got is one shot You know I ain’t gone miss I Never take a hater serious I’m Petty this Never been the type to fold I don’t straddle the fence Yea I might I lose it all I’ll get it right back quick I’m like a walking casino cause ima take that risk

I ain’t scared of nothing but the old version of me I’m Fired up boy I love the cold version of me Love the the way I took the pain and now it’s working for me I’m coming back for everything that was taken from me Ay what you thought this was I’m light the little engine that could They love my drive they just wanna know what’s under the hood I wish you would Tryna stop me You gone get what you deserve I’ll show you how to take it from the bottom to the first

Hook I know they try to say you can’t Do it anyway (speak your piece) Ain’t got no money in the bank Do it any way (Ima do it) I know you failed a couple times But that’s alright We don’t care What people think Do it anyway

Verse 2 Remember when they said I couldnt now they ask me how I do it When you know you really got it you ain’t never got a prove it When you started from the bottom you ain’t never scared to lose everything all on God is The only way I do it Scare of what? scare of who? Boy I Been had the juice With an Extra side of sauce Boy I been had Rague Baby I got so much flavor and the pain is the seasoning I promise ima get it, It don’t matter what the season Do it any day every day I’Ma Get it in every way Know they try to say that I can’t but I still doing it anyway I don’t care what they gonna say and I don’t care what they goona think When you out here chasing your dreams you don’t care if people sleep I wake them up when I speak It’s just a matter of time Getting every thing for me It’s just a matter of mine I got audacity and confidence a deadly combination Yea I hear them talking I just call it admiration

Hook I know they try to say you can’t Do it anyway (speak your piece) Ain’t got no money in the bank Do it any way (Ima do it) I know you failed a couple times But that’s alright We don’t care What people think Do it anyway

Palette

  • #101010

    Warm shadow

  • #454545

    Burnt amber

  • #7C7C7C

    Sweep gold

  • #BBBBBB

    Wheatfield

  • #E2E2E2

    Halo cream

Act I03

No Smoke

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“Grounded. Sharp. The soul drawing her first line on Earth.”

Visual direction

The energy tightens. The room's warmth pulls back slightly — not cold yet, but focused. Sharp angles of light. Her silhouette becomes more defined, more singular.

As No Smoke ends, the gold light begins its slow fade. The particles settle. The room holds a long beat of near-stillness. The audience can feel something shifting even if they don't know why. The transition has already begun.

Motifs in play

  • First line — don't come for me

Lighting note

Tightened warmth, sharp angles. Slow fade into near-stillness.

View lyrics +

Verse 1 Never been the type to take no disrespect God still working on me Reaching out to God like get your kids in check Cause if i lose my cool i won’t have no regrets Honestly I’m in a process but don’t get it twisted I’ll put you in check We can go back to back to back to back wake up the old me I’ll put you to rest I’m working on me but I’m still clockedin I been on edge you don’t wanna see the end don’t open that door I’m real unhinged Had to tell my ex that we can’t be friends You know i’m a giver You say you needed space now you tryna reconsider Huh Don’t get sintemental You caught up in the middle You thought that you could play me Cuz I was instrumental Huh I’m tryna pray to God I don’t snap back I’m a standing ovation with clap backs Year I’m all on on your head like a snap back Yea i’m about to eat you up Like some rap snack God help me please They can try anyone else but me They can try anyone else but me I’m just tryna find a little love and some peace I’m just tryna heal lord I’m tryna be all in The old me is triggered And she steady keep calling Know they coming for me but I’m tryna keep stalling Know they coming for me but

Chorus You don’t want no smoke You don’t want no gas You want this pain You don’t know my past You don’t wanna see the old me Cuz I swear she bout to come back You don’t wanna see the old me Pray to god she don’t come back

Verse 2 I get aggressive But lucky for I been working on me I guess you can call it a blessing Normally I would just body you Leave you on read And don’t even stress it You hitting my line You so out of line Lately I know you obsessing You miss what we had You wanna go back And now you got all these confessions Just save it You that im running out of patience You know that it ain’t gone change it You know that it ain’t gone save it Shhh Ima just block you Airplane mode I drop you Saw three dots I’ll stop you Calling my phone is not no option You had to chance and now you lost it

Palette

  • #1E0202

    Closing dark

  • #301C1B

    Held copper

  • #6B0B0C

    Bronze edge

  • #C61512

    Last gold

  • #D78051

    First cool

Act I04

Get Out The Way

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“Slow. Aching. The first real cost of being human — a love that takes more than it gives.”

Visual direction

The room shifts to softer, cooler tones — lavender, dusty rose, the color of something beautiful that's ending. Slow-moving imagery of thresholds: doorways, windows with light coming through, roads that split.

The symbolic language of leaving. Nothing violent — just the quiet, real imagery of walking away from something you wanted to stay in.

Motifs in play

  • Thresholds — doors, windows, roads that split

Lighting note

Lavender + dusty rose. Slow, soft motion.

