4:33 - An R&B Voisey Mixtape

Since this is my first official blog post on my site I feel as if I should say something witty, engaging or overall interesting.

But if you know me, you’re here and interested so let’s go. :)

THANK GOD FOR VOISEY.

I mean that sincerely. I haven’t been able to be committed to being creative ever since I came back from living in Japan. Being entrenched in an artistic community left me inspired daily. I made music, performed concerts, jammed with friends it was a Ni-hon-Bohemian paradise. Coming back home and figuring out life post USJ was an experiment in self maintaining I’m still trying to complete.

During this pandemic-y quarantine, I was forced to sit STILL. Not a hard concept for me, I’m an introvert by trade. Yet and still, the extra time off-stage allowed me to hit that reset button on my inspiration and see what songs I had left in me. Thanks to a suggestion from my friend and DVA brother Manny, I’ve started to compile some of the 50+ songs I’ve made during this time into a few “Voisey mix tapes” with the hopes of expanding on a few of them and positioning myself into making another EP. Voisey is an app that allows creators to post tracks and vocals and collab with each other to share music. The tracks themselves are no longer that 1:00 long with a variety of styles to choose from.

That being said, presenting to you my wonderful friends and fans: 4:33 - An R&B Voisey Mixtape

I titled it 4:33 because that’s the exact total time of the mix tape. No more, no less.

I noticed after putting these tracks together that all but one of these songs is centered on relationships and attraction (or the lack thereof). I almost panicked and considered switching out a few songs mostly because the mix tape I released the previous week had a similar theme. After finishing silver in the mental gymnastics competition in my head, I realized all of these songs fit under the “"R&B” umbrella (a style apparently I’m unconsciously catered towards) and decided to make this collection an R&B focused.

I’m also in a season of change. From quarantine and furlough to leaving a relationship and discovering my values both as an entertainer and a lover, these snippet songs have a special connection to me and my evolution. If you’ve read this far and are interested in a breakdown of these songs or my process as a writer, feel free to read on! If not that’s okay too I love you lets hang out soon. ;)

LOVE U DOWN
You can play this song at the top of the post. This track is actually one of my favorites. My ex had curls for days. I’m talking play in them for hours kind of curls. He would catch me staring every so often, and I would deny it. But I loved the way he loved those curls. I saw the joy and I wanted in. I love how this beat rocks. The video was inspired by my sister Seja (DVA!) check out her Instagram and you’ll get what I mean (she’s also a SICK vocalist too get on that).

RUNNING
I wrote this one on my birthday! My buddy Jared posted a #runninchallenge and left 8 bars open for bars/vocals. I teamed up with him before and I respect his flow a lot. Very Timberlake/Usher organic delivery. I used to wear the 8701 album out as a kid so i definitely was channeling some “I Cant Let You Go vibes while writing.

LIGHTNING
I watch a lot of Anime. Right now I’m about 500+ episodes deep in One Piece (what else am I gonna do in quarantine?). Halfway throughout the Skypeia arc and hearing Enel laugh for about the 300th time, I thought about how having lightning powers would be the absolute best. Don’t say you’ve never thought about it. I also thought about how fast and powerful lightning is. You get the warning from thunder, but it always surprises you. Can blind you if you’re not careful and no matter how much you chase it, you can’t catch lightning. Anyway this song was inspired by anime. :)

UBER
Second favorite. Originally this song was called “Taxi” when I wrote it. But it’s 2020 and Taxi’s are expensive. Go with the times. I wrote this excitedly before going to visit my ex in Japan. Long distance creates and destroys. I remember the vibrating feeling penning this down. Unfortunately, the producer who made the beat took it down off the app so I can no longer share/edit/remix this track how I want but it’s still one of my favorites. The original unmixed longer version is available on my Soundcloud (under its original name :) )

THE LAST TIME
At first draft, I wasn’t excited about this song. I wrote it to another track and thought about giving it to one of my DVA sisters. The wording to me didn’t scream "secure” or “stable in loneliness” (even though some days are harder than others). There’s power in words though, and I’m not stable (though I project that I am). This song -as a friend put it - is full of mixed messages and I love it. I love the confusion, I feed off the longing and disgust. I want you but I don’t. (Changing the track didn’t hurt either that cymbal and sustained chord at the beginning did something to me)

DANGEROUS
I’ve mentioned DVA before but didn’t really explain what it is. Oops. More of a family than a community, a bunch of Voisey artists found each other early on and we started collaborating, bouncing ideas off each other and created a brand on the app. We started coming out with challenges and this was one of our more successful ones. Dubbed the #DVAMovieChallenge, everyone who participated was required to pick a movie they love and write a theme song to it. I absolutely love Cruel Intentions (SMG practically shaped my teenage years), so I wrote a The Weekend style song with elements from the movie sprinkled in. This track challenged me especially because I love stacked harmonies. I wanted the eeriness, and sexual tension to be inappropriately right in your face.

FROZEN
Working and living in Orlando, I have the opportunity to sing with some pretty amazing vocalists in a few different performing groups. I tweaked this song collectively with True Legacy and Shy Foster who wrote it originally as it was intended for another purpose. These guys are truly talented and I miss working with them on the regular. Though we haven’t released the full song yet I’m hopeful.

There you go! A little insight to the enigma that is my writing process. I’m still growing and questioning my artistry daily. I’m enjoying getting to know me again through music and I’m grateful to Voisey for creating a space for people to express themselves freely. It couldn’t have come at a better time.

As Whitney Houston from GOT2BReal says, “Thank YOU for listening. Thank ME for speaking. I love you.”

(Check out my other mix tape: “Over: A Voisey Mixtape” here).

-W