«There was a risk that I wouldn’t be able to sing anymore» — Antoinette Costa underwent a complex operation
Three years ago, the singer-songwriter was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Following surgery in July of last year, he published a new song titled «Crumbles (Soldiers Cry)».
Antoniette Costa was aware of a serious problem. In a recent interview, Costa, 39, tells PEOPLE, «I was losing a lot of weight without explanation, and I didn’t have energy to do daily tasks.» «I was unable to use an elliptical machine for more than three minutes. In addition, I was really anxious.»
And although it was considered that the gifted singer-songwriter should uncover a reason for her emotions, the 36-year-old chose to visit a physician instead.
Breakthru, Costa’s debut album, helped her break onto the music industry in 2006. «I actually went to see several doctors, and the third one suspected something was growing in my brain based on the blood work that was coming back,» Costa recalls. «Two days later, I got the brain MRI.»
Costa was initially sidetracked while in the MRI machine, but she was later motivated by the variety of noises the diagnostic device made. «I was really anxious, so I started focusing on the sounds and creating background vocals in my head,» Costa recalls. «It was serving as a distraction at the time.»
The jazz vocalist had no idea that the diversion would lead to the song «Pitupatter,» which is currently featured on her recently released album of the same name. «There is one line that people may think is about a guy that says, ‘You drown out every good sound with that big bad mouth,'» she writes. «I was actually talking to the machine.»
Still, that device was going to gather the information that would eventually reveal what Costa’s health issues were. «I was told I had a brain tumor growing in my brain, but that it was small enough that I could undergo treatment,» she recalls.
Costa’s body would suffer greatly for more than a year from the treatment, causing the Pennsylvania native to lose weight, experience mental shifts, and develop various eyesight problems. Costa recalls, «That’s when I decided to switch doctors and healthcare systems.» «I met with the new neurosurgeon, and he informed me that the treatment I was going through wasn’t working.»
The lump in Costa’s skull had really gotten seven times bigger than what the initial MRI revealed, not less. «The doctor told me there was a misread of the impression, and that I was a candidate for surgery,» she says gently. «I was actually a candidate for surgery for that whole year.»
Dr. Chandra Sen, a neurosurgeon at NYU Langone, operated on Costa in July 2023. Costa recalls, «I knew there was a risk that I wouldn’t be able to sing again.» Following the delicate surgery, Costa spent about a week in intensive care. «When you go into brain surgery, anytime you’re manipulating that part, you could hit something else.»
However, after a few months, Costa resumed singing. She explains, «I was just so absorbed in the music.» «I felt full of gratitude to God, and I was resolved to follow through on my commitment to release more music.
My goal would be accomplished even if only one person heard my songs and found solace in them. All I had to do was complete the procedure. That’s what sustained me.»
The lyrics she would write with Khari Mateen for songs like «Crumbles (Soldiers Cry),» whose music video debuted exclusively on PEOPLE, also resonated with her. «One of the lines of the song is ‘Hope crumbles at your feet, a spirit is freed,'» she continues. «The song really explores the freedom in letting go of the judgment of others.»
She had to live this way going forward because her perspective on life has completely changed.Regarding her future medical path, she states, «I will have to get blood work every six months and I will have to get the brain MRIs yearly for five to seven years.» «But today, I just feel like my normal self again.»