View lyrics +

VERSE 1: If I don’t like you yea you gone feel it You better watch how you come cause I’m still healing Ppl love to play the victim when you hurt they feelings You been playing in my face and now I’m the villain? Ohhh okayyy I see what we doing now You don’t wanna clear the air So I’m bout to spray it out Backtracking on your words Don’t be scared now Bout to match your energy Don’t explain now Boy I been pressure I been asking God to forgive They think cause I’m sweet that this Mug Won’t get sticky They love to gas light Like the tank is on empty You don’t want no smoke And believe I got plenty Hate your energy so ima be pack it up Somebody give this girl an Oscar cause she acting up I know they hurt you in your past so you acting tough But I don’t like your energy so you can go ahead and back back back it up I swear I’m tryna elevate The old me would roast you and serve you on plates Sizzle and fry you like well done fillet Chef Boyardee you but will walk away Cuz I’m better than that And you not bringing me back And plus I’m peepin all the baggage That you gotta unpack

CHORUS: I don’t like none of ya’ll no way Back to the store gotta get an upgrade I don’t waste time if it ain’t gone pay Ya’ll better get out my face Get out the wayyy Back it up Get out the wayyy Back it up

VERSE 2: Ima put you in your place like a parking space Check the lot tell me where you wanna park today Insecurity is open We can park there And use your mirrors cause you know that you not self aware I don’t like people who don’t like themselves How you mess up and blame someone else Exactly I don’t wanna be around somebody who ain’t growing You ain’t worth all this smoke I’ve been blowing I won’t give my energy w out a purpose Sometimes you build a bridge and sometimes you gotta burn it Sometimes they wanna see a show you gotta close the curtains And stop entertaining ppl just bc they hurting Ooooohhhh kayyy All my dogs are a different pedigree I get picky and I’m choosy when it comes to the team I don’t like you cause I like my peace I won’t even get close if I feel your energy

CHORUS: I don’t like none of ya’ll no way Back to the store gotta get an upgrade I don’t waste time if it ain’t gone pay Ya’ll better get out my face Get out the wayyy Back it up Get out the wayyy Back it up

Palette

  • #070B09

    Dusk indigo

  • #181C1C

    Bruised plum

  • #403727

    Dusty rose

  • #796E5A

    Lavender

  • #C6C4B3

    Ending light

Act II

The Journey

The world dismantles her, piece by piece. She doesn't lose herself all at once — she loses herself slowly, the way most of us do.

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Lighting

Progressive cooling — warm tones leaving the room across the act, ending in deep blue-grey and fractured light.

Act II05

Unappreciated

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“Heavy. Intimate. Pouring everything out and watching it drain into the floor.”

Visual direction

The room gets quieter. Dimmer. Imagery of hands — giving, reaching, open, empty. Water pouring from a vessel that never gets refilled. The walls hold these images softly, not dramatically. The audience should feel the weight, not be assaulted by it.

A single mirror begins appearing — faint — on the far wall. The first introduction of the mirror motif.

Motifs in play

  • Hands — giving, empty
  • Mirror — single, faint (first)

Lighting note

Dimmer, quieter. Soft holding of imagery, not assault.

View lyrics +

Chorus Cuz every time I look at you I can see the scars that hide your pain You want someone to notice you But you should know that you’re appreciated And you never will forget it again

VERSE 1 You show up for everybody but yourself Got used to doing everything but never asked for help The one you’re the one that people take for granite And eventually regret it When they realize the void that you left And the hardest part for you is just choosing not to go back Because you holding on to memories of what you used to have And I know it seems every you do goes unnoticed People say they grateful you just want someone one to show it It’s something bout being wanted It’s something bout being seen It’s something bout being chosen over all those other things That make you feel alive and make you feel less alone Make you feel like maybe you don’t Always have to be so strong But from somebody who took so many people for granted I just want say that ur appreciated Don’t let somebody’s choices and decisions give your worth a definition You deserve to express your love language You can take my time and attention My affirmation are endless Physically touch your soul with these words that I’ve written Give you gifts out of love without expecting something Serve you with my heart look I swear it ain’t no act Cuz you deserve all of that You deserve all that Baby you deserve all that

Chorus Cuz every time I look at you I can see the scars that hide your pain You want someone to notice you But you should know that you’re appreciated And you never will forget it again

Verse 2: It takes more than love to make relationships work I been so busy helping you That I can’t put myself first So tell me what’s worse Loving you while I let myself hurt Or the pain of walking away When I thought this would have worked I gave everything I had even when I had nothing thinking maybe that would truly mean something But I know You can’t give somebody what you don’t have for yourself And even though I love you I won’t keep doing this to myself I’m unappreciated and it’s really not on you It’s a standard that I never held you to I should have taught you how to love me Through the way I loved myself And if you couldn’t meet my needs then let you find somebody else You can’t appreciate when you don’t understand the value It’s hard to value people without boundaries And that’s on me I been so scared of people leaving That I sacrifice myself To help everyone else around me And that’s on me I wanna chase a love that’s chasing me back I finally understand I’m it And I’m the one that I tagged

Palette

  • #0F100F

    Drained dark

  • #322C25

    Floor blue

  • #5A524A

    Tired grey

  • #8A837B

    Empty vessel

  • #C9C5B5

    Faint mirror

Act II06

Tug A War

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“Fractured. Restless. She's no longer just losing to the world — she's losing to herself.”

