Q&A: Halle Alice
IT'S BLACK BRITNEY, B*TCH - Halle Alice is the strong women of color who brings us the Pop and R&B fusion that we need. From Mid-City, Los Angeles, Halle Alice intends to learn from her predecessors and continue to deliver music that empowers the youth and other women of color while also making them dance.
With her singles "Kehlani" and "Boy Crazy", Halle Alice is off to a great start as one of the up and coming young women in the music industry. Read on to learn about her process, inspirations and more.
LUNA: How do you think expressing yourself via music differs from your other art forms?
HALLE: I wouldn’t say that they differ, I think that a lot of the stuff mentioned is intertwined. On the outside, I think it’s easy to look at me and think that I have a lot going on, but I just kind of feel like they’re one thing. And I think it’s more so because it’s all wrapped around a certain purpose. For me, music is different in the way that it’s a space where I feel and think the freest because I can say what I want to say on the track and I can review it and I can edit it, and structure messages in the way I want them to be received. It's one of the many beautiful art forms that I get to hold close to me. I also dance and so the music that I make is also the music that I feel moved by emotionally and physically, spiritually, mentally. All of these are important parts of my music and songwriting process, so yeah, it’s all intertwined.
LUNA: What was the creative process like for creating this project?
HALLE: I think the creative process for me has been fun! It’s been a very growing process, and it feels easy. But I think it feels easy because I like it. Although there are some times when I get overwhelmed and I’m just fortunate to have the team that I do because they constantly remind me of just how much is possible. The process has been collaborative, it’s been experimental, it’s been really authentic, really fun. The process has been collaborative, it’s been experimental, it’s been really authentic, really fun. It’s also been...long.
But that’s okay because one of my biggest takeaways from my experiences is patience. With all the things we’re trying to do and all the people we try to involve in my music and my journey, taking a step back at each turn and being able to reflect from one move to the next is the key that makes the difference in everything when it comes to music. Like, just taking the time to really think out. And I think that for me, patience and self-reflection are the things that are really going to push me forward and get me to where I need to go. Overall, I would just say it’s very exciting because at the end of the day I get to just do the things that I like to do! It’s really nice to bring my vision to life.
LUNA: Were there any artists in particular that shaped this EP?
HALLE: A lot of my stuff is influenced by old sounds when it comes to sound wise. I grew up in a very musical household, my grandpa’s a jazz musician, so a lot of my influences are a little bit retro. Artist wise, you can expect to hear influences like Lauryn Hill, Alicia Keys, Sade, Janet Jackson, Digable Planets. When I was younger I always wanted to be like the iconic 90’s superstar, like Brandy. She just got to be herself, and her branding was around her being herself, which is really important to me. I like Britney Spears too, I always said I wanted to be like the black Britney Spears. I feel like she got to do everything she wanted to.
There’s a lot of influences when it comes to the whole package, and the music that I grew up listening to is the stuff that influenced me as a person, that I learned from, and that I cherish and love. I’ve been told that I remind someone of Erykah Badu’s vibe, which is crazy and such a huge compliment for me. When I start putting a lot more stuff out and all these things start releasing, I want everyone to tell me who you think I sound like and who you think my influences are, because it’s always interesting as a songwriter to see how people view my music.
LUNA: From the first time you started experimenting with music to now what do you think the biggest change within yourself or your work has been?
HALLE: At my core, I know that over time I have learned how to better articulate what I really feel, and have allowed myself to become vulnerable. I’ve learned how to tap into the most real parts of myself and just becoming comfortable with that and not being afraid to let other people know the most real parts or trigger that part within other people that may connect them to how I feel. So all of my music is very personal. I love showing my music to people but sometimes I get anxious just because I’m like—this is really my business! It’s reflective, it’s telling
LUNA: What do you want people to take away from your music?
HALLE: I hope that people take away from my music that they can be themselves, that they can be fearless, that they can be vulnerable. And I hope that when people listen to my music they can get a 360 of situations. That it’s visual for them, and they can see how they feel and figure out if they relate. And if they relate, what does that mean? I know a lot of people may possibly not be into the deep stuff, the deep music, the real, soul-crunching, self- questioning real shit. But I think right now more than ever it’s very important to be self-aware and that they have fun! And that they shake their hips.
LUNA: You’re starting the year off strong! What do you want 2019 to hold in store for you?
HALLE: I don’t know I just want to have fun! I know that sound silly, but like I just wanna learn, I just want to connect, I just want to have fun as long as you’re having fun, you just won’t stop. So I just hope that this year brings light, I hope it brings even more healing, I hope it brings blessings to the people around me. I hope it brings just fun! Like if I can do stuff and just see people happy and dancing and just moving to my music. It’s just like damn...These people happy, and I did that! That’s nice! It’s just like a great feeling being able to do that when I perform live and people are just like so into it. And they almost separate themselves from their situations and they become just a crowd of people moving together and listening together. I wanna see more of that. I wanna see more love, more great things, that’s it.
