PQs FULL ACCESS: Ashanti
Over the course of her 15+ year career, Ashanti has accomplished a lot, The New York native has worn many hats in doing so. Not only is she a singer and songwriter, her talent extends to record producer, dancer, and actress -- plus, she's a Grammy winner. And in 2018, Ashanti continues to to raise the bar for herself, as she releases new music as an independent artist.
Ashanti's most recent single, "Say Less" featuring Ty Dolla $ign was released late last year, but fans can look forward to more from the recording artist this year. "What fans can expect this year is a lot of new music, a lot of new visuals, actually me saying more. I'm just super excited. I've been working with so many different people, shooting a lot of things, and just trying things differently. Going outside the box."
On Her New Album + What to Expect
Just by looking at Ashanti's social media, it's clear that she's been working hard on new material. In fact, she tells us that she has been working on a new album, which will follow 2014's Braveheart. Ashanti says, "I feel like I have a lot to say. I feel like the last album I put out was ... of course I'm going to say I feel like it was amazing. But there are so many things that have happened from the last time I put music out, so there are a lot of things to say. Especially with what's going on in the music industry and just the world, period. So, yeah, I have some stuff to say."
Ashanti adds, "The new music, I'm saying things that I haven't said before and I probably wouldn't. But I think it's important to be just honest, transparent, [and] vulnerable at times and just be real. There are gonna be a few people that are gonna be mad about some of the things I'm talking about in these records. I've always written records from the heart, so if it's something that I'm not going through, maybe someone I'm close to has gone through it. But a lot of this stuff that I'm talking about, I'm going through. Some people [are] gonna be mad."
On Going "Outside of the Box"
Even though it's been a few years since Ashanti has released an album, it doesn't mean she hasn't been busy in the studio. As she explains, "There has been times where I may not have put music out, but it doesn't mean I wasn't in the studio creating. It's always a really safe place for me. I feel like I get energy, and I feel like it's just a different kind of passion and energy to go in the studio and just record how you feel and put things together. Sometimes you hear it in your head, but when you hear it, it's a whole different animal."
Ashanti is always raising the bar, and to do that, you have to step outside the box a little bit, which is exactly what she is doing in this new era. Aside from saying things she's never said before with her music, she's turning it up a notch with everything else she does. She tells us: "Trying different looks and shooting different kinds of visuals. I did a shoot where I'm standing on the ledge of a building, you know, one wrong move [and] it would have been over. But I think it's just really important nowadays to touch people and bring something new to the table. And, you know, bring it." -PQ