FEATURE: Spotlight: Talia Goddess — Music Musings & Such

FEATURE:

Spotlight

Talia Goddess

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THERE are a few interviews…

PHOTO CREDIT: Henry Diagne

that I want to put together to highlight and go deep with Talia Goddess. I will get straight to them. She is someone that everyone should know about. Hailing from East Flatbush, Brooklyn, Talia Goddess is an artist, producer and songwriter. Someone who has definitely caught my eye and ear. I will start off with this interview from NATAAL:

“What inspired your stage name?

Talia is my middle name and I’ve always liked it. I used it when I started to make my social media platform as a way to separate from my personal identity. So, it’s kind of like an undercover secret identity with Talia Goddess. Then when I started to gain more popularity I made the decision to embrace that as my public persona.

How do you feel you embody ‘Goddess’?

It allows for a sense of divinity to call into my existence when you speak on me. When you say the name Talia Goddess, you’re automatically prophesising a certain energy, an essence that feels protective, divine and spiritual. I chose the word Goddess to remind me of what it means to be aligned with yourself and operating from the point of authenticity and love and openness.

How do you bring that spirituality into your work?

My music is a really spiritual process. There are some songs that I feel were sent to me by God, like I’m the vessel between God, the higher power and the computer. It’s about being able to understand when things align, trusting the unknown and understanding my purpose here being bigger than anything I can comprehend. But also understanding God and spirituality to be the sum of everything that exists, which creates this oneness and unity allowing me to have this love and acceptance of the ecosystem. So that’s something that I use to operate in my daily life.

Your online bio is pretty powerful. It shared about your intention with wanting to be a champion of change. Why are you choosing to show up in the world in that way?

I've always been a leader and the one to take initiative. For example, when I was nine years old, I made an anti-bullying rap song. My goal was obviously to stop bullying but also to show individuality in the sense of being able to rap, enjoy performing and being myself as opposed to what other kids were doing. So, I think it's a radical effort just by constantly showing up as myself, inspiring other people to show up as themselves, and then we can begin to have more authentic relationships with each other. My sense of leadership and entrepreneurship goes hand in hand. It's just a matter of creating the reality I want to see in terms of how I want to engage with art and how I want other people to engage with my art. And art isn’t just music. It’s thinking about the visuals, graphics, movement, how it makes you feel. I can't help but be inquisitive about delving into all of it.

You write, produce and create the artwork. Why do it all?

There are three main reasons. One is financial, you have to compensate people and I did most of these songs in high school. Then often when I did sent things over to other people, I wasn't satisfied with what they did. I’m meticulous so no one else could really understand my vision. Then the third reason is growing up in a digital era, where you have your MacBook and all these tools at your fingertips gives you the capacity to create. It’s a matter of taking the time to learn and figure it out. Being a tech dork at heart, making music and making beats already, means graphic design kinda goes hand in hand. It allows me to think about finding my own visual identity.

Which other mediums outside of music inspire your work?

I started off as a dancer so whenever I listen to music, I pay attention to how my body reacts to it and the physiological sensations that come across, whether it's the bangs of the drums, or the rhythm, or how the frequencies resonate with me. When I'm walking in the street, I’m aware of how my heart moves and how people talk and their body language. It’s both a mental and physical thing. So, when I’m making music I think about how I would move to it or how it stirs me.

PHOTO CREDIT: Henry Diagne

As a child of Guyanese and British parents who was raised in Flatbush New York, how does that influence your art?

A lot of the first parties I was throwing were in the basement of my dad’s house in Brownsville, Brooklyn. He’s a construction worker and DJ. He just posted them on Facebook - no cover, no drugs, no alcohol - just being together and it doesn't matter who you are, it's about why you are there. So now when I throw parties and DJ, I go against the grain of optics of having clicks or having a scene. It’s more-so just people who are in search of an authentic experience through music discovery and having an open mind to whatever the night entails.

Music was playing all the time at home so I was understanding my Caribbean roots through dancehall and reggae and even lovers rock as a British Caribbean sound. I was then hearing afro house and dancing at the same time. Being a first-generation New Yorker, being at the intersection of two sonic palettes and cultural palettes, helps me to create a really cool melange that hopefully resonates with other people.

Your sound is not bogged down by one genre of music. Can you tell me about how you work with different sounds?

We have different moods and feelings so different genres encapsulate that, even when you think about subject matter and how you move. Rhythm and drums are intuitive to me, regardless of the cadence, so I combine different things to see what happens. Being a music producer allows me to have that creative freedom to try new sounds. I can make something and define it later”.

