R&B singer Mariah. is making waves with her soulful sound and heartfelt lyrics. In this interview, she opens up about her musical journey and recent collaboration with singer Raheem DeVaughn.
I am so excited to do this interview. I listened to your collaboration with Raheem DeVaughn, and it was really dope. How did that song come about?
You know what? I was actually in my home studio one day, and I started writing the words. The original version of “Hold On Me” was actually called “Energy,” and the song actually talked about the direct opposite of when someone gives you positive energy. It actually talked about when someone takes energy from me. And so, I was like, you know what? Let me just make a video and use it as content. And something told me to tag Raheem in it. I tagged him, and he commented under the post and said, “This is the one.” We ended up communicating with each other, turning it into a love ballad. And here we are today with a song garnishing over 2 million streams and counting.
Yes, it is an amazing song. When did you first realize that you wanted to pursue music as a career?
I knew ever since I was three to four years old that music was my calling. Touching people’s hearts is a passion, but I knew that God placed a calling on my life to do music. I didn’t know when, and I didn’t know how. I just knew that it was going to happen. I definitely started in the church. I’m still very active in my local church, Pleasant Hill Baptist Church in Shreveport, Louisiana. I participated in talent shows, 4-H, and theater throughout high school and college. I just kind of kept that going. And I’m really thankful for each step because it really put together the pieces of who the Mariah brand is and how strong I can be, vocally.
Your stage name is Mariah, period. Correct? With another celebrity who has the same first name, why was it so important to you that you use your first name, nonetheless?
My great-grandmother’s name was Mariah Sadie Diggs. She was born in 1906. So, to me, it’s like I am honoring my great-grandmother. Although I have never met her, I’ve heard so many beautiful stories about her and how angelic her voice was. So, I think that I have become, in a sense, my ancestor’s wildest dream. I definitely wanted to keep the name, Mariah, even though there is another Mariah, and she’s doing great. And I’m so happy for all of her endeavors. It was important for me to keep that name because that name, in and of itself, is a namesake. The period at the end comes from my mother.
My mother, Sonia Hester, is actually an English professor. And I’ve learned in English that a period means that’s the end of a sentence. I wanted my name to be the beginning and the end. There’s nothing else but Mariah.
That’s definitely amazing. As you pursue this endeavor, what has been the most challenging part?
Honestly, for me, I am so driven to get to the next steppingstone. Sometimes, I have completely and entirely missed the moments when I should have stopped and smelled the roses. And I think I’m getting to that point now in my career that I’m forcing myself to say, “Look, Mariah, look where you are. Look what you’re being able to do. Look what you are accomplishing.” Stop and take the time not only to breathe but to relish in the moment because moments are fleeting. Those moments you will never get back again. You’ll never have that same feeling again. Stop, smell the roses, and thank God for those moments. Because once you have a grateful heart and you’re appreciative, God will open the windows of heaven for you. I’m definitely learning now in this stage of the game to just stop, breathe, and appreciate.
Let’s pivot a little bit and talk about your role as a singer-songwriter. How would you describe your creative process when it comes to writing new songs?
I would say that I’m very eclectic when it comes to songwriting. Sometimes, I’ll hear a beat, and I’ll write based on that. Sometimes, I’ll be jolted out of my sleep. I’ll hear chords. I’ll hear background vocals. And from there, I’ll have to get up and write that down, or I’ll get on my phone and sing the part out, so I won’t forget it. And then there are other periods of time where I call it a heavenly auditory download. I’ll sit for maybe five to ten minutes, and a whole song will be downloaded into my spirit. And from there, I am able to write it all out and plan it out, and it’s easy. But I never force a song to come to fruition. You know, if I have to wait some time for a second verse to come in, I want it to come naturally. I would definitely say eclectic.
In today’s market, social media is a big part of the success of so many artists. How do you balance using social media while maintaining your own personal life outside of your career?
The beautiful thing about social media and posting and things of the like is there are so many things that you can do to prepare yourself for the week. And I do that sometimes, especially like right now, I’m on my “Hold On Me” press tour. And sometimes you have to post, post, post, and go, go, go. There are things like scheduling posts. There are certain things that I plan to do with my social media. And there are so many other tidbits that you can do like combining social media accounts through metadata and different things like that. I’ve really become a student of the craft of social media because there’s definitely a science behind it. And it can definitely overwhelm and overtake you. But if you learn different tidbits, it can become very easy. I also have a small team, yet they are very resourceful and impactful. And that’s a big thing. A large team isn’t necessary to reach a wide audience. And so, with my team, they are there to assist me, and they help me with posting and didactics and different things like that. We just pull our heads together and we get stuff done.
When it comes to putting together a team, what are some of the qualities that you look for in deciding who joins and who doesn’t?
Connecting with someone who sees your brand and can see yourself in a bigger space is very important. If you connect yourself with someone who can only look from one perspective, you’ve connected yourself with someone you should not. I like to connect myself with people who can have what I call an aerial view. They can see from all different spaces. I definitely have that type of team. I have people I can trust with my brand and name, as your name is all you truly have. Your name precedes you in rooms that you haven’t even walked into yet. And so, connecting yourself with someone who is like you and who is better than you in a lot of ways can really catapult you as a person. I seek qualities like being God-fearing because I prioritize placing God first in all aspects of my brand and work. And that is my way of honoring him for allowing me to walk in the gift that I have. So, some of those qualities are definitely something that I look for.
Be’n Original