Visual direction

The mirror multiplies. Multiple reflections of her on the walls — not her literal image, but symbolic doubling. Two sources of light pulling from opposite directions, casting competing shadows.

The room itself feels like it's at war with itself — warm light fighting cool light, neither winning. The visual tension should make the audience slightly uncomfortable. That discomfort is the point.

Motifs in play

  • Mirror — fractured, multiplied
  • Warm vs cool — neither winning

Lighting note

Two competing sources. Warm vs cool, opposing shadows.

View lyrics +

Intro Like, I’m probably in the most difficult place in my life because No I’m not like, the old version of me and who I used to be you feel me? But I’m also not, who I need to be I feel like the highest version of me is so far out of reach And I just don’t know how to grab her I feel like I’m fighting with myself To be myself and its It’s just crazy

Verse I’m not quite who I was But I am who I am Yea I’m Still arriving The higher version of myself Feels like she still in hiding Cause There’s a part of who I am that’s not always surviving and striving to prove that I’m worthy of being invited To a table that’s not built for me She rather eat alone if it means protecting her energy Yea That’s the higher me Im somewhere in between It’s like I’m not quite who I used to be not quite who I need to be Myself is playing tug of war Cause who i am today fight through all the toughest wars You learn to wipe your tears when life responds with “what you crying for” Got it out the mud so I could shine more Cause The person who I am is the person that can survive war Had to be what people wanted So I could feel safe yea I know there’s a version of me that I erased And now she’s sketching herself back Fight for her place This is what she says

Hook I have never left you All that Other shit got in the way You had to protect you So that I could take my place Pull away away away Life is hard when there is change Pull away away away But still I play Tug a war with my soul Yea ouuu ouuu ouuu Tug a war with my soul Yea ouuu ouuu ouuu Tug a war with my soul Yea ouuu ouuu ouuu Tug a war with my soul Yea ouuu ouuu ouuu

Palette

  • #030304

    War blue

  • #141418

    Cool pull

  • #2F2F33

    Held warm

  • #7E7D7B

    Warm pull

  • #DFDFDF

    Refracted self

Act II07

Queer Christian Reprise

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“Sacred. Devastating. The bottom of the descent.”

Stage note60 seconds of real speech precedes this song. Not rehearsed-sounding.

Visual direction

Everything stops. The room becomes a sanctuary. All competing light sources resolve into one — a single beam, warm and still, holding her. The walls go dark except for the faintest suggestion of something ancient and sacred — could be light through stained glass abstracted into pure color and geometry, nothing literal.

The spatial audio places her voice from everywhere simultaneously so the audience feels like she's singing from inside them. No movement on the walls during this song. Just her. Just the light. Just the room breathing. This is the most still the Illuminarium will be all night — and that stillness is the visual.

Motifs in play

  • Single beam — sanctuary
  • Stained glass — abstracted, geometric

Lighting note

One warm still beam. Walls dark, faint sacred geometry only.

Palette

  • #120C09

    Sanctuary dark

  • #442613

    Stained violet

  • #7C4F24

    Stained rose

  • #C98027

    Single beam

  • #D8BC95

    Held light

Act II08

Holy Water

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“Mid-tempo, vibey, grief with movement in it. Anger and longing. Naming what was taken and beginning to reclaim it.”

Visual direction

Water. The entire room becomes water — slow, symbolic, moving. Not a storm. A river. Light refracting through water on every wall, the visual language of the spiritual "Wade in the Water" made immersive. The audience is inside the passage.

By the end of Holy Water the imagery begins to shift — the water starts moving faster, lighter, more like freedom than grief. The act is ending. Something is loosening. The door — the one from the Origin Film — reappears briefly on the wall ahead of her. Still closed. But closer.

Motifs in play

  • Water — river, refracted light
  • Door — still closed, closer

Lighting note

Refracted water-light on every wall. Loosening into freedom by the end.

