R&B songbird Lyric has blossomed since the last time rolling out spoke with her. Her voice is a melody, her music has matured and her subject matter carries the depth of one who is experiencing life in real-time. She recently released a ’90s-inspired video for her song “Who Can I Run To.” Rolling out spoke with Lyric about her song, her video and a few songwriting tips.
What inspired the song “Who Can I Run to?”
I was going through a situation with a guy I thought was the one last summer and due to previous relationships, I was extra cautious, to the point where I felt like I was toxic. I found myself being clingy and having to explain my actions a lot. Crazy thing is, I wasn’t crazy! That whole situation affected me in a way that was different. I poured it into the track. Writing the song made me recognize a lot about me. It taught me to trust myself and that there are better ways of handling issues.
Talk about how the video came together.
I didn’t want to do a video. During a creative meeting with my team, they kept talking about how the song was a vibe and how it took them back to a familiar place. I started thinking about how much I connect with that vibe and how much that type of ’90s-inspired music shapes me to this day as an artist. I started talking to my team about how I wanted to represent the ’90s in every way possible — from my hair, to my attire, to the creation of the choreography.
What are your top three songwriting tips?
For me, it’s all about emotions and how you are feeling at that time. It’s funny. Don’t talk about me because I am definitely about to quote Duck from The Five Heartbeats: “Donald Duck Matthews will become a better writer when he suffers more.” That hits different now. I lost my dad to cancer [in] December of 2018. That changed me forever. As crippling as the pain is, it helps me dig deeper.
Unplug and feel what you need to feel.
Make sure the music speaks to you in some capacity.
Be authentic, even if it’s goofy or shocks you. Your art is you. Ain’t no faking that.
What are your thoughts on R&B?
R&B has always been the most heartfelt genre. People want to feel music so people are gravitating toward this style of music again.
What words do you have for those who are looking to follow their dreams?
Any dream can come to life if you put the work into it. Your dream should scare you, and you should keep in mind that a dream is planted from somewhere. That urge to do that thing is something we are born with and connected to, so never stop pushing no matter how it looks.
How can our audience keep up with you?
IG @Just.Lyric
FB: @LyricPowell-McCord
Twitter:@JustLyric_
website: www.JUSTLYRIC.com
Check out the video for “Who Can I Run To” after the jump.
