This interview originally appeared on EARSTYLE June 29th, 2011
Earlier today we had the pleasure to speak to the talented and beautiful K. Michelle. Unfortunately, the audio did not record so we decided to take some of the notes we had typed throughout the interview and write up a little article based around the interview. This girl is hungry and is ready to really do her thing! Find out what K. Michelle has to say about her current label situation, her delayed debut album, and more!
You may think you know K. Michelle, but you probably don’t. The Memphis, Tennessee born singer isn’t any ones manufactured R&B singer. In fact, when we asked K. Michelle how would she describe her sound she made it known that she could not be forced in a category, not even the R&B/Soul one Jive Records has tried to categorize her into.
When you come across a blog about K. Michelle you usually see the names Keyshia Cole and Mary J. Blige. While many would be flattered by the comparisons, K. Michelle insists that she is frustrated with the comparisons and wants to just be K. Michelle. The singer and songwriter signed to Jive back in 2008. When we asked her about her journey she said, “There have been a lot of ups and downs. I really want to leave Jive”. Not many artists are upfront about their label situations especially while they are still signed to the label, but that’s exactly what makes K. Michelle different from your average singer. “I didn’t have a website for two years” expressed K. Michelle, “I just want to have more control.” We asked her if she would take an indie route to fully take control of her career, but she says that she would just like to sign to another label that will fully support her artistry and career. Just today K. Michelle was wrapping up a viral video for a new track and told us she was planning on buying a video camera to become more involved in every aspect of her career. This girl is serious.
K. Michelle is currently prepping a new mixtape to be released this summer. One of the tracks that have leaked is a medley where she dedicated Trey Songz’s “Unusual” to Lupe on a very straightforward track. “I love Lupe. I’m going to marry him,” joked K. Michelle. Many of her fans fell in love with the singer with tracks like her R&B power ballads “Fallin’” and “I Just Can’t Do This”, but according to the singer she didn’t even grow up listening to R&B. “I’m a country girl. That’s one of the things I grew up listening to.” Those singles were taken from her oft-delayed solo debut album Pain Medicine. With many mixtapes of incredible music you would think the album would have dropped by now, but it hasn’t. “What I’ll probably do is just give that to the fans for free without the label. I haven’t told that to anyone else so this is an exclusive for you.” Sounds good to us.
Although the singer is still working on getting out of her Jive recording deal she is already looking pass the struggles and is working on a second album, one that is more K. Michelle. So far she has worked with her mentor R. Kelly and plans to also record with Pink and Trina for the record. According to K. Michelle we haven’t heard the best of K. Michelle yet. We’re definitely interested in truly discovering the real artist and rebel K. Michelle.
K. Michelle you may not feel the love, but there’s plenty of love waiting for you. Keep fighting!
