On Friday (Aug. 4), Halle dropped off her debut solo single, “Angel,” a piano-driven number that was produced by Theron “Neffu” Feemster. The ballad gives listeners the singer’s perspective on life, including the ups and downs of being in the public eye as a Black woman.

“Some might hate and they wait on your fall, they don’t know there’s a grace for it all, my flaws don’t make me, beautiful and real are you, they cannot compare, all you, perfectly a masterpiece in all of me, even my scars, even my scars, yeah, Black girl here, Black girl with the Black girl hair, took a little sun kiss just to look like this, God-sent, you’re an angel…”

The accompanying clip comes courtesy of Wendy Morgan and begins with a shot of Halle alone in darkness. She is then seen in a much more colorful setting with a crew of dancers around her. Footage of Halle as a young girl is shown at the end.

“This song for me is so very special and near and dear to my heart,” explained Halle about the track via press release. “With everything I’ve gone through the past three, four years, suddenly finding myself in this bubble of all these eyes and new opinions, it was easy for me to feel doubt in myself and who I was. This song, for me, was my climb out of those feelings, a mantra and promise to myself that the work I’m doing here on Earth matters and that I matter.”

She continued, “I wanted to be able to embrace and be proud of myself and who I am naturally through and through. I hope other brown and Black girls, and everyone in general feel embraced, respected, and inspired hearing the words of this song.”

Press play on Halle‘s “Angel” video below.