Chrisette Michele Talks Career, New Album, “Milestone”, and Things to Come With Soultrain.com

Our music partner SoulTrain.com spoke with newly-engaged, Grammy Award-winning songstress Chrisette Michele about Milestone (her new album, slated for release in the spring), the significance of the Soul Train Awards, owning her own music imprint, and why 2016 will be an exciting year for her.

SoulTrain.com: It’s been almost ten years since your first studio album. How would you
describe your journey from then to now?

Chrisette Michele: Crazy! And you’re right—it has been about ten years since we got started in this thing. I don’t know if it’s flowed or if it’s “stop and go” or up and down, but I just know that it continues. The biggest deal to me is that I’ve been able to keep going because I know many people who fell by the wayside or who have given up or stopped along the way. I’m just so grateful that, after all this time, I’ve become a young businesswoman who now owns a record label and I’ve been able to put out music myself. I think that’s what the journey is all about—getting to the place where you own things.

SoulTrain.com: Your new album, Milestone, will be released this spring. In terms of sound and style, what are you giving fans this time out? Will you be shaking things up a bit?

Chrisette Michele: I’ve been recording and creating songs for people for a really long time, so it was really important to me that the fans were satisfied. But this time, I’m gonna be a little bit selfish; the same songs that I listen to on my iPod or that I dance to when I go out, I’m gonna write and sing those songs and I’m gonna enjoy them. I think that people are gonna enjoy them with me because I’m having just that much fun.

SoulTrain.com: Besides your new music, what else can we look forward to from you in 2016?

Chrisette Michele: I’m so excited about 2016! We have the whole entire year mapped out. I’ll be doing some more television and acting, and then I’ll be going on tour for Milestone this summer. We’re doing a bunch of pop-up shops and we’re also doing the second annual “Pose ‘N Post Symposium.” At the end of the year, we’ll be doing a college tour and of course, I’m getting married, so we’re planning that, too! It’s gonna be a full year!