Today we’d like to introduce you to Soleille.
Hi Soleille, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m a Black Nöize artist from the DMV area, but my roots are in Cameroon & Nigeria. I have a huge family that’s spread out all over the world and a good chunk of them are in Houston, so I’ve spent some time out here. I’ve been making music and performing since I was seven years old. I originally wanted to be an actress. I was the kid in the conservatory summer camps, constantly going to auditions, trying to be a Disney kid. When I would get there, I would always be told that I had the “gift” but there would be some sort of politics involved. I would get discouraged often (I still do sometimes), but I knew that I was doing, and currently doing, is what I was put on this planet to do. When I got to college, I got a lot more serious about being not just a singer but an artist. I released my first EP, Tour Eiffel, in 2018. I feel like it was the perfect start to my journey in music.
Since then, I’ve been releasing a flurry of singles that range from R&B to drill to GoGo to French Pop & Afrobeats. I want my stand-out factor to be that I can make music, all kinds of music. If today, I want to sing about sex & heartbreak, and tomorrow I want to rap about life & societal injustices, I should be free to do that. I’m honestly excited for what’s next in life because it feels like we’re going through the Era of the Underdog and it’s my time.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I was literally born a fighter. I was born nine weeks premature with the umbilical cord wrapped around my neck with barely functioning lungs. The fact that I’m even alive and healthy speaks to God’s grace and my ability to overcome adversity. Growing up, I was a victim of bullying and it really distorted my self-image and overall love of self. I had to literally re-teach myself how to love myself. That’s so crazy to me. My spiral into self-hatred got so deep that I even attempted to take my own life. Three times. I thank God today that it didn’t work, but it was a different story back then. I’m a first-generation American of parents who immigrated here from Cameroon & Nigeria. Parents who ended up divorcing early in life and created a complex dynamic to be in the center of since then. I feel like I was put here to be a testimony. I go through turbulent times and tribulations so other people don’t have to. I often think I’m too wise for my own age sometimes, but that’s what life will do to you.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I like to define myself as a Black Nöize artist. To me, that phrase encapsulates all the sounds of Black music. When you begin to really do your research into the history of music, you soon realize that Black people essentially created music as we know it today. It’s an excuse for me to make any type of music under the sun, from R&B to Trap to Afrobeats to Gospel and more under the moniker “Black Nöize.” I think I’m most proud of the grind that I’ve been on for the second half of 2020. When the pandemic really started raging, it put a lot of moves I was making on halt. I was getting really low, but then I fasted and really got to recalibrate with my true purpose. That sent me on fire.
I came up with the idea that I was going to be consistently releasing music on a monthly basis from June 2020 to June 2021. Every record was gonna be different and better than the last. I was going to create distinct concepts around each release and keep going until something works. It was a dope idea at first, but 3-4 months in I started feeling the wear and tear of the constant grind. I started feeling the incremental wins too, so I kept going. Now six months in, I’ve gained 10K listeners across three platforms, I’ve been written about in 4 press outlets (with more on the way!), I released my first music video this year and there’s so much more to come. I’m just grateful for how far I’ve come and how far I have yet to go.
How do you think about happiness?
My family. I have a huge family with a million cousins and I love spending time with them. I feel like I laugh the hardest with them, the food tastes the best with them, and the vibe (no matter how chaotic) is always a time to remember. My family is my core. I pray for them every day. They’re a large chunk of the reason I go so hard in music. I want to make it so I can help my people make it. I want to create opportunities and set my family up for generational abundance. I have two younger siblings who I genuinely believe are super-geniuses. I want to make sure that their lives are fruitful and they really get to expand to the furthest of their imaginations.
Pricing:
- Songwriting Consultation – $75
- Background Vocals – $100
- Features – $250
- Songwriting Service – $300
- Live Performance – $600 + Travel
Contact Info:
- Email: soleillemusicmgmt@gmail.com
- Website: linktr.ee/Soleille
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/BonjourSoleille
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SOLEILLEMUSIC/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/BonjourSoleille
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCod3GKGQMRDGYwC9sB5X-nw
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/soleillemusique
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/73o3LZeXh17I8Qy6i0HpBH
Image Credits
Photographers: Lenzi Bazaar, Soleille, Lino Visuals and Trentity Thomas
