Songstress Tia has broken her lull to announce her new EP due out this year. The Boy You Got To Know hitmaker is relishing the release of the new music which she describes as mature and quality sound that has a crossover appeal to bring audiences beyond border to her orbit. Besides, the much-anticipated EP she also announced the launch of her new charity project I Rise Education Foundation which has so far gotten stamp of approval from big corporates. She also addressed how she views Cindy. Tia talks to YSBG and below are excerpts of that interview.
Q. What have you been up to lately?
Tia: Well I’ve been working on my craft for some time now. My sound has to be right so if it’s not something that’s satisfying to me then I’m not going to put out there.
But I can’t wait to bring out stuff and I’m hoping you guys will love it and be able to enjoy, just vibe to it. I’ve grown matured vocally, as a woman I’ve grown I’ve grown also my subject matters have really changed.
The things in songs because when I did Boy You Got To Know I was 17-years-old. I was young things have changed so you will be able to hear a different kind of Tia but still maintain my style.
Q. Tells us about your upcoming new album?
Tia: I’ve just finished recording so I got an EP coming out this year it’s been postponed because of what’s going on now (Covid-19) and I had a whole strategy for it but I do have new stuff coming out which I like you guys to hear and let me know what u think.
It’s an EP with 7 songs I get inspired by different things it could just a story that somebody told me. I could be having conversations with people and I find something that they are telling me interesting and I’m like okay that could be my next song.
I really like songs that other artists have done I was sort of getting inspired to use elements of their song and give it my bit of originality to it but the song is on the EP was inspired by Chris Brown song which he did a while ago with Lil Wayne. I did my own party version and that is the song I did for Sean Garet who is an American prolific song writer and he’s done most of Beyonce’s songs.
I played him that song and he was like wowed it was just a moment for me it was amazing u know because as an artist we all strive to do music that goes beyond border so just that opportunity to be able to put your sound to somebody that is really good and they already connecting with that song just shows you’re on the right track.
Q. Boy You Got To Know was your breakaway track tell us how it all started?
Tia: Boy You Got To Know was just a song I wrote out of fun and I said I wonder if I recorded this song so I took on professional people to work with me on the project and was Fortune Muparutsa and on the video I used talented filmmaker Marian Kunonga.
So she basically did the casting I didn’t know anyone in that video. It was strictly professional. Just people came to do their job and I was doing my job and afterwards everybody went their separate ways and I didn’t know them but they were people that wanted to showcase their talents. Tongai (Chirisa) went to be the Hollywood star.
Q: Is there bad blood between you and Cindy?
Tia: Cindy is a very talented and humble human being and we’re really cool. I don’t know where people got that I actually really liked her outfit. I thought it had that international flavor to it. So what I was saying the reason probably people didn’t understand her style she brought something that was unfamiliar to them just like if you take a certain genre and you try and market it in America or in London to a certain group of people who have never heard it they will say its whack because they are not familiar with the sound not because it’s not nice.
Q: How do you handle yourself as a public figure?
Tia: It’s crazy how people take situation and twist them and they don’t really put themselves in that person’s shoes because when you’re a musician, when you’re celebrity or you’re as public figure people tend to have high regards of you, tend to have high expectations of you such that when you make a mistake or that move that might not necessarily not even that bad because of the way they see you or the way they’ve created you in their mind its bad.
Forgetting public figures are people just like you. We also got our fears, our demons that we are fighting and we also got our insecurities and just being a woman in this industry we tend to be attacked more.
Q: Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?
Tia: My 5 year vision I would like to see myself having produced enough music and quality stuff that will be able to extend beyond borders that will be able to attract a wide and cross over audience and influence people from all walks of life and to inspire my local people especially because to be where I am today it’s because of my loyal fans in Zimbabwe.
People that have supported me since day one. People that believe in my music I now got a strong back up and that inspires me to continue music that has longevity. I am also working on a lot of charity work. I’ve got my own foundation I Rise Education Foundation. I want to see that organization grow and be able to send so many kids to school besides the education their welfare. I am here to use my platform as a musician to do good. So in the world those two things are like major in my life. If I can like have those two things achieved in the next 5 years I’m happy.
You haven’t heard from me in such a long time so I really want to keep that anticipation, that hunger for new Tia music. I’ve got some new music coming out!
Stay home during these Covid-19 moments stay safe!