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Tuesday 7 April 2009

In conversation with Trey Songz

Posted by Tahirah


Last weekend I interviewed Trey Songz for SOULCULTURE.CO.UK

Here's an excerpt from the interview - read the rest HERE


It’s Sunday afternoon and Trey Songz is sipping tea. Having flown into London merely hours before, following a show in Amsterdam he gears up for the evening’s show he is due to headline at London’s Indig02 with J Holiday.

“From the time I come out to the time I leave the stage I try to make sure I connect with the fans, the audience is very much involved in the show and that [the fans] are happy,” he says on the subject of performing.

As he prepares for the release of his third studio album Ready, due mid-summer 2009, we discuss his debut release I Gotta Make It. The album saw Songz emerge on the market in 2005 and even featured a guest appearance from soul legend Aretha Franklin. The sales, however, were lacklustre.

“That was my first album so I didn’t know much about sales or radio play, or things of that nature so I think that album definitely as a stepping stone for me. As far my original fan base in concerned, as far as the image I was portraying, I think it was definitely an introduction of me to the world and the world to me so I take it as it is,” he says, optimistically pointing out that I Gotta Make It still gave him opportunity to provide for his family. “I think that album was great and I got a lot of my core fans from that. If people have that album it means they’re a definite Trey Songz fan.”

The album to follow this, Trey Day, released in late 2007, saw Songz developing a stronger sense of his musical identity, lessening the comparisons of his vocal arrangement and production style to early R. Kelly. “They still try every now and then!” Songz laughs, “But it’s cool; he’s definitely someone great to be compared to vocally… I definitely admire his vocal ability and song writing ability.”

Trey Day was more commercially successful and gained Songz his first Grammy nomination at the 2009 Grammy awards for “Can’t Help But Wait.” “With Trey Day the commercialism definitely picked up and I think up to date, this next album is more anticipated than any album I’ve done.”

Ready, due to be released 30th June stateside, will feature production from Songz’ original collaborator, Troy Taylor, as well as prominent names in the R&B production scene including Jermaine Dupri, Stargate, Sean Garrett and co-executive production by Johnta Austin.

......read the rest HERE

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