Synesthesia explained as Cynthia Erivo admits she has unique condition in new interview

Cynthia Erivo has revealed that she has something called synesthesia.

The condition isn't particularly rare but isn't common either, and it is thought to affect anywhere between one and four per cent of the population.

The Wicked star recently made the revelation during a roundtable interview for The Hollywood Reporter, which also included the likes of Jennifer Lawrence, Amanda Seyfried, and Laura Dern.

"I have synesthesia, so I see color with music," shared Erivo. No Hard Feelings favorite Lawrence then proceeded to sing a note and asked Erivo what color she saw, to which the answer was blue.

Other famous faces who have spoken out about experiencing the condition include Billie Eilish, Pharrell Williams, Lady Gaga, and Kanye West.

But what exactly is synesthesia, I hear you ask? Let us break it down for you...

Synesthesia explained

As per the Cleveland Clinic, the condition is 'a phenomenon that causes sensory crossovers, such as tasting colors or feeling sounds'.

"Synesthesia isn’t a disease or a medical condition, but it can be a symptom of certain brain-related conditions," the website adds.

There are supposedly different forms of the phenomenon, some examples being sight, hearing, and touch.

But it isn't as linear as just three different types of synesthesia, as supposedly, researchers have identified at least 60 different forms, while others have suggested there could be as many as 150.

What Erivo said of how she experiences synesthesia

"It's a very odd feeling," the actress continued to say of her condition. "I do a lot of symphony orchestras concerts, [and] when you hear a concert orchestra together they make a particular song and it hits me in the back of the head. It's very strange."

Erivo further explained that synesthesia is 'hard to describe' but insisted that it's a physical feeling she gets.

Lawrence proceeded to ask the Tony Award-winning star whether her synesthesia informs her on how she should sing a song, to which Erivo said 'no' - and stated that it's 'just an experience' for her.

What other celebs have said about the condition

Speaking back in 2021, Billie Eilish said that her synesthesia inspires a lot of her work.

"All of my videos for the most part have to do with synesthesia," she shared, via Nylon. "All of my artwork, everything I do live, all the colors for each song, it’s because those are the colors for those songs."

Elsewhere, according to Pharrell Williams, synesthesia isn't uncommon in the music industry.

He previously said on NPR's Morning Edition podcast: "First of all, let's dispel the connotation behind the phrase 'medical condition'.

"Most artists have it. It's no big deal. And there's a lot of people who are not necessarily — they're undiscovered artists, and they have it, too."