INTERVIEW: Sevyn Streeter Spills On Debut Album 'Girl Disrupted'

If you’re a fan of today’s R&B music and cherish when you hear new R&B tunes that gives you 1990s feels, then you’re most likely obsessed with Sevyn Streeter.

The beauty is a recording artist from Haines City, Florida and her undeniable talent is endless. When she was a youngster, Streeter was a member of two girls groups. When those didn’t work out, she found a great niche as being songwriter for some of the biggest names in the music industry. From Chris Brown, Alicia Keys, Tamar Braxton, Ariana Grande, Trey Songz, Brandy, Usher and so much more; Streeter has penned some of the biggest songs of recent years and you probably had no idea!

But now, it’s her time to shine like the star she was born to be. Streeter released her debut single “I Like It” in 2012. Since then, she’s dropped a debut EP and a number of other different singles, including some collaborations with the likes of her close friend C. Breezy, Gucci Mane and more. The public was actually supposed to get Girl Disrupted since 2015. But, it was pushed back due to a number of different personal and professional setbacks.

Finally, the wait is over. Streeter debut album is finally here for our listening pleasure. Released on Friday (July 7) – which also happens to be the singer’s birthday -- Girl Disrupted consists of 13 songs. Her hit single “My Love For You” from the album has already shot all the way up to #11 on the US Adult R&B Songs.

iHeartRadio asked the singer/songwriter about her debut project and her music background. Check out our interview with Sevyn Streeter about Girl Disrupted below.

Why did you entitle your debut album Girl Disrupted?

I called my album Girl Disrupted because it's literally what happened to me. I feel like sometimes in your life you have to disrupt some things and that's literally what I did. Sometimes voluntarily, sometimes involuntarily, but ultimately, the girl within me really did become disrupted. And a lot of the things that I went through, whether it was love lost, or heartaches, or dealing with depression, or business relationships falling apart; I had to literally disrupt that girl mentality and it forced me to become a smarter, wiser, stronger, more confident woman. I touch on that throughout my album in different ways.

Why did you decide to release your album on your birthday?

I decided to release the album on my birthday because this album isn't just for me. It has so much to do with my fans and I wanted us to have the greatest celebration ever on my birthday. I didn't want to be the only one just celebrating a birthday, I had to extend that to them. Not to mention that the sevens in my life run really deep, and my birthday is 07/07. So, to release the album on 07/07/17, it was just perfect. The timing couldn't have been any more perfect, but that's how God and sevens work. Seven means perfection and completion, and we're complete now.

What did each of the other artists featured on Girl Disrupted bring to the project that you appreciated?

Having Wiz Khalifa, Ty Dolla $ign and Jeremiah all on one record called "Anything U Want," I feel like all of the bases got covered. Wiz, the way he raps and his flow [and] his style is so distinctive. Jeremiah and his pockets, the tone of his voice, I'm obsessed with. Ty Dolla $ign and that rasp that you hear in his voice is probably one of my favorites. I love his tone, too. All three of them are incredible lyricists. They write just the coolest, most vibiest, most swaggiest stuff, and I just love them for that reason.

Having August Alsina on a song called, "Been A Minute," I just felt like a lot of times he and I share a lot of the same fans. I just feel like to add him to "Been a Minute," they would just so appreciate that. And I just love August. I think he's super talented and he just killed his verse. Then, having Dej Loaf on the album, I'm obsessed with tones. If you listen to everybody on my album, they all [have] very distinctive tones. Her tone, that high pitched, little cute, little voice of hers, but she'll say some of the realest stuff you will ever hear anybody say. I've been a fan of hers for a long time. So, all of the artists featured on the album, they just brought the most amazing vibes ever and I couldn't thank them more.

Did you write all of the songs on the album?

No, I didn't. I know people always think, ‘Okay, you're a singer songwriter and a lot of song writers are like, ‘Oh, I don't want anybody to write, I'm going to write everything.’ I've just never believed in that. I think that an incredible record, whether it comes from myself or someone else, it's just an incredible record. I've always thought that way, and I feel like sometimes receiving records from other dope writers, it just gives your album, or gives you as an artist a little bit more dimension.

For example, I have a song on my album called "Present Situation" and it was written by The Dream. Who's going to turn down a Dream record? He is one of my biggest writing inspirations. I think that he is an anomaly. Who else can write, "Umbrella" and then turn around and write "Single Ladies"? So, when it came time for Girl Disrupted, I welcomed anything he wanted to contribute to the album because I'm just such a huge fan of his.

What’s the biggest lesson you learned from transitioning from songwriter to a singer?

I just think that from writing on other people’s albums and watching how they put their track listing together, or watching how they want to add certain cords to a song, or concepts have to be flipped this way… I took all of that knowledge and I applied it to my album. So, when you hear Girl Disrupted, you're going to hear a lot of great melodies, great concepts and it's such a vibe. I'm really just excited for everybody to hear it.

Now that you’re an artist yourself, do you now understand why certain songs you previously wrote for other singers didn't make their albums?

In terms of certain songs maybe not making their albums and things like that, I completely get it because if I had it my way I would have 50 songs on this album. But, in the past I've watched several artists have to narrow down their albums and only choose the records that made the most sense. Not that the other records weren't amazing. But, at the end of the