Photoshoot / Interview
You have achieved so much at such a young age and are such an inspiration to so many young, aspiring artists. If you could tell the people looking up to you something or offer them a piece of advice you wish you could have told yourself when you were younger, what would it be?
Firstly, I need to start by saying how lucky I feel that I’m even considered an inspiration to others. That means a lot to me.
The only real advice I have for anyone else is the same advice I give to myself daily. Be brave enough to be yourself, be patient with yourself and the process of pursuing your dreams and keep going no matter what. My manager recently said to me “This won’t happen fast, and anything that happens fast won’t last”. Those words stuck with me and I remind myself of them when I’m feeling frustrated or discouraged.
Tell us about your current EP, “Younger Skin.” What was the inspiration and process behind the project?
The inspiration was to set the foundation for the rest of my career, honestly. I’ve been making music for a long time but I feel that “Younger Skin” is the true introduction to my artistry. I leaned heavily on my R&B roots for it and listened to a lot of my personal inspirations like Marvin Gaye, George Michael, Prince and Michael Jackson to set the tone. I also wanted to make sure the writing was honest and personal and told my story in a way that let people in on what this journey has been like for me and I think we accomplished that.
Which song from “Younger Skin” would you say is your favorite or which one are you most proud of?
It’s funny because I’ve been asked this question a few times now and in the past it’s been a different song every time. Lol
I’m honestly proud of the entire EP though so it’s very hard for me to single out one as my favorite anymore. It was such a labor of love and I poured so much of my heart into it. Listening through now it feels like every song needs the other to exist. They tell a complete story and each chapter is as important as the next.
Can you describe the inspiration behind your visualizers and music videos? “The Others” has a different vibe than “Again,” yet they both carry a cohesive aesthetic that highlights who you are artistically.
I truly have my creative team to thank for this. They came to me with visual concepts to accompany the music and we went from there. It was an exercise in trust for me! From the inception of this project it was important to me that I pushed myself and took risks, and a lot of their ideas were out of my comfort zone. That made them the right choice if I wanted to expand as an artist. The music video for “The Others” was the one that really pushed the limits for me. I’d never done a video that my face wasn’t shown in but it made perfect sense for the song. I’ve spoken before about having felt guided by my ancestors while making “The Others” and I feel the video is the perfect depiction of that.
What was your overall experience competing on The Voice and America’s Got Talent?
I had really good experiences on the shows. On a personal level I developed some long-lasting friendships and professionally I feel I’m still reaping certain benefits. Competing on them most definitely expanded my fanbase throughout the world and has granted me some of the most incredible experiences of my life so far. I will forever be grateful for my decision to audition for them and for the outpouring of love and support I’ve gotten from people across the globe as an outcome.
Did you enjoy collaborating with Aidan Laprete for “Younger Skin?” How important do you feel
it is for artists to find collaborators they can lean on when creating a project?
I love working with Aidan, He’s one of the most talented people I’ve ever met and he’s hilarious! We had so much fun creating “Younger Skin”. For me it’s imperative I have collaborators I can lean on, trust and bounce ideas off of while creating. The bulk of the EP was written by Aidan, Mischa Mandel and myself and it wouldn’t have been possible without them. I’m very grateful for them and their talent.
Who are your biggest inspirations both professionally and personally?
Growing up I listened, almost exclusively, to R&B music, so some of my biggest inspirations were artists like Anita Baker, Donny Hathaway, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, The Jackson 5…the list goes on and on. R&B was always being played in my house. Later I was heavily influenced by George Michael and Freddie Mercury and their incredible artistry.
Personally my Grandparents were always a huge inspiration for me. They showed me what having a dream, and steadfast determination does for a person. They built their own business from the ground up, as a black couple, in 1960’s middle America and never gave up, no matter what obstacles they faced. The lesson in perseverance their example taught me was/is invaluable.
How did the artwork for “Again” come about? The visualizers are beautiful and so aligned with the spirit of the song.
When we were planning the creative assets around the project we had visual references that included poppy flowers and our brilliant set designer Nelly hand crafted origami poppies for me to be surrounded by. Historically poppies represent rebirth and remembrance, and “Again” was the inception of my rebirth as an artist, while remembering my past. It felt perfectly aligned for the artwork. I think my ancestors were connecting everyone on set that day and with the visualizer you can see the joy on not only my face, but the faces of my entire creative team.
Do you enjoy living in Australia, what prompted you to move there, coming from Michigan?
I do enjoy living in Australia. It’s a beautiful country and there’s a certain ease to the way they live life that I like a lot.
I’m originally from Flint, Michigan but I’ve lived in New York, San Francisco, LA, London and now Sydney since moving away from Michigan many years ago. My husband is Australian and I primarily moved here to be with him, so I commute back to the states and Europe a lot for work.
Are you taking in the moment of “Younger Skin” being out there for the world or already thinking about the next project? If so, is there anything you can share about any upcoming projects?
It’s a bit of both really. Although it only took us a few weeks to write and record once we started, telling my story the way I did in “Younger Skin” had been years in the making. So, of course, I want to honor that for as long as possible but I’m also very eager to show different sides of my artistry. I have a few projects coming in 2023 that I’m very excited about. One is all dance music, under the name The Hyups, I have another solo project coming that I just recorded in LA and I’m also featured on a jazz album that will be out in time for European summer, so I’m looking forward to a big year!