View lyrics +

Intro Freedom Gotta Break Free Gotta Break Free Freedom Freedom Gotta Break Free Gotta Break Free Freedom Freedom Gotta Break Free Gotta Break Free Freedom Freedom Gotta Break Free Gotta Break Free

Verse 1 12 years old, I met trauma so i went to church The pastor said that God delivers when you put him first Faith without works is dead And I been working til I’m dead And my faith was never fed None of that mattered though They put me on stages I was amazing I almost lost my soul Went to well looking for water That shit toxic though Drunk from the cup And pleaded the blood Girl get out that cult That’s what my grandma said

Pre Chorus There’s something in the water baby I can’t not deny it This the living well tell me why the people dying Say its holy water But there’s something that they hiding Yea Something that they hiding

Chorus They pour it up and drink drink drink drink They pour it up and drink drink drink drink They don’t even think think think think They just pour it up and drink drink drink drink

Verse 2 The pastor daughter sneaking round Cuz her daddy homophobic But she love me And First Lady know he cheating But she gotta keep a smile she so lonely The devils in the pulpit on Sundays Where’s your money at That holy water look like Kool Aid And they raise they glass Sip sip sip sip They love the taste of deception Made in God’s image but have the Devils reflection

Pre Chorus There’s something in the water baby I can’t not deny it This the living well tell me why the people dying Say its holy water But there’s something that they hiding Yea Something that they hiding

Chorus They just pour it up and drink drink drink drink They pour it up and drink drink drink drink They don’t even think think think think They just pour it up and drink drink drink drink

Verse 3 This is for the ancestors Who waded through the holy water Who wore their crown and still was beaten Fought for freedom Knew they power just like Jesus My God What have we come to The river was the place that we run to To find strength and to drink truth Now we dilute And we don’t know who We are I am God in Flesh Who taught me anything less The spirit that hovered the waters Is smelling the toxins Pumping through churches Drunk in deception Thinking its purpose Come to the well And Walk away hurting Damn, Something don’t taste right

Pre Chorus There’s something in the water baby I can’t not deny it This the living well tell me why the people dying Say its holy water But there’s something that they hiding Yea Something that they hiding

Chorus They pour it up and drink drink drink drink They pour it up and drink drink drink drink They don’t even think think think think They just pour it up and drink drink drink drink

Outro: Wade In the Water Wade In the Water Wade In the Water Wade In the Water Children Wade In the Water God’s gonna trouble the water

Wade In the Water Wade In the Water Wade In the Water Wade In the Water Children Wade In the Water God’s gonna trouble the water

Wade In the Water Wade In the Water Wade In the Water Wade In the Water Children Wade In the Water God’s gonna trouble the water

Wade In the Water Wade In the Water Children Wade In the Water God’s gonna trouble the water

Palette

  • #121C16

    Deep river

  • #355152

    Passage blue

  • #9D5618

    Wade blue

  • #778280

    Refracted

  • #CDD4D2

    Freedom light

Act III

The Return

She chooses to come back. Not dramatically — quietly. One decision. Moving.

  • The Return — reference image 1
  • The Return — reference image 2
  • The Return — reference image 3
  • The Return — reference image 4
  • The Return — reference image 5

Lighting

Transitional throughout — dawn colors, the first warmth returning, building to full presence by the end.

Act III09

Moving

  • Moving — reference image 1
  • Moving — reference image 2
  • Moving — reference image 3
  • Moving — reference image 4
  • Moving — reference image 5
  • Moving — reference image 6
  • Moving — reference image 7
“Quiet decision. After everything — she doesn't collapse. She moves.”

Stage note30 seconds of stillness after Holy Water. Then the many voices: "I see you. Come home."

Visual direction

The water imagery from Holy Water dissolves slowly. The room holds darkness for a breath. Then — a single line of warm light on the horizon of the walls. Like dawn. Like something returning.

As Moving builds, that line of light expands slowly — not rushing, not dramatic, just growing. Steady. The door from the Origin Film appears again — and for the first time, it's opening. Just barely. A sliver of light from the other side. The audience sees it before they consciously register it.

Motifs in play

  • Dawn line — horizon of warmth
  • Door — opening, a sliver
  • The many voices — whisper

Lighting note

A held breath of darkness. Then one line of warm horizon, growing.

View lyrics +

Greatness loading in me be patient with me I’m buffering No more playing small it’s too many of us suffering Humble what Humble who Bruh that’s who I used to be The insecure me died And you’re listening to her Eulogy Conveniently call me arrogant When they can use me Crazy how they finally see themselves when they lose me Always had some options I just had to learn to choose me And now your girl is choosy Going through the process And surrendered to the outcome Walking through my trauma cuz That’s the shit I can’t Outrun She say she better off without me Okay baby have fun Been tryna find a fuck but I don’t seem to have one Moving Moving On

Gotta keep moving life’s train a stopping Hopped in this bitch and I said what’s poppin If God really for me baby tell me who can stop me Walking in that glory so I’m feeling like I’m cocky If God be for me who can be against me I’m not who I was but I am more of me Lost a lot of people just to find my peace Yea I found my peace

Outro There is a version of me that has been burning to emerge She is when self love and authenticity become so intimate They conceive the reflection of God She knows depression but lives in Joy She feels anxiety, but leans into trust This version of me can thrive in chaos but surrounds herself with peace She is so cold that her words freezes over the hell that people have been living in This version of me, has been with God And now you are about to experience heaven on earth

Palette

  • #2F1A12

    Held dark

  • #56311F

    Pre-dawn

  • #8E4A23

    First plum

  • #C57833

    Horizon warmth

  • #E7B166

    Sliver from the other side

Act III10

Royalty

  • Royalty — reference image 1
  • Royalty — reference image 2
  • Royalty — reference image 3
  • Royalty — reference image 4
  • Royalty — reference image 5
  • Royalty — reference image 6
  • Royalty — reference image 7
“Jazzy, alive, vibey. The first thing she remembers is her worth.”