There is a great interview from NOTION that is well worth sourcing. Interesting discussions with an immense talent. I am going to start off with their interview from April of last year. They spoke with someone who was creating a legacy of her own. A sensational proposition with a unique sound a distinct passion and drive. Someone that was definitely getting people excited:

“Influenced by her family, her community and the concrete jungle she was raised in, the multi-faceted powerhouse is helping to redefine the creative landscape in more ways than one. To put it into perspective, Talia Goddess is only 20 years old and is already a talented singer-songwriter, producer, DJ, multi-instrumentalist and founder of record label and creative agency, TRANCE.

For her entire life, Talia has been surrounded by creativity. First introduced to music by her parents, a DJ and a singer, she and her nine siblings were always encouraged to follow their passions. The artist spent her early years as a dancer competing in shows, which was where she first developed her own relationship with music, going on to experiment with singing, doing covers and rapping proverbs. A natural performer, she would often steal the limelight at family functions, competing against the other kids. “I have a really big family — lots of cousins, aunts, all of that. We’d have a lot of family gatherings where there was always music. When I stepped foot in the place it was like a performance. I would just enjoy being in the centre and it kind of became a dance competition. Performing was the core of what really got me into music. This was in New York, before social media.”

PHOTO CREDIT: Amy Peskett

Recognising how our consumption of music is constantly evolving through the latest technology and devices at our disposal, Talia credits her curiosity as the fuel that ignited her passion for production. “I would beg my mum for gadgets and just fuck around with it. We had an electric keyboard which had different sounds, so that’s kind of how I started producing,” she explains. I would layer the keys and add some drums, then add the bass, some chords and it just kept evolving.” Innovative and observational from a young age, Talia enjoyed experimenting through multiple channels and seeing what she could create.

Raised in a Caribbean community and going to her local elementary and middle school, Talia was predominantly surrounded by Caribbean music. It wasn’t until she went to high school that she found herself in a much more multicultural space. “As diverse as New York is, I wasn’t around that growing up. As I started to be around other people, I realised how my identity as a first-generation New Yorker, Caribbean, Black person in America shaped me in a lot of different ways. That it translates to my style or just the overall appreciation for the diaspora.”

PHOTO CREDIT: Amy Peskett

Talia noticed that the prevalence of Caribbean music meant that her community wasn’t really in touch with other sounds. Taking time to research the many intersections that exist within Black music, she began to pay attention to the way different cultures and communities interact with it. “I find that there’s a lot of Black Americans who don’t really get into Caribbean music, they don’t know how to whine and that’s crazy. Similarly, with the rise of afrobeats, that’s a whole new thing to me too. But it’s not new, it’s just different cadences,” she says. “Growing up, I was listening to house music and seeing that it’s kind of gentrified in a way. You’d go to these white people clubs and hear the ‘oonts oonts’, but if you do your research, the ‘oonts oonts’ stemmed from Black music.”

Through her practice, Talia aims to challenge traditional narratives that exist by exploring the many genres that resonate with her. “What I hope to convey is authenticity and individuality in terms of production, just sonically, how it sounds. I’m trying to express my culture, my heritage and the things that make me who I am. It’s also a bit of an experiment to see what resonates with certain people. I do pop, I do rock. I’m really keeping it open. My target audience is real music lovers. People who can just appreciate the story and the artistry.”

Being in a culturally-rich environment like New York, Talia was exposed to many sections of the creative industry. From going to a performing arts school, to attending and throwing parties, singing and producing music and learning how to DJ, she’s already experienced a 360-degree view that many others her age could only dream of. With a talented network of artists around her, Talia came up with an idea to bring everyone together and do projects outside of school, by creating her own label and creative agency. “At the time, I was in high school around all these creatives — art, dance, drama, instrumental, vocal. I went to LaGuardia High School. Nicki Minaj went there, Timothée Chalamet, Alicia Keys, etc. So I’m thinking to myself, ‘Damn we should do some shit’, because you had your curriculum, but it wasn’t really current or relevant to what was actually going on in the arts, especially with streaming or digital art”.

There is one more interview that I want to get to before finishing off. Culted spoke with Talia Goddess last year about her rise in music and plans. An artist that grew up in Brooklyn now belongs to the world. That said, she still might be unknown to some. That is going to change very soon. Someone who is clearly destined for much bigger things. This is someone who started performing at a really young age. Her enthusiasm and curiosity has not waned at all. Really do go and follow the stunning Talia Goddess:

“You grew up in Brooklyn, New York. How do you think the concrete jungle shaped and influenced you as a creative? Did you have any other early childhood influences?

