Erika Fatale an upcoming beautiful songstress was kind enough to answer six exclusive questions with us along with an amazing video shout-out! Erika Fatale is an amazingly talented songwriter/singer/dancer who loves Beyonce, is currently into Adele's album, & Whitney Houston is her main inspiration. Also, if you like Britney Spears, so does Erika & she has seen Britney in concert multiple times! This girl will be huge one day, and that is a promise. Erika I know your reading, so thanks once again for your time!
Q - Describe your sound, aka the vibe coming from your music?
A - I would say my sound is best described as pop/r&b/soul. Going into recording this demo, I knew I wanted the songs to have a mainstream pop feel, but also have flavors from all my different influences. I grew up in Chicago, one of the soul, gospel and blues capitals of the world so I’m heavily influenced by those genres. No matter what I’m singing, I can’t help but have that soul come through! The demo is a conglomeration of everything I love: the big diva voices such as Whitney Houston who was my idol growing up, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, but still very pop with fresh synth sounds and even experimentation into a more pop/dance style which was new for me. My voice is very loud and powerful, that’s for sure and I wanted that to personify the bold, empowered, and confident messages in my music. I want my music to encourage people to stand up for themselves, what they want, and what they believe in.
Q - What artist would you like to work with in the future?
A - Like I said, Whitney Houston was my idol as a child (still is!). I feel like she was pretty much my voice teacher growing up, as I would listen to her music over and over and try to replicate her technique. I got my start singing Whitney Houston songs for talent competitions. If I had the opportunity to sing with her one day, I could die happy. I also think Beyonce is the queen as far as female pop artists right now. She’s definitely at the top of her game and someone I aspire to be like so getting the opportunity to work with her would be incredible.
Q - Your fan favorite "Femme Fatale" is also the name of Britney Spears's 7th studio album, are you a fan of Britney? If so, what's your favorite Britney track?
A - Yes I’m a big Britney fan and have been since the beginning. I’ve seen her in concert many times and she puts on amazing shows. My favorite Britney song I think would have to be “Toxic.” That seductive, darker vibe is obviously something I love with my song “Femme Fatale” being in that same vein.
Q - What artist do you like listening too when your not making your own music?
A - Right now I’m loving the new Adele album. She’s a girl after my own heart with the pop/soul vibe of her album and she has a great voice. I listen to a lot of James Morrison too who isn’t so big here in the US but I love both of his albums. He has a really unique soulful voice and great melodies and lyrics. I’ve also been listening to a lot of Michael Jackson lately who of course is the King!
Q - What is your favorite song of yours?
A - I feel like it changes every day but I would say my favorite is “Femme Fatale.” It’s the one I’m most proud of since it was the first song I wrote. I was really influenced by the idea of Femme Fatales during the recording of this demo because to me a femme fatale signifies a woman who is sexy, confident, smart, glamorous and mysterious. She knows who she is, what she wants, and how to get it. That’s how I feel at this current stage in my life taking on the music business and trying to make it. I know what I want and I’m slowly but surely making it happen despite the odds being against me. I want to inspire others to follow their passions in the same way despite what others think or say. A femme fatale is very aggressive in getting what she wants but she’s always classy and fabulous!
Q - Who inspires you in the music world the most?
A - I think Beyonce is doing an incredible job. She’s someone that seems to work incredibly hard to always be the best that she can be, has a great work ethic and business sense, and puts on amazing shows. That hard work, determination (and talent of course!) is inspiring to me as I climb that ladder to eventually reach the level that she is at now.
