Lachi Makes Being Yourself MAGNIFICENT
“Magnificent imagines what becomes possible when explanation is no longer the prerequisite for participation; when disabled artists can be funny, loud, complicated, joyful, political, experimental and proudly specific without first making themselves legible to a nondisabled audience.”
— Forbes
Lachi has made a children’s album with something to say—and plenty to sing, dance and fidget along to. Her debut family album, Magnificent, released through Platoon Kids and co-produced with Lucy Kalantari and Andrew & Polly, brings pop, hip-hop and global sounds together across 10 songs celebrating disability, neurodiversity, identity and the many different ways kids experience the world. The title track opens the door with a simple message: who you are is already worth celebrating. From there, “Fidget”—which has been massaively popular and was included in Ms. Rachel’s SiriusXM takeover—turns stimming into a full-on pop anthem, “Moves” celebrates bodies that move in all kinds of ways, and “Ask Me” encourages kids to replace assumptions about disability with curiosity and conversation. It’s educational without feeling like a lesson—and catchy enough that the grown-ups may find themselves singing along, too.
There’s a lot of fun packed into Magnificent, but there’s also real thought behind it. “Emoji of a Heart” celebrates communication and connection beyond spoken words, while the Spanglish “Soy Diferente” brings reggaeton energy to a song about proudly owning what makes you different. “Do I Count” answers one of childhood’s biggest questions with a reminder that everyone belongs, while “I Like Me” makes self-acceptance something worth singing out loud. By the time Lachi gets to the morning melody, “Barriers for Breakfast,” confidence is firmly on the menu. More than 70 collaborators contributed to the project, including 123 Andrés, Alphabet Rockers, Mega Ran, Lisa Loeb, Matthew Whitaker, Raul Midón, Mandy Harvey and Divinity Roxx, with many of the participating artists and creators bringing their own lived experiences of disability and neurodivergence to the music. Even the album’s coloring-book liner notes and song-specific emojis extend the invitation to play, explore and join the conversation.
Lachi is an award-winning recording artist, author and Disability Culture advocate whose work brings music, storytelling and accessibility together. Born legally blind and drawing in part from her own experiences growing up with vision loss and ADHD, she founded the U.N.-recognized RAMPD, an organization working toward greater inclusion of creators and professionals with disabilities throughout the music industry. Her work also includes the PBS series Renegades, her book I Identify as Blind and co-production of the GRAMMY®-nominated album The Colors in My Mind. Lachi’s Magnificent Curriculum has been embraced by educators across the country. Named a USA Today Woman of the Year and recognized on the Forbes Accessibility 200 list, Lachi has spent her career making space for disability culture to be seen and heard. With Magnificent, she’s starting that conversation with some of the most important listeners of all: kids—and reminding them that different isn’t something to hide. It’s something to turn up.
For more information on Lachi and Magnificent, visit lachimusic.com.
REVIEWS
"More than seventy collaborators have contributed to this wonderful medley of original songs designed to teach listeners about disability, from the open-hearted track "Ask Me" to tracks like "I Like Me" that foster self-confidence. Magnificent is upbeat, catchy, educational, and highly recommended for family, school library, and public library children's music collections."
—Midwest Book Review
"Fidget was featured in Music&Fashion - "Lachi turns self-expression and neurodiversity into an empowering pop anthem with “Fidget,” the lead single from her upcoming children’s album Magnificent...With its playful production and affirming message, “Fidget” offers an uplifting listening experience for both children and adults."
—Kate Federizo, Music & Fashion
“...a force of nature...Her music communicates both the traumas and triumphs of her individual life as well as being, simply, so much fun.”
—Hypebot
“Lachi is a living declaration.”
—Service 95
“music that assumes they already belong”
—Forbes