Visual direction

Color returns to the room fully — warm golds, deep jewel tones, the richness of something earned. Abstract imagery of crowns, thrones, abundance — but not literal, always symbolic and cinematic.

The room should feel like it just took a deep breath. Slow, luxurious movement of light. The audience has been in the dark for a while. Let them feel the warmth.

Motifs in play

  • Jewel tones — earned, not given

Lighting note

Full color return. Slow, luxurious movement.

Palette

  • #1B0D05

    Velvet dark

  • #3E200D

    Garnet

  • #673816

    Deep emerald

  • #9B602B

    Earned gold

  • #CDA46D

    Crown light

Act III11

Feeling Myself

  • Feeling Myself — reference image 1
  • Feeling Myself — reference image 2
  • Feeling Myself — reference image 3
  • Feeling Myself — reference image 4
  • Feeling Myself — reference image 5
  • Feeling Myself — reference image 6
  • Feeling Myself — reference image 7
“Jazzy, confident, self-loving. She sees herself clearly again for the first time in the show.”

Visual direction

The mirror returns — but transformed. In Act 2 it was fractured, multiplied, competing. Now it's whole. One clear reflection.

Light that flatters, that celebrates. Warm and cinematic. The kind of lighting that makes everyone in the room feel seen.

Motifs in play

  • Mirror — whole, clear (final)

Lighting note

Flattering, celebratory, warm. Everyone in the room feels seen.

View lyrics +

VERSE 1 I woke up today feel like that nigga Feeling like a god a 5’3 figure For a minute I forgot who I was so I had to reconfigure And Only thing that hate to see me coming is a mirror Ima do a double take Everytime Renewing my mind just opening my eyes Cuz I’m parking ticket fine baby Fresh off the lot You learn who you are When you learn what you’re not I been loving myself with intention Cuz low self esteem is way too expensive Niggas go broke for opinions But I bought some confidence Learned how to spend it I can’t be humble today Cuz I know that I’m her And I’m taking up space Look at this face Ouuu yea When God made me she had something to say Mmmmm

HOOK I look too good to be stressed This pretty little face ain’t a flex Woke up this morning I’m blessed Looked in the mirror said hellllllll yes I’m feeling myself today Mmm hmmm mmm hmm I’m feeling myself today Mmmm mhhh Mmmm mhhh

VERSE 2 I woke up like this Ooh god you so talented If I was ugly I would never know it Confidence so high When I walk into a room I be picking up jaws off the floor Relax I’m a mirror baby You see a reflection of you If I’m the shit Then you smelling you too Let it marinate Poppin out ain’t a choice baby it’s a trait I’m Cream of the crop and it’s my dna But can you blame me Only insecure people wanna change me Meanwhile other people tryna pay me This shit is crazy And amazing Yea it’s amazing So if you don’t like you baby I can not relate I’m a 1 of 1 couldn’t tell you how to imitate I’ma God body Supernatural in the dna Feeling my self so I sent a PSA

HOOK I look too good to be stressed This pretty little face ain’t a flex Woke up this morning I’m blessed Looked in the mirror said hellllllll yes I’m feeling myself today Mmm hmmm mmm hmm I’m feeling myself today Mmmm mhhh Mmmm mhhh

Palette

  • #201B1A

    Soft dark

  • #4F3025

    Cinematic bronze

  • #94482E

    Skin warmth

  • #C08554

    Flatter light

  • #E6D1B6

    Seen

Act III12

Been On It

  • Been On It — reference image 1
  • Been On It — reference image 2
  • Been On It — reference image 3
  • Been On It — reference image 4
  • Been On It — reference image 5
  • Been On It — reference image 6
  • Been On It — reference image 7
“Upbeat, fun, celebratory. The first song that asks the audience to just feel good.”

Visual direction

The room comes alive with energy — light pulsing with the beat, warm and electric. Abstract imagery of blooming, of things opening, of motion and momentum.

Not a club — still cinematic — but alive in a way the show hasn't been since Act 1. The audience should be on their feet by the end of this song if they aren't already.

Motifs in play

  • Blooming — things opening, momentum

Lighting note

Pulsing warm + electric. Cinematic, not club.

