“Pushing it away [music] never worked because music always found its way back to me. I believe that whatever is meant to be yours will always be yours, and I know it is part of my life path and purpose”.
We caught up with Miami based singer-songwriter Soleil prior to her highly anticipated release “Whose Side?”. A single co-produced with Aston Marton. She explains how the back and forth uptempo and downtempo nature of the song seeks to elicit various emotions/interpretations from her listeners! Noting that the essence of her latest release is a choice of moving forward in a relationship to make it work, and in doing so choosing to embrace all layers and versions of a person; and the common self vs self battle!
First Performance
Soleil early steps into the music industry began at the early age of 5, where she embarked on her first performance. “I sang Twinkle Twinkle Little Star on the ledge of the fireplace in the Yonkers, New York home I grew up in”, she explains.. This shortly followed with being introduced to piano and vocal lessons through her father [a bass player] and mother, a music lover. The artist highlights how snging has always been her number one passion since her childhood. Having been in the professional entertainment scene since 2013, gigging in various cover bands. She explains that she pursued this path as her love lies in singing, making music and expressing herself. Noting how there have been times in her life that she has tried to push music away when she was working corporate jobs.
Describing her music as soul-infused R&B fusion, Soleil’s vocals are deep and expressive, a rich blend
of soul, blues, and jazz. For the artist, accents of R&B, gospel, funk and hip-hop styles create a modern sound and vocal identity. With a tone that is idenfiable by its warm and sultry sound, the artist’s writing and melodic styles are extremely versatile. She explains how she enjoys experimenting with a her music. With particular interest in vocal production, Soleil feels her range, vocal delivery, lyrics, and harmonic experimentation enable her to create music that stands out. For the artist, music is art, and art is supposed to make you feel something, she goes onto highlight. With the goal of putting forward lyrics and melodies that is authentic to the listener at the time of hearing her music.
Building Blocks
The artist gives both of her parents credit for encouraging her to follow her passion for music at a young age. She highlights how they came to all of her school concerts and assemblies, from elementary school to college, to gigs and shows that she has done in recent years. “I have a great group of friends, creatives, and an advisor who love to support me in my creative pursuits. I also have to give myself some credit here because until last year, I didn’t fully trust myself or accept myself fully as an artist”. She goes onto highlight how once the pandemic hit, she finally trusted herself to surrender to what she was most passionate about, which is music.
The artist opens up about being on antidepressants for 4 years, from 2009-2012. Explaining how she was always a big girl growing up, she highlights how she was bullied for being obese and had terribly low self- esteem, allowing toxic relationships, and lack of self-love, self-care, spirituality, and emotional 
intelligence which contributed to her depression and anxiety. A turning point subsquently took place when the artist decided to change her lifesyle and maintain a weight loss, healthy lifestyle, with good exercise habits and self care. Soleil explains how in addition to this finding a musical team is extremely important in finding the right alignment.
Achieving a Vision
Referencing Amy Winehouse as one her biggest inspirations, Soleil points out how navigating the music industry is a continuous journey. From networking to learning from others. Each has their own challenges and equal rewards. She highlights how the biggest challenge for her was learning how to break into the music industry and gain exposure. Making a point of noting that there is no right or prescribed way for an artist to break. However, there equally so many ways for artists to become popular!
Soleil is current releasing the video for ‘Whose Side?’ by the end of February and has plans for music releases every month moving forward in 2021! #watchthisspace
