Real people are hard to find, difficult to discover, hard to uncover. So is real music. Lyrica Anderson – maybe the sexiest new R&B artist of the year – represents both. The LA-native has written chart-topping hits for Keri Hilson, Jennifer Hudson, and Demi Lovato to name a few but recently shifted focus to keeping her own singing career on our radars. Her newest mixtape “King Me 2” and its Ty$ assisted lead-single “UnFuck You” have the industry, the listeners, the internet, and the radio stations buzzing. Real sounds foreign when you haven’t heard real in a while. Lyrica has us all speaking her language. That’s real talk.
Written by Tone Swep
Read the Full Length Interview
(ToneSwep: TS) There’s this exciting, noticeable emergence of young R&B voices coming out of LA with you, Ty$, Jhene Aiko, RaVaughn, Sabi, Tinashe, and Tee Flii. What is driving the resurgence?
(Lyrica Anderson: Lyrica) I feel like this is what we’re missing. The best music was in the 90’s. And the world is craving that. Even stuff I didn’t play or hear back then, I hear it now and I’m like “wow this is amazing”. I think we all grew up in the 90’s, and we’re revisiting that time through our art. The cool thing that I noticed is there are so many lanes in R&B. Jagged Edge, Faith Evans, Aaliyah, and Sade were all in R&B at the same time making very different music. There is room for so many. You could have 50 young R&B artists and we all could be unique from each other and singing a different sound.
(TS) “UnFuck You” has quickly become an anthem for many. Why has it become so hot so fast? What do you attribute the widespread popularity to?
(Lyrica) I am thankful to God. I think everyone wishes they can Un-Love someone. I think what makes it an anthem is that guys and girls both feel that. Sometimes, as girls we give so much to a guy. Our tears, our time, ourselves, and then he turns away after getting what he wants. She’s heartbroken. Then with guys, sometimes girls start showing up out of the blue or trying to take advantage in ways, so he can relate to the song as well. Wish you could just Un-Love them. Wish you were never with them in the first place (Laughs!).
(TS) Your “King Me” mixtape was a warm up of what’s to come from your next project “King Me 2”, which is more of an EP. How will it differ from its predecessor?
(Lyrica) I feel like we really locked into the exact sound we wanted. With “King Me” we pushed the envelope well, tested some boundaries. With the next one we locked in all the way, and just openly talked about everything. I have a song called “Freakin’” with Wiz Khalifa. That single is dropping soon. And then a second single called “Can You Keep Up”.
(TS) As a songwriter and chart topping hit-maker for so many artists, what different place must you go to when creating classics for others?
(Lyrica) You just try to tap into them. If they have a certain sound, you go with that. Or if they have something specific they want to say. I find out who they are, discover them. And locking in and vibing with them is really important.
(TS) If you remade the Mary J and Method Man classic “All I Need”, what hip hop artist would you make it with? And why?
(Lyrica) I think Drake would be what’s up. And then (sings “All I Need”). I’m a really big fan of his work. I love his honesty. And I came really real on King Me, so it would be all honesty.
(TS) In life, our biggest setbacks often precede our biggest steps up. It’s a test of will. Games the devil likes to play. What’s a major test you passed of late? Something you didn’t let distract you from your overall goals.
(Lyrica) It’s really interesting that you ask me this. Right before our run for “King Me 2” started, right before we started dropping the singles, right before the “UnLove You” video dropped and the song took off at radio, all these things. And I was waiting on songs from like Keri Hilson and Jennifer Hudson to drop, and I got really, really sick. I was in the hospital and everything. I’d never been sick like that before. I didn’t know what may happen. But my mom kept reminding me that I was about to receive a huge blessing and that you have to go through this phase in order to receive the blessing.
(TS) With you, are people given the benefit of the doubt? Innocent until proven guilty or guilty until proven innocent?
(Lyrica) It should be guilty until proven innocent but… I give people a chance, so innocent until proven guilty. Unless I get a feeling, a bad vibe, about a person, I grant them the opportunity to show me who they are.
(TS) Music may be more important now than ever, as people are surrounded by tragedies and economic strife both here and abroad. With that said, do you feel obligated at all to make certain songs which speak to common struggles?
(Lyrica) Yeah, definitely. I have a record with YG called “You Can” and it is very encouraging. We’re reminding people they can make a way, find a way, out of their current circumstance if that situation is detrimental to them. It’s been proven so many people have done it. And one of my favorite songs ever is Tupac’s “Dear Mama” so encouraging people through my music is very important to me.
(TS) You were separated from your twin sister, when she passed tragically as a toddler. What dialogue, what conversations, do you two still share as you continue this spiritual journey through music?
(Lyrica) I feel like she speaks to me (reflects)… I speak to her too, through God. I do feel her presence. I feel like she whispers to me, and I feel her presence and spirit with me always. I need to speak to her more. We’re still close. We always will be. I love her always.
(TS) What is your advice to a woman who is dating Badu’s “Tyrone”, and he has your “Nikita” as his side chick?
(Lyrica) He’s terrible. Oh my God! (Laughs!). Get him out of here. I’d say: “Girl get him out of there! He’s the devil!” (Laughs!) He’s broke and doing all kinds of stupid stuff and cheating? No, he has to go immediately. I think you can give people second chances if they’re deserving. But they have to be truly, truly deserving. One thing I am is drama free. I don’t allow drama in my life.
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Watch Lyrica Anderson‘s “UnFuck You” {Official Video}
Download Lyrica Anderson‘s “KING ME” Mixtape
Purchase “UnFuck You” by Lyrica Anderson on iTunes
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