Yes, I did grow up in Brooklyn. I’ve been performing since I was 6 years old. I performed in after-school clubs all over from the Bronx to Queens to anywhere in the tri-state area. Meeting all kinds of people and being exposed to the music industry at such an early age really prepared me for what was to come, especially in a city like New York, where everything is so rough and hustle, you must really work your ass off. It’s kind of like London in a way, I feel like New York is like London on crack. New York has a similar energy, it’s fast-paced pace but it’s not too crazy, yeah growing up in New York gave me the street smarts and the strength of having tough skin to be able to navigate the industry or even my career and knowing how to master my skill and master my craft, that ultimately what sets you apart from the rest, a gimmick is a gimmick, I think New York is known for being real and dope, that’s something you can’t fake. You can’t fake it until you make it, you must be real in this industry. I think it’s just like the entire experience ultimately inspired me, that’s my origin.

In terms of influences, I can’t really pinpoint one specific artist, but If I had to pinpoint one artist it would be Michael Jackson like the Jackson Five growing up, when it came to performing, practicing and the whole etiquette of what it means to be a performer, this was before anything social media or anything like that, just seeing him perform at such a young age was such an inspiration.

Amazing. Of course, Your first EP Poster Girl was posted in 2021 which was overall a very soft and intimate project. How would you describe your musical evolution since then?

I would say I’ve become a lot bolder in my creative choices, initially when I first came onto the scene with a soft and intimate tone people just assumed I was an R&B artist, that was just an appetizer and the first course I’m the complete opposite to that, because I think that being my first project there were a lot of nerves and uncertainty, now that I’ve experienced what’s it’s like to create a body of work, I’m so sure of myself and now I actually want to showcase my creative ability and not play it safe at all. My new music it’s all over the place, but it’s in the same world I think it’s a good reflection of me as an individual, being so multi-cultural and being in so many different spaces, my new music is just a reflection of who I am today. Pushing the visuals, the song, doing more shoots, and just creating this world, I’m so excited to push the pen, and the artistry and continue developing.

What does your creative process look like? Are you the type to freestyle until something with potential comes up? Or do you always have a set idea of what you want to achieve when making music?

Most times I’ll start with the beat and even going back to the last question, I’m really showcasing my skills in production and my work as a music producer, whether that’s playing with genres, arrangement, or different instruments, I’ll always start with the music that could be loose melodies that I’ll freestyle over while I’m making the beat or play around with loose lyrics and create something from there. Recently I’ve been collaborating with a variety of producers and trying to step into a songwriter space, I worked with a producer who sent me a beat and I managed to get a track together instantly – probably the fastest time I’ve ever done something like that. Most of the time when I’m making music the inspiration is spontaneous and just spouts from being in the right state of mind and the right energy flow to make something cool.

What do you want your listeners to take away from your music?

I think with the new music especially, I want the listeners to really engage with music like the audio sonic experience, wholeheartedly and to fully immerse themselves into the musical experience. I think there is a little bit of a lack of etiquette when it comes to listening to music, sometimes people would play in the background or just play it on their iPhone speaker or talk throughout the song, I really want the listeners to really be able to dissect and really be taken aback by the creative choices. I think my music is unpredictable and I like the fact it sparks conversation and I think that’s what music is about, like it literally stimulates your brain.

I love how passionate you are about your music as well.

Yeah that’s true, I love to take away notes about the production, take away notes about the themes, finding connections between the black diaspora music and how it can intersect and combine and like all the different cool sonic things happening with music right now to create new sounds.

Not only are you a singer-songwriter, DJ, and producer, but you also founded your own record label TRANCE, all by the age of 20. Impressive. How do you balance it all?

I have very irregular work and sleeping hours, I have periods where I’m chilling, living the life, partying, DJing, clubbing, traveling, whatever, being very extroverted, and then when I’m making music or working, a lot of what I do is very isolated, whether that’s recording or just working on my computer, sometimes I’ll have non-stop days where I’m just locking in hours. It also helps that I have a good team, a label, and good peers, who are my collaborators and we kind of bounce ideas off each other. There’s a big aspect of entrepreneurship with everything that I do and I’m still learning”.

The simply brilliant Talia Goddess needs to be on everyone’s radar. I think that this year is going to be her busiest and most successful yet. The momentum that is behind her will make sure of that! I am fairly new to her work, though I am not a fan and will definitely keep an eye to see where she goes. Make sure that this incredible human is in your sights! After a great 2023 and year where she put out the DOWN 2 EARTH album, it is very much full steam ahead. There is no doubt that Talia Goddess is…