From Contestant to Inspiration: Meet Elyscia Jefferson
From her days on The Voice to sharing the stage with legends like Carl Thomas and Keri Hilson, Elyscia Jefferson has had an incredible journey in music. Recently, she opened for Tank on the R&B Money Tour at MGM National Harbor Theater, calling it a dream come true. With her debut album on the horizon, she talks about her growth, inspirations, and future. Let's dive into her story and hear her advice for aspiring artists.
Can you share with us what it felt like to perform at the MGM National Harbor Theater as the opening act for Tank on the R&B Money Tour?
Honestly, a dream come true. It really felt nice to see all my hard work and dedication showing up in reality. To hear multiple people in the crowd singing your song back to you and telling you that you’re supposed to be here fills me with nothing but gratitude. I feel so proud of myself and my team. I’m glad to show that you can go for it and DO IT! No matter what you dream.
Your journey from a contestant on The Voice to performing alongside legends like Carl Thomas and Keri Hilson is remarkable. How has this journey influenced your growth as an artist?
To travel and have so many different experiences from working on The Voice, then coming back to my hometown, DMV, and performing with legends just shows WHERE YOUR CRAFT CAN TAKE YOU! It’s really a beautiful thing. One thing I’ve learned from everywhere I go or perform as an artist is that your gift will make room for you and take you places that you need to go. Somebody in that audience needed to feel emotions or be touched by my performance and that’s really what my gift or my craft is for, and Tank even said that in his performance for The R&B Money Tour, it truly inspired me as an artist.
You mentioned that it was a dream come true to share the stage with such esteemed artists. Can you elaborate on what this experience meant to you personally and professionally?
This experience truly showed me what it means to be an entertainer and artist. Also showing me what I’m capable of when it comes to being an artist and an entertainer. Personally, it really felt like a special moment for me, like an eye opener of wow my gift is really making room for me, and I worked hard to get here.
Professionally I liked how my team and I made sure we made the best representation of ourselves down to the music by Jeheiel Smith and Jordan Waters, the wardrobe by dw_styles, and even vocal coaching by Tinnea Ashley. Overall, I’m honored and proud of the work of my team 1visionmusic and Erin Fleeks.
Your unique blend of soul, R&B, and pop has earned you praise from both fans and critics. How do you navigate blending these genres in your music?
How I navigate blending genres in music is just having creative fun! In my process of making music, I create from feeling and emotion and how it flows. Naturally R&B, Soul, and Pop just automatically flow out of me. This comes from my background and how I grew up. From listening to my mom play R&B albums all the time, Pop from my dad always playing old school hits as well as from the different artists coming in and out of his studio, Soul from growing up in my home church. Those genres come naturally to me, and I blend them together in a way that’s pleasing to the masses.
What can fans expect from your debut album, and how does it reflect your journey and growth as an artist?
A new sonically pleasing sound. With the texture and tone of my voice mixed with extremely creative instu/vibes you will feel a plethora of emotions, and also maybe relate to some day-to-day emotions I feel and will be expressing on this album. This album will pretty much be you growing up with me, the process of my life, the process of my artistry and where I want to be or even where I’m at in life. It’s a beautiful thing and I can’t wait to put out this body of work so hopefully it can inspire an artist like me or any human being.
Performing for such a large audience and catching the attention of popular platforms like "The Neighborhood Talk" is a significant milestone. How do you handle the growing recognition and attention?
I handle the growing recognition and attention gracefully. I’m very grateful for each follow, each connection and the growth of support/supports following and seeing my journey. I'm just super grateful and ready to keep climbing the ladder, going higher with achieving my goals and milestones.
What advice would you give to aspiring artists who look up to your journey and aspire to achieve similar success in the music industry?
Never give up on your dream. No matter what people say, what a person has said to you, you can achieve them if YOU put your mind to it! Just keep going, keep pushing and improving yourself, and I promise you will achieve your goals. What you put in, you will get out.
With your debut album on the horizon and the momentum from The R&B Money Tour, what are your future plans and goals in the music industry?
My future plans and goals in the music industry are to eventually have a hit single, or album, or any record of mine to be on billboard or on the charts. Perform at the BET awards and just to be able to keep learning and work with the greats when it comes to music and my craft. I believe this is just the start and will keep working towards my future goals.
Shanice Love is a multifaceted entrepreneur, with ventures spanning the entertainment and finance sectors. Dedicated to empowerment, Shanice consistently pioneers initiatives that uplift black women, both personally and professionally, propelling them towards greater success and recognition.