View lyrics +

Verse 1: They say your booty get big when you find peace That six pack start coming when you release Put myself first and unlocked the fine me I lost everything but thank God I found me I don’t force no more I attract what I need People come and people go And I release them w ease I got peace I paid a lot for it So Please don’t try spin the block Cuz I’m not for it Oh lord Teeth getting whiter cuz I smile more I been saying no and watching niggas frown more You need to relax Show you how to win when you coming from the back Yea you see me taking off now you wanna take me back Oh nah stand on business Eat your words Clear your plate Underestimating me was your number one mistake I’m great And an I’m great at it Everything I thought I needed I already had it

HOOK Baby I’m good Wouldn’t have it on any other way Okay Coming out side Tell your home girl to call me Finally taking off Yea I had to stop stalling Ask me where I been Baby girl I been on it Yea I been on it Ask me where I been Baby girl I been on it Yea I been on it Ask me where I been baby girl

Verse 2: I told you ghosting me was gone come back to haunt you But that’s okay baby I won’t even want you Playing with me is something that you won’t dooo I been like new phone who this I don’t know youuuuuu Elevation is contagious baby I can’t not contain it I been working on myself baby I can’t even fake it We from crying on the couch to Megan on the playlist Im a stallion baby They done let me out the stables Im nasty classy No more looking ashy Got through my depression Now I’m texting back sassy I’m kinda mascy but not masking If you don’t wanna know how I’m doing then Tell your mama stop asking Cuz yes I’m doing better and I’m looking better too I just Level up in silence is the best way to move Then I pop out like kung fu Kenny said it best Sometimes you gotta show niggas Do a little flex

HOOK Baby I’m good Wouldn’t have it on any other way Okay Coming out side Tell your home girl to call me Finally taking off Yea I had to stop stalling Ask me where I been Baby girl I been on it Yea I been on it Ask me where I been Baby girl I been on it Yea I been on it Ask me where I been baby girl

Outro: On it yea Uh huh yea I told you ghosting me would come back to haunt you But that’s okay cause baby I don’t even want you Girl I been On it on it on it Yea I told you ghosting me would come back to haunt you But that’s okay cause baby I don’t even want you

Palette

  • #08060A

    Pulse dark

  • #161818

    Bloom red

  • #4D2A1F

    Electric orange

  • #9E461C

    Open warm

  • #A69278

    Celebration light

Act III13

Gimmes

  • Gimmes — reference image 1
  • Gimmes — reference image 2
  • Gimmes — reference image 3
  • Gimmes — reference image 4
“Mid-tempo, vibey, certain. Everything that's rightfully hers — she wants it all.”

Visual direction

Imagery of abundance — golden light, open hands receiving instead of giving (the reversal of Unappreciated's imagery), expansive space. The room feels like it's expanding outward.

The door from the Origin Film is now fully open on the walls, warm light pouring through it. The audience sees the homecoming before the final songs name it.

Motifs in play

  • Hands — open, receiving (reversal)
  • Door — fully open, warm pour

Lighting note

Expansive gold. Warm light pouring through the open door.

View lyrics +

I got the gimmies Gimme my money Gimme some love And I want it plenty Give me a break cuz I give too much Now I got the gimmes Gimme a house that feel like a home Gimme some friend that won’t do me wrong Gimme some peace and some of that hope Man I got the gimmes

Yesterdays gone Tomorrows not promised There’s no better time like the present So gimme that joy that love that peace If I’m stuck on this earth then let’s make it like heaven So gimme a job that I love Where I’m not a slave And fuck it I’m keeping my taxes Give me a woman for president And a new country where I know they love all the black kids Gimme a bad bitch Who talk nice And love to rub my feet The one who never was up on the kitchen But damn she love to cook for me Yea gimme the one who never like too cook But she love to cook for me But still fight Yea that’s my type

Palette

  • #05161E

    Abundance dark

  • #113240

    Honey deep

  • #1D5665

    Pour gold

  • #249291

    Open warm

  • #7DA9AA

    Inheritance light

Act III14

God Shit

  • God Shit — reference image 1
  • God Shit — reference image 2
  • God Shit — reference image 3
  • God Shit — reference image 4
  • God Shit — reference image 5
“Slow R&B, ethereal, astral. She is a God acknowledging herself.”

Visual direction

This is the deliberate callback to the Origin Film. The cosmos returns — but different from Act 1. In the Origin Film she was being sent from it. Now she's standing in it consciously.

Same deep space imagery, same particle drift, same ancient frequencies in the walls — but she's at the center of it now, not departing from it. The audience's body remembers the beginning of the show. Their nervous system registers the return before their mind does.

Motifs in play

  • Cosmos — conscious, chosen (return)

Lighting note

The Origin cosmos, returned. She is at the center now.

