On August 4th, I stealthily released my first single “Lovin’ You” on all the digital platforms. Yes, that means you can stream it, download it, and use it in your YouTube videos and Facebook and Instagram stories. It’s all over the place!
Although “Lovin’ You” is a cover song, it still is very close to my heart. In a sonic landscape of singers belting and wailing, I didn’t think that my light, soprano voice would fit in. Then I heard her. Minnie Riperton. We’ve all heard “Lovin’ You” which is why I chose it as my first single. But what many don’t know is she has a rocking funky side that rivals other singers like Ann Wilson or Chaka Khan. Yet, her voice remains light, smooth, resonant.
That’s when I started to transition from art songs and arias to more jazz, funk, early rock’n’roll and R&B. Well, I never stopped singing art songs, which you’ll hear in my next single. It’s an adventure I’m glad started.
It also started my music producer journey. This single and the upcoming ones from my EP are all produced by me. The sound design, the arrangement, and playing is by yours truly. What a tour de force! And I haven’t stopped. There’s still a lot to learn, and every challenge is so exciting to take on.
Some of you who have been with me on this journey are probably saying, “Didn’t you do this last year?” Sort of.
Last year, I premiered my one woman show SELFIE: Making It About Me/A Minnie Riperton Cabaret Revue at the Hollywood Fringe Festival. There were plans to release an EP with five songs from the show, but the digital distributor that rhymes with “shmistroshmid” held it back because they couldn’t acquire the mechanical licenses. And they didn’t tell me until one week before my show. That made me really mad. So I scrapped the whole thing and thought I’d release it later when I could perform my show locally.
Then Coronavirus happened and all those house concert and cabaret plans fizzled. I was also really burnt out after birthing producing my first solo project.
It took me until now to feel like I had the emotional and mental energy to release and promote this and upcoming singles. I’m glad I waited because now you can get my best.
Please enjoy the single on your preferred streaming platforms, use it in your stories or on YouTube videos. There’s more to come, so watch this space!