Interview: Tori Alamaze

Original singer of the smash hit ‘Don’t Cha’, Atlanta-based Tori Alamaze has played a part in some of the biggest music of the 21st Century.

While touring with OutKast as a backing vocalist and dancer, she sang the iconic ‘Hey Ya!’ chorus from their smash hit single, on stages including The Grammys and The Brit Awards. She also contributed vocals to the song ‘Bowtie’ on OutKast’s Diamond-certified ‘Speakerboxxx/The Love Below’; which is frequently listed as one of the greatest albums of all time. 

After signing with Cee Lo Green’s label, she would go on to release ‘Don’t Cha’, her debut single, in 2004. The song went on to garner significant airplay, and make its imprint on the Billboard charts. However, despite its growing success, the track was re-recorded by The Pussycat Dolls and became a household hit for the group.

Now she’s back, and sat down with The Indiependent to talk about her music career and her new offering: ‘Magick, Blessings and Bullsh*t vol. 1’. 

The Indiependent: Looking at the scope of your career, success seems to always be preceded first by struggle. A car accident led to touring the world as a make-up artist, a house fire led to pursuing singing and song-writing on a new level. What was it about your 2020 that told you that now was the right time to return to the music industry?  

Alamaze: Somebody posted my song ‘Don’t Cha’. I don’t particularly listen to that song anymore. When I heard it, I was like ‘this sounds really good!’ At that time, a lot of corporations were trying to figure out how to fix, or clean up, racial injustice. Reflecting on my career, as a Black woman in Atlanta: I get signed, and in the height of my touring and travelling and working, you give my music to some girls that don’t look like me. It was very hush, hush. It was very ‘we’ve given them the song. They’re the sex pots now’. They don’t look like me. If I didn’t have a solid foundation, it would have shut me down. But it couldn’t, and it didn’t. So, 2020 was the time for me to ask [Alamaze contacted an executive of Epic Records directly], in a very graceful manner: ‘I need you to fix this, I need you to clean this up. They’ve copied from me. It happens to so many Black artists, and I need you to clean that up’ and to my surprise, my ask was honoured. I’m very grateful for that.

What gave you the tenacity to push through all the ‘bullsh*t’ that came with releasing ‘Don’t Cha’?

I never stopped writing. I never stopped singing. I never stopped recording. I also know that I have additional talents and skill-sets. I also was losing babies at the same time. I lost one son in 2007. I lost my twins in 2011. I started to get more serious about having children. I was very fortunate in 2014, I birthed my beautiful daughter, she just turned seven. I got married before that. For me it’s been a complete circle. Nothing is missing for me. I have my family, through the losses, and I’m here. I am vibrant. I am grateful I’m here. The car accident, the fire, losing babies. I birthed my children. I didn’t have miscarriages. To get through that and be blessed with giving birth to my daughter in 2014, I’m here. Whatever you want, ask for what you want. Be clear about what you want. Do the shit scared and do it uncertain. Showing up is the first step.

In what ways have those experiences been transformative in your evolution as an artist? 

It’s a learning lesson. I’m just glad I survived it. I’m glad I didn’t go to drugs, poor behaviours and habits, or suicide. Lots of artists check out. There was a lot of shame and embarrassment. I have moved all the way on, and forward. As long as you have breath, you have an opportunity. You have the opportunity to change something. You have the opportunity to be intentional about something that you desire. I have the opportunity, that I asked for, to record music and have a budget, and have access to high level music industry executives for support, mentorship and advice. I own my masters now.

As well as ‘Don’t Cha’, you also famously worked closely with OutKast. Could you describe how that era of your life has been influential to your artistry? 

Touring with OutKast, and to see André 3000 upfront and personal, was phenomenal. He’s very shy, and very beautiful, and funny. Oh my God those guys are so funny. They are hysterical. ATLiens totally. André is a giver, he gives things away. He gave us gifts often. Just to be around that talent. I was really lucky to be around such talent, and to tour the world with those guys. I’m always grateful. I don’t have people in my family connected to the industry. I don’t have a reference for this life. I just had a dream. There was no template.

One word that permeates through your new album is ‘purpose’. We hear it most distinctly referenced in ‘So Dope’, the album’s centrepiece. What does purpose mean to you personally and artistically?

Purpose is something that you already know. You’re born knowing. There are things that you’re going to hear, read and see that will resonate with you, and align with your purpose, and support your purpose. So if you’re paying attention, and you hear something that strikes you, that’s resonance. Whatever resonates with you, is for you. If you choose to be busy, that leads to resentment and frustration. It’s something for you to act upon. Pin it, bookmark it, because that’s how you are connecting your dots.

Finally, what can we expect from ‘Magick, Blessings and Bullsh*t vol. 2’?

Volume two is conceptual. It takes you on a journey. You hear about the bullsh*t, and the blessings, and then you get to the magick. Don’t press shuffle! It’s something that you can picture yourself listening to while riding through the hills of Italy somewhere with the top down. From song one to song five, and the bonus track, it just feels really, really good. It’s totally R&B. It’s super intentional. I do want to attract my tribe, and people who also want to see me be successful in this journey. I’m excited to share the first single in March 2022.

You can listen to ‘Magick, Blessings and Bullsh*t vol. 1’ now on Apple and Spotify.

Words by Jake Walker-Charles

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