View lyrics +

Hook: You know it’s funny how the tables turn People love to see you crash and burn Turn the ashes into lessons learned Wow Wow, I’m on my God Shit On my God Shit On my God Shit Wow Wow I’m on my God Shit Ouuuu ouuuu mmmhhhmm Wow wow I’m on my God shit

Verse Can I say god and shit If I’m honest bout shit? Cause I done been through shit You can smell the pain on me Life tried to leave a stain on me Yea depression tried to leave the chains on me Put me in the dirt and let the pain God Had to get it out the mud cause only God could have rained on me Now I’m juiced up like a fresh squeeze In the summer time w a fresh breeze And I’m too good don’t stress me And I learn well so don’t test me Went from drowning to walking on water From leaving your sons to cuffing your daughters I don’t gotta bother cause I understand That going through pain was a part of the plan But I had to fight for it had to cry for it Had to bleed for it had to die for it My pain was shaping my purpose And these dark times, yea I’m right for it Yea yea yea yea I found my synergy I got the energy Looking for God Saw she was the inner me Praying for hope She answered with inner peace Like ouuuuu

Hook: You know it’s funny how the tables turn People love to see you crash and burn Turn the ashes into lessons learned Wow Wow, I’m on my God Shit On my God Shit On my God Shit Wow Wow I’m on my God Shit Ouuuu ouuuu mmmhhhmm Wow wow I’m on my God shit

Palette

  • #0B0D0F

    Return cosmos

  • #343B3B

    Conscious indigo

  • #586865

    Particle warm

  • #89948A

    Door glow (returned)

  • #C5C8BA

    Held white

Act III15

Big Energy

  • Big Energy — reference image 1
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  • Big Energy — reference image 3
  • Big Energy — reference image 4
  • Big Energy — reference image 5
  • Big Energy — reference image 6
“Anthemic, building, no more playing small. The last wave before it breaks.”

Visual direction

Full Illuminarium power — every wall, floor and ceiling alive with light and motion. Warm and electric. The most visually intense moment of the show, but still cinematic — not a club, not a laser show.

More like a sunrise happening all around the audience simultaneously. Everything building toward Better.

Motifs in play

  • Sunrise — all around, simultaneous

Lighting note

Every surface alive. Cinematic sunrise, not a laser show.

View lyrics +

Intro: Look a lot of people want you to stop playing with them But to be honest you first gotta stop playing with yourself You gotta see yourself as a gift to this world You gotta know that you know that you know That with every fiber of your being That you that nigga and that bitch That you the shit even when your shit stank And That you big even when you try to shrink You gotta know that you’re monumental, Colossal You gotta know that you got big energy

Ay what I look like playing small as big as I am They say I think I’m that nigga that’s cuz really I am Man Stop playing with me Had to say that to myself My biggest win was remembered who the fuck I am That’s on God That’s on momma And my ancestors Every fall was just teaching me to stand better Now I’m a Stan for my better self Therapy up inside my music feel like some better help Now I walk around Never let the crown tilt though They say we living in the last days Baby this what I’m built for I’m the one yall sent for God heard y’all cries Then she hit my line Okay 10-4 Okay let’s go let’s go let’s go I got so much in my plate though Hungry for my best So I won’t let it go to waste though Beefing w my past that shit is cooked like my Stakes though Well done That’s what God said Couldn’t tell you where to find an l from it’s not an option a Woke up to the version of myself that I love the most These birds only want my bread so I let them watch me toast Cheers to the joy That just took over my body I just made 100 racks of what people call a hobby That’s that God body elevation Let watch my levitation They don’t understand the growth So they rather credit satan But I’m just saying I think I got some magic in my bones Royalty inside my DNA The world is just my throne Fuck a demon time Gods time is better If they can’t read the room then I’ll proudly write a letter Dear whoever You were made from dirt that has magic If there’s no space for you let em have You we’re made from greatness Your energy ain’t made for all these space Why you think I’m on this track spitting harder than some braces remember who you are and never change it You’re a living God so just learn to embrace it

Palette

  • #060607

    Sunrise dark

  • #1F1E23

    Horizon red

  • #434047

    Sunrise orange

  • #716F77

    Anthemic gold

  • #B2B4BA

    Cresting light

Act III16

Better

  • Better — reference image 1
  • Better — reference image 2
  • Better — reference image 3
  • Better — reference image 4
“Anthemic, closing, true. Not bitter. Better. Still becoming. Still moving. But better.”

Visual direction

As Better begins, the room starts to settle — from the full intensity of Big Energy into something more focused, more intimate. By the final chorus the walls show one image: the door from the Origin Film. Open. From the inside.

She's standing in the threshold — not arriving, not leaving. Home. The cosmic particles drift slow and warm around her. The room holds this image as the last note falls.

Motifs in play

  • Door — open, from the inside (final)
  • Threshold — home

Lighting note

Settles from intensity into intimacy. One image, held.

