India Arie skin lightening accusations not true, singer says

Fans of singer India Arie are unhappy with the cover image from her new single "Cocoa Butter." The problem? The image looks very different from how India Arie looks in real life. Particularly, the color of her skin is much lighter.

As the Huffington Post notes, this image is not a wise move for a singer known for promoting black beauty in hit songs like "Brown Skin"

More from GlobalPost: Indonesia: Searching for a face like Michael Jackson

Some have even accused the singer of lightening her skin, but sources told TMZ that the light skin is merely the product of a camera flash.

And on Twitter, the singer wrote: "i'm happy to say I have NOT BLEACHED my skin LOL! ROTF at the thought."

Will you support The World with a monthly donation?

We rely on support from listeners and readers like you to keep our stories free and accessible to all. Monthly gifts are particularly meaningful because they help us plan ahead and concentrate on the stories that matter. Will you consider donating $10/month, so we can continue bringing you The World?  Donations made between now and Dec. 31 will be matched 1:1. Thanks for investing in our work!