Interview: RnB Singer-Songwriter Melody Discusses Her Debut Single/Video "Dancing With a Stranger"
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“...I want to open everyone’s eyes to the music industry’s void of inclusivity. I love empowering others, and I feel it’s something that is lacking in Middle Eastern representation.”
We're huge fans of your debut single/video, "Dancing With A Stranger"; how did you connect with its producer S.L.M.N and Maurice Moore, who is featured on the track?
It was all fate. Proper timing and meeting that one person who ultimately believed in my craft changed my whole life--my manager Moaaz. I had reached out to S.L.M.N previously, and he was busy at the time; many producers pre-covid were busy or did not want to risk giving me a chance.
Those who would give me an opportunity did not take my craft seriously as an artist-- they would either take advantage of me financially or try to break that work boundary since I would always go to sessions alone. It was a struggle for three years; I remember crying to sleep on my mini studio floor. It took a toll on my mental health, so I decided to take a break and complete my University.
During my time off, I met Moaaz, who showed a lot of interest in my craft and motivated me to do more. He was so different from anyone that I've ever met. To this day, my life feels so incomplete without him. I had many unfinished projects, and Moaaz reached out to about 50 producers and out of those, S.L.M.N was the only one that cared. We scratched out those unfinished unusable projects and started fresh.
To this day, I feel so grateful and remind myself how lucky I am to have had this happen to me. Once we did the songwriting session, we had initially wanted Eric Bellinger on the track; he was busy at the time. After doing some research of my own, I came across Maurice Moore and reached out to him. He loved the track and recorded his part in Los Angeles.
The visual is the perfect accompaniment to the song; how did you and its director come up with its treatment?
Initially, the video's treatment was different; it was nice, but I felt it was not authentic to my brand. Because of this, Brian Gregory, Ardalan Fattahi and I met up a few days before the shoot to exchange ideas. After talking to each other, we decided to change up the direction of the music video. I always try to incorporate a bit of who I am as an artist. So we included a Kurdish scarf as well for one of my tops, which Banks styled.
Tell us about your transition from beauty pageant contestant to R&B songstress; was it a difficult decision to walk away from pageants?
The night I was auditioning for talent in Miss Canada finales, I stumbled on the words I was singing. I felt so anxious, which was strange because I have performed a lot and always felt in my FLOW. That night I started questioning why I was doing the competition. I felt like I was not doing what I was supposed to be doing. The same night I thanked the director and packed all my bags, and left.
With "Dancing With A Stranger" now released, what next can we expect from you musically?
We have some new projects which we will be releasing soon and that I cannot talk about in detail just yet. But, I want to open everyone's eyes to the music industry's void of inclusivity. I love empowering others, and I feel it's something that is lacking in Middle Eastern representation.
What motivated you to create your own record label Scorpion Melody Inc, and what are some of your goals with this corporation?
I mainly created Scorpion Melody because I told myself if no one's going to take me seriously, I might as well take myself seriously. I love challenges, and I always try to break out of whatever box society tries to place me in. I choose Scorpion as part of my corporation because my birthday is in November, and growing up, I would read a lot of horoscopes. I usually keep all my manifestations to myself until they become a reality. One of my manifestations that came true is receiving an opportunity, which I am forever grateful for.
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