View lyrics +

VERSE 1 This the last time I let somebody steal my peace If you ain’t adding to the plate Shawty you won’t eat Don’t be acting like you know me When we don’t speak A lot of ppl come and go but it won’t be me You can’t break me I just take control of the environment Get them worked up and then I put them in retirement I wont lose sleep if you don’t have my Back Don’t you try to front w me cuz you can’t take that back Still God's child regardless if you like it or not I’ve been bussing out the seems cuz I don’t fit in your box Cuttting ppl out the picture Boy you might get cropped I don’t carry dead weight so you might get dropped Bringing it back to perspective I’ve been so reflective Had to guard my energy now I’m so protective I won’t waste time tryna prove myself I can’t please you so much that I lose myself I think it’s way past time I remove myself I done tried everything time to choose myself I don’t need your co-sign God did that when they threw another Lifeline Yea you know it’s [my time]

CHORUS I don’t get bitter I just get better I let ppl come and go like the weather Don’t sweat em I don’t even waste my energy I just cut them off from the team And they be like Oouu Oouu Oouu They be mad I’m making Move oouu ouuuves All up in they feelings like Oouu Oouu Oouu I don’t get bitter I just get better Then I make Room

VERSE 2: This the last time I ever dim my light to make you feel better Ppl try to silence you when they know they ain’t on your level I’ve been at the point where I don’t fight I just walk away I rather keep my peace Then try to beg somebody else to stay I used to fear abandonment Circles stayed big And insecurities were evident Everybody talking but they won’t address the elephant Really the room shawty nothing that you say is relevant You talking w no evidence I don’t get bitter bout it I just get better boundaries Ppl think you owe them something I don’t want them trolls around me I got two modes, Safety and fire And when I’m triggered I just load up And I Aim higher When you take L after L after L Every time you learn sum Every bridge is not for you Sometimes you gotta burn Some I don’t talk back I take names And watch how they get mad When you change Quick to shift the blame Yea you a itty bitty crab in the bucket huh Only time you see success is if you lucky huh You think somebody owe you something just for nothing huh Yes you the one that love to talk when you bluffing All I ever wanted was to focus on my own lane Ppl love to talk but they don’t never run they own race I’ve been taking off cuz I been focused on my own pace Ppl come and go and I just hit them em the The okay

CHORUS I don’t get bitter I just get better I let ppl come and go like the weather Don’t sweat em I don’t even waste my energy I just cut them off from the team And they be like Oouu Oouu Oouu They be mad I’m making Move oouu ouuuves All up in they feelings like Oouu Oouu Oouu I don’t get bitter I just get better Then I make Room

"Welcome home." — Lights down.

Palette

  • #0D070B

    Settled dark

  • #3F1C19

    Held copper

  • #773724

    Threshold warm

  • #C36434

    Home gold

  • #F2B970

    Last note

After17

The After Party

Begins as the DJ transitions the room from performance to social energy. This is where the return gets to be lived, not just witnessed.

  • The After Party — reference image 1
  • The After Party — reference image 2
  • The After Party — reference image 3
  • The After Party — reference image 4
  • The After Party — reference image 5
  • The After Party — reference image 6
  • The After Party — reference image 7
“Every desire, every reality, everything that I want, I have the power to create.”

Visual direction

The performance ends and the DJ picks the room back up — house music, vibe-first, no announcement needed, the energy just turns. Screens that once carried the Origin Film and the show visuals now loop flashes of the night itself: community photos, crowd footage, real moments from earlier in the evening playing back to the room that lived them.

This is the social hour — people connect with each other, revisit resources placed around the space, grab more drinks and light bites. Erica is present at her merch table, reachable, part of the room instead of above it. The energy is warm, unhurried, celebratory — the return completed and now being danced in.

Motifs in play

  • The circle — community gathered
  • The loop — tonight, played back
  • The table, again — merch + connection

Lighting note

Warm ambient wash across the room, dancefloor light in motion. No single spotlight — the light belongs to everyone now.

Palette

  • #2A1610

    Warm dusk

  • #C97A3D

    Royal amber

  • #E8A45C

    Feeling myself gold

  • #F2C48C

    Big energy light

  • #FBE4C4

    Afterglow

Visual motif guide

Six threads, three acts.

The throughlines that bind the show. The same image returns transformed — the audience's body recognizes the return before their mind does.

The Door

Origin Film — closed, glowing

Act II close — still closed, closer · Act III Moving — opening, sliver · Act III Gimmes — fully open · Act III Better — open, from the inside

Homecoming. Same door, different side.

The Mirror

Act II Unappreciated — single, faint

Act II Tug A War — fractured, multiplied · Act III Feeling Myself — whole, clear

Recognition. The self, reassembled.

The Cosmos

Origin Film — vast, ancient

Act III God Shit — conscious, chosen

She came from it. She returned to it.

Water

Act II Holy Water — grief, passage

Act III Moving — dissolving, freeing

Liberation. The passage out.

Hands

Act II Unappreciated — giving, empty

Act III Gimmes — open, receiving

From depletion to abundance.

The Many Voices

Origin Film — the assignment

Act III transition — "I see you. Come home."

The divine bookending the journey.

She stands in the light. She looks out.

“Welcome home.”

Lights down.

The Return · Illuminarium · Music for the Soul
— Erica Mason