There isn’t much known yet about Mizan, the New York-bred singer-songwriter, but it seems her elusive sound is already grabbing the Internet’s attention. Leaping from soul to R&B to acoustic, her music is somewhat hard to categorize, and probably best described as laid back, heavy, future-soul. Using her soothing voice and minimalist production to match, she connects the dots with emotional vulnerability. Her captivating lyrics are one of the main attractions as well. Her debut EP, Deep Blue, highlights her thoughtful songwriting abilities, balancing an organic style reminiscent of Erykah Badu. The project takes listeners through a journey surging with energy that’s hard to resist. Check out our exclusive interview with the alluring songstress below.
RESPECT.: Where are you right now?
Mizan: In Manhattan.
Your press release states, “Mizan is ready to make her mark on the music world.” What does it feel like to be seen as “the next big thing?”
What it feels like to be seen as the next big thing? It could be both thrilling and pressure inducing. Part of me feels like the stature of “the next big thing” is fabricated by an untrustworthy hype machine, but another part of me feels that it’s a genuine and true response of the masses; the prospect of it for myself is both confusing and delightful.
Tell me about your music. How did you come together, and what’s your objective?
I just want to make innovative, meaningful music that speaks to people that feel alienated by the currently misogynistic and unfulfilling mainstream pop culture.
When did your family and friends start to take an interest?
My family was supportive from the start. Over time they learned how much music moved me, they saw my determination and my eagerness, and so they grew to be extremely supportive.
I think it’s the honest self-expression which people respond to in your music. Would you say that’s what it is?
When you’re honest in your lyrics, in your music, and in your presentation of yourself, you connect with other people. Honesty is key in the creative process. If you’re not honest as an artist, the world has no use for your work.
What musicians and sounds have influenced you the most?
My father’s taste in music was what played in my house a lot. I remember a lot of Fleetwood Mac, some Motown, The Beatles… juxtaposed with some music from my own tween days which mostly consisted of singers and bands that were popular in the late 90’s.
Your vocals on “Anxious” are a lot more present. It sort of blends smoothly into the whole production. Does that process happen spontaneously?
The mixing and mastering process is far from spontaneous. It is entirely deliberate, almost painfully deliberate. You listen to the song one day and all of a sudden discover that the vocals are too low or the bass is too “bassy” so you move it up or down by a minute fraction and feel better about the sound, then you listen to it the next day and decide the treble is too low and can’t tell if it’s just your imagination or if it’s actually too low, it could be torturous.
Do you find that maybe the way in which you go about creating music is different compared to others? I mean, does the quality of your writing rest on your space of mind, would you say?
Yes, the lyrics are the heart of the song. I don’t like to lose an opportunity to make my lyrics the best they could possibly be, so I obsess over words and phrasings.
When inspirations come to you, does the lack of control you have in their adaptations drive you mad?
Yes. It does drive me mad. Music takes over where language falls short. But not even music offers us all the tools we need to articulate our thoughts; some things are just too abstract, the brain is an endlessly fascinating thing.
Does your imagination shock you sometimes?
Yes, absolutely it does. I love it.
Let’s talk about your new track “Thru.” What was going through your head when you wrote it? Is there a narrative embodied within it?
I was mostly thinking about the phenomenon of human friendship, it’s the best thing about our nature. Pure, unadulterated friendship. “If you ever forget I’ll remind you, If you’re ever weary I’ll pull you through” is directed to all people I love. In the broader sense, it’s directed to people whose cause I support, great people who are noble in their pursuit against all odds.
How does that manifest itself in your EP, Dark Blue?
I called my EP Dark Blue because I wrote, recorded, and produced it at night. The name of the EP describes the melancholic time in which it was created. This feeling runs through all the songs contained in the EP.
What are you hoping fans take away from your music?
They’re not alone.
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