Michi, who was born in New Jersey and now resides in the Dominican Republic, seamlessly blends her American and Dominican cultural influences to craft her distinctive R&B-pop sound, “I was born in New Jersey. I lived there up until I was about 9, then moved to the Dominican Republic and have lived here since,” she says, “I’d define my music as my diary. A lot of my music is journal entries turned to songs. It’s quite therapeutic.”
A significant source of inspiration for Michi’s music is Ariana Grande, as she confesses, “I fell in love with the way she arranges and layers her vocals and harmonies.” However, her sound also draws from the rich legacy of 90s and 00s R&B.
Keep reading as Michi opens up about her musical inspirations, her latest single “i’m a bad driver,” and offers a glimpse into her upcoming EP, centered around the theme of crime.
How do your American and Dominican cultural influences play a role in shaping your unique sound?
I grew up listening to 90s-10s American music living in Jersey. We listened to a lot of Mariah Carey, Kelly Clarkson, and Black Eyed Peas in my house. The older I got while living in the DR, the more open I was to listening to more Dominican genres. Genres like reggaeton have inspired me the same way 90s hip-hop artists have inspired current r&b artists. It’s on my bucket list to sample un reggaeton clasico in my music!
Which artists have had the most significant impact on your music and style?
The first artist who will always come to mind is Ariana Grande. I fell in love with the way she arranges and layers her vocals/harmonies. In more recent years, the r&b girls have really helped me find and develop my sound. Artists like Kehlani, Kiana Ledé, Summer Walker, and SZA are the reason I decided to take the r&b route. They helped me discover and fall in love with that side of myself and music.
Can you tell us new single “i’m a bad driver”?
Yes! I wrote it last April in Brooklyn, it was one of the first songs I wrote and recorded when I was there. I had been wanting to write a song about driving and how it can parallel relationships. I wrote the concept of the visualizer in December and filmed it in February. After over half a year of working on this project, it’s finally out and I’m so proud of how everything turned out!
Could you tell us about your upcoming EP and what we can anticipate from it in terms of themes and musical style?
Of course! When I work on projects, I naturally stick to a central theme. It’s something I’ve done for years. As of now, it’s a 5-track r&b EP centered around crime! I’ve dropped 2 tracks from it already, called ‘accomplice.’ and ‘evidence.,’ and I think they perfectly show what this EP is about, sonically and lyrically.
As a rising artist, what are your long-term goals and aspirations in the music industry?
I want to do the whole pop star thing. Perform at award shows and tour and all that cool stuff, but I think the main thing I really want to do is bring the American r&b sound to the DR. No one has that kind of sound here and I hope I can be the first person to mainstream it.
What is a message you would like to give through your music and why?
Taking care of your mental health is so important. Putting yourself first isn’t selfish, but necessary. It’s becoming less taboo to speak on mental health, and I want to continue moving that narrative forward.
Write here something you want to let people know.
The behind the scenes of the visualizer will be out soon and my EP will come out later this year!
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