Is an album without Stevie possible to be released?

[Karissa]

Honestly, as much the phrase "self care" squicks me out, I think that's a big part of it. I don't see Stevie as money-hungry-- I see her as realizing what makes her happy & what brings her joy. She's 68. She doesn't have time to live for other people-- especially ones that she feels (whether righteously or not) disrespect her artistic integrity. Stevie is taking care of herself. Working with LB takes an emotional & artistic toll on her-- as much as many of us love him. If she's realized she's given enough to FM & can't do it anymore (whether the reason is emotional, artistic, whatever), I respect her for standing up for herself. As someone who's worshipped FM since I was 3 years old, I want new music so much it hurts. And my first instinct was to be mad at Stevie. I have been all day. But I came around to wanting to trust her. She is raw. She is emotional & intense & sensitive. Despite her faults, she is quite self-aware. She knows what she can & can't emotionally handle. Personally, I can't fault her for protecting herself. I might not be happy with this, but I respect her & think I can wrap my mind around WHY she would do this.