[dropcap letter=”C”]hicago based R&B artist Ré Alissa has a sound and visual aesthetic reminiscent of the 90s era. Her passion for building connections and her drive towards musical ascension is reflected in the melodic sounds of her latest EP Rétrospect.
With 2 EPs and a collaboration with American singer and songwriter Bootsy Collins under her belt, Ré Alissa is making a name for herself beyond the local level. Tune into a playlist curated by the natural talent herself and read her story below.
Tell us about your musical background.
I come from a very musical family. I’ve been singing, playing instruments, and writing songs since I was seven years old. I actually play seven instruments: keys, guitar, bass guitar, sax, clarinet, trumpet and drums. It wasn’t until after my mom passed away in 2013, my freshman year of high school, that I began to actually pursue music as a career. I started performing as an actual artist with original songs and it has brought me so far. By the time I graduated high school in 2017, I released my first project entitled Ré. Since then I’ve done so much. From being recognized by the late JuiceWrld for my rendition of one of his songs, to getting to record in studio with Bootsy Collins and singing for Babyface and Toni Braxton with a student group from my school, Indiana University Bloomington. It’s really crazy.
Tell us about the mix you curated. Does it give off a type of mood? What should we be doing while listening in?
This playlist is a combination of some of my favorite songs by artists that influence me and have played an essential role in my life at some point. Similarly to my style of music, these songs are all over the place as far as vibes. I encourage you to go on a car ride, throw this playlist on shuffle and just see where each song takes you and how they make you feel. Some of them might become your favorites or become significant to your life as well. I promise it’ll be an experience!
What groups/artists are killing the game right now?
The music industry right now has some crazy talent. As far as R&B, H.E.R and Summer Walker are holding it down. There are no rappers that really catch my attention right now besides Young M.A, but Lizzo has the pop game on lock, and Anderson .Paak is just dope.
Tell me about your past and current music projects.
Growing up, I was more focused on playing a bunch of instruments rather than being an actual artist. It wasn’t until high school that I started taking that seriously. My senior year of high school I released my first project, a small EP called Ré. Then I spent a lot of time just putting out singles and building my connections and brand as an artist, which was an amazing idea. Then recently, I just released my new EP Rétrospect, surrounding the harsh realities of love, life, relationships and heartbreak. The amount of attention I’ve gotten because of the project is actually crazy and slightly overwhelming, but exciting.
What are your interests outside of music?
Outside of music, I just love to live life. I enjoy doing things that make me feel alive. I love to travel and learn and create things. I love interacting with others, alongside doing things that allow me to give back to the world and the community. Oddly enough, I also love driving. I will drive anywhere whenever I can. It really relaxes me.
