Mark your calendars! Grammy award-winning artist Ann Nesby, of Arrow Soul Records, will release her latest project entitled, Living My Life on June 3rd 2014. Fans can expect to hear a fusion of R&B, gospel and inspirational dance music throughout the album.
“I wanted to continue to do the music that my fans were familiar with, but I wanted to evolve the music and bring it forward with a youthful sound,” says Mrs. Nesby when talking about her current album in comparison to previous projects.
An example of that youthful tone in her music is her recently released single, Living My Life. The entertainer chose this upbeat song as her single because of it's inspiring message that ties into her project, which she summarizes as ‘life music.’
“The song says—‘people look at you and they think that you’re carefree and you have no problems and they want to know how do you carry yourself that way,’” says Mrs. Nesby.
“We all have things that we go through but we have to accept the things that we can not change and deal with it. I’m a firm believer in not worrying about things that we have no control over.”
The single, as well as her album reflects Nesby’s 25 years of experience in the entertainment industry. She recalls industry workers questioning her about what is to be expected, when her music is being released and what she has been doing in the five years since her last album.
“I’m living, enjoying life and enjoying my family and enjoying music because music is my life,” is always her response.
Ann collaborated with several producers and songwriters throughout the production of her album to achieve it’s youthful sound. She was excited to work on her single with Kendrick Dean and Brandon Alexander, who have written music for Kelly Rowland and Mariah Carey. She also appointed Vernon Messam to produce the song, I See Beyond, which she co-wrote with Tony Jones and Tim Lee.
“Sometimes we have pain in our lives, and when I write I try to think about what I go through and something that I see others go through,” says Mrs. Nesby. “—But see beyond your problems and be able to understand that the clouds may block the sun at this point but the sun is still shining behind the clouds. If we hold on to our faith we know that we will see the sun again. That is the inspiration portion of the project.”
Continuing the inspirational theme, the Living My Life album even includes a song with an anti-bullying message, entitled, "Cannonball." This is one of the many tracks on the project that talks about the realities of life, hence the nickname, ‘life music.’ “I think this is a good way to share a message of hope and determination and to encourage anyone who is down and feeling like they can't make it," says the songstress.
“So it all ties back into ‘life music.’”
In addition to preparing for the release of her new album, Ann has joined R&B singer, Angie Stone in the production of “The Color Purple,” which has already started showing in Nashville. When asked how she feels about being cast in such a legendary storyline, she responds, “It’s really something special and I think it’s a cultural piece that is really important to the African American community."
Ann is not a rookie to the acting scene—she has the stage play, "What My Husband Doesn’t Know" on her resume, where she worked alongside Michelle Williams. She was also cast in the "Fighting Temptations" with Cuba Gooding Jr. and Beyonce Knowles. Ann is planning to dive deeper into acting, particularly in films, but she is not abandoning her music anytime soon. "My love for theatre is really the second world for me because I enjoy singing," Mrs. Nesby explains.
Check out Ann a preview of Ann Nesby's new album, Living My Life.
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