Now Playing
Sevyn Streeter has gone from being a member of two unsuccessful girl groups — TG4 and RichGirl — to becoming a prominent solo artist who’s just earned her first Billboard top-10 hit.
The singer’s new single, “It Won’t Stop” featuring Chris Brown, climbed to the #8 spot on the Billboard R&B Songs chart this week, a feat that Sevyn hasn’t quite wrapped her mind around yet. She told ABC News Radio that she’s still adjusting to having the spotlight all to herself.
“For me, it’s like it’s no different than when you leave out of your parent’s house or you leave a situation that’s familiar, you’re comfortable, [there’s] different people to rely on for different things, and stepping out into the world on your own,” she says. “I feel like that’s what’s happened to me since I’ve been at Atlantic [Records]. I had to be comfortable and had to learn myself and be confident enough to stand on my own on stage and it took some work and I’m not going to lie. I’m very happy now and I’m in a good space.”
Before pursuing her solo career, the 26-year-old singer penned songs for Brandy, Kelly Rowland, Alicia Keys, and Estelle as well as her “It Won’t Stop” collaborator, Chris Brown, who allowed her to contribute multiple songs of his last two albums, 2011’s F.A.M.E and last year’s Fortune. Sevyn not only appreciates Chris for jumping on the record, but also for the advice he gave her, such as to always be herself.
“Some people may say it sounds a little corny, but they don’t understand like it’s so easy to not be yourself in what we do and so easy to get lost into the hoopla,” Sevyn explains, “so to tell me to be myself and just to know that I’m enough, that advice will never get old.”
Sevyn adds that being herself and being transparent in her music seem to resonate with her fans, something she says “It Won’t Stop” is all about.
“‘It Won’t Stop’ is the point where its like, ‘Dang I’m vibing and you’re the only person I want to vibe with, you’re the first person I think about when I wake up, last thing I think about before I got to sleep,'” says Sevyn. “And it just feel really good, you know it feel like love, it feels like you have someone special.”
That song is lifted off of Sevyn’s much-anticipated debut EP, Call Me Crazy, But…, due out next month. “Its a seven-song EP and its talking about the cycle of a relationship,” Sevyn says. “The reason why its called Call Me Crazy, But.. is because a lot of times in relationships…when you get into it with you girl or with your dude or whatever, and they’re like ‘You know what, you’re crazy,’ and the person who is being called that they feel that they have their reasons so its like, ‘Okay, call me crazy, but didn’t you just lie about this? Call me crazy, but didn’t you go out and do that?’ And then the records on the album will fill in all the ‘buts’ for you.”
Call Me Crazy, But… will be available on iTunes and other digital retailers on Tuesday, November 5. The release will coincide with Sevyn’s upcoming trek with K. Michelle on the Rebellious Soul tour, beginning November 4 in San Francisco, CA and wrapping in Boston. MA, on December 3.
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio
