I feel like the moon is a very beautiful woman. She's in control.
Ravyn Lenae
Red has always been my color, because red stands out.
My first tattoo is a French proverb, and it says, 'Dream your life, live your dreams.'
I'm not a fan of cold weather.
My songwriting process is based on a formula: Color, tone, words. When I hear production, I initially identify the color that resonates with me. From there, I am able to translate the color into tone or emotion, which may depend on a number of things.
A lot of peoples' parents aren't very supportive; my mom is super supportive.
I wear scarves all the time. Even in the summer, I wear scarves - even a thin one. My old vocal teacher told me that, and I stick to it. The only time I get sick is when I forget to wear my scarf. I don't know, it might be mental, but it works for me.
I've always been a color person, whether that's through my clothes, hair, or music.
I'm super particular with my music.
My music puts people in a dreamy mood. It's edgy. It's nuanced. I get annoyed when people say it's R&B because it's not that simple. I call it futuristic soul.
I'm a very colorful person.
I would say that the pivotal moment in singing for me was my sophomore year in high school, 'cause I always loved music but, even going into high school, I didn't know I wanted to make this my career.
A part of me likes to pretty up feelings that aren't so pretty.
I don't care if it's the slow way; I just want to do it the right way.
From the beginning, I always felt artistically inclined. I always knew I wanted to be an artist of some sort, even if I didn't know what an artist was. I clung to the arts. I always watched 'High School Musical' and those type of things.
I like patterns, anything fun. I think as we get older, we tend to get boring with our clothes.
' Shoes' is very pink and yellow, and maybe orange, very bright, whereas 'Midnight Moonlight' is purple and blue and - I don't know - gray.
When the flowers start blooming, I like to ride my bike.
',Alive' stems from emotional growth and contentment. Before writing the song, I was swimming in a pool of hurt, guilt and spiritual discomfort. Instead of drowning, I decided to embrace these feelings and express gratitude for the lessons learned. With this new-found sense of life, I am stronger and happier than ever.
I will say that maybe me being young, it enabled me to have a more youthful approach to making music, and a fresher approach.
It's so funny to see the evolution in my music and personal style as a whole because, for me, they all work together as art. As my music changes, I'm compelled to change my hair, clothes, or shoes. It all has to be cohesive.
I never have a genre in mind when I'm making music because I just like to be free. I feel that placing a genre on your music is limiting yourself.
'Sticky' is about reaching a point in a relationship where you both realize you guys shouldn't be dating, but you're doing it anyway just because you like to have that sense of just being able to be honest with the person and comfortable with the person. You kind of ignore all of the signs and red flags because you really want to like the person.
If you leave this world with a full heart, then that is a beautiful life. And that's what I want.
My sophomore year at high school, I spent $300 I had earned working at After School Matters for my first studio session. For a 16-year-old to sacrifice that much money was pivotal. It spoke a lot about how serious I was.
I was exposed to a lot of OutKast, Timbaland, Eminem, and my mom introduced me to India.Arie and Erykah Badu, so I guess I'm a mash-up of those styles.
The 'Sticky' video symbolizes the merry-go-round period of love, where things aren't quite right, but you can't help sticking around each other.
I think the biggest reward is not physical. I rather obtain things spiritually. I mean, it's so cool to be acknowledged by the public, but that's not my goal. That's not why I make music. I would do it anyway, if there was no reward.
When I do have spare time to write, I'm tempted to spend it napping.
I'm really into color. I love polka dots, rainbows, any pattern.
I describe my projects using colors because it's the best way to describe 'em. I would say that 'Moon Shoes' was way more colorful than a lot of my other music, just because I was pulling from so many different places. Imagine learning how to talk for the first time, and you're just saying everything.
I grew up having an ear for what was hot and was not - what sounds good in music and what doesn't.
Being from Chicago, you kind of are shielded in a way from the other stuff that goes on in music and the industry.
While creating Moon Shoes, I had no idea that I was doing it. The experience was extremely organic, considering that I was making music spontaneously and working alongside friends. I chose to title the project 'Moon Shoes' to give listeners a sense of unearthly freedom. I believe each song moves listeners closer to the moon and personal truth.
In sixth or seventh grade, my teacher assigned me to write and sing a song. I remember sitting at the piano in my living room, trying to get that song perfect. That was the moment I realized I really love doing this.
I started playing piano and guitar when I was in elementary school, and then I was finally like, 'I want to sing.' So I started taking voice lessons and decided I wanted to go to an art school and take music seriously.
The idea for 'Midnight Moonlight' was mostly inspired by the moon herself. Advancing from my previous EP 'Moon Shoes,' I felt it necessary to dig a little deeper into who I am and the relationship between my music and the moon.
The common thread between 'Moon Shoes' and 'Midnight Moonlight' would definitely be their connection to the moon. However, I feel they both capture a very different quality of the moon. Perhaps 'Moon Shoes' epitomizes the moon during the summer, while 'Midnight Moonlight' the winter.
The Telephone Tour with Noname was a beautiful experience. Because this was only my second tour, I was not quite prepared for the small details that touring entails. I quickly realized how imperative it is to to sleep, eat healthily, and rest my voice.
I think it's very easy to get lost in the idea of touring and forget that your body is not a machine and can only function if you treat it with love.
'Crush' is probably the most honest project I've ever written. It's my voice.
I love my hair. I think everyone should love their hair. I think there's something intimate and beautiful about someone playing in your hair.
I've been really in touch with my girly side.
It's very difficult to be a woman in any industry.
My creative juices flow seasonally.
I like to thrift. I think it's the funnest thing ever. But it's a sport: You have to wake up, eat, and then it's a whole day.
I recorded my first song, 'Greetings,' and it got so much attention on SoundCloud. I was not expecting that.
I like to think my music is of another world.
I think it's hard to leave a relationship that you shouldn't be in. It's a self thing and not really realizing your worth and how much you deserve in love.
My grandfather was actually a doo-wop singer in Panama. They were called The Dominos. He was the high soprano voice.
