Chrisette Michele Payne is still relatively new to the music industry, considering that she released her debut album, I Am, in 2007. And who can ever forget Jay-Z’s introduction of the R&B singer with his single, “Lost Ones?” Her haunting vocals left us wanting more, with a vocal style reminiscent of some of the greatest female artists of all time, specifically Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald, Jill Scott and Erykah Badu.
Michele was born in Central Islip, N.Y., and grew up in the church where her father was a deacon and her mother was the choir director. She followed in her mother’s footsteps and cut her musical teeth by leading the gospel choir while in high school and went on to graduate with a degree in vocal performance. By then, she had developed a signature jazzy style, which made her highly sought after and she was invited to join some of the industry’s most established artist’s projects. She’s been featured on several hip-hop albums including Nas’ Hip Hop is Dead, Jay-Z’s Kingdom Come and most recently Rick Ross’ Teflon Don, on the single titled, “Aston Martin Music.” These projects among others made the pefect launching pad.
The recently buzzed beauty ended up snagging a Grammy in 2009 for Best Urban/ Alternative Performance for the song “Be OK.” But that wasn’t as much as a highlight as one would think. Michele intends to keep growing as an artist and work on perfect her craft. And the last few years have afforded her ample opportunity.
The outspoken singer says she’s recently found willpower and strength that she never realized that she had. Her current album, Let Freedom Reign is a reflection of those aforementioned attributes. It’s a new personal creed, as Michele has gone through a period of transformation and is discovering what truly matters — herself. She strongly identifies with the cut “I’m a Star” on the album. The song was written by Ne-Yo and it tells the story of someone going through a really tough time and coming out on top. “This song and album are all about having peace — no matter what you are going through, despite how fragile you’re feeling at the moment,” she relates.
Rolling out had the opportunity to get more details on the 27-year-old singer’s music and state of mind by getting up close and personal with her at her home in Los Angeles.
Let Freedom Reign is the name of your new album. What kind of freedom are you referring to?
The freedom I am referring to is about the freedom to make decisions from a loving place without wondering what anyone thinks or [if] anyone is going to judge you. So that is the freedom that I took the liberty to have on this album.
What was your mind-set when you created this album?
The mind-set was to get away from whoever had an opinion and just … go into a free space whether that’s going out and climbing a mountain or taking a trip to Rome, which I did, and just experiencing new things with no judgment. This album was a new experience with no judgment.
Do you consider your music to be a form of personal therapy?
My music is definitely a form of personal therapy and that’s a good and a bad thing. It’s a good thing when you’re talking about happy things, and it’s a bad thing when you’re talking about sad things … you have to leave it up to the listener to decipher what kind of space you were in.
What are some of the life lessons that you’ve learned since the release of your last album?
It’s been a very short period since I released the last album, but one of the life lessons I’ve learned — and this is from the heart of a singer, is that you don’t always have to wear your heart on your sleeve in public. Sometimes you can keep things to yourself. You don’t have to say everything and show everything, sometimes things are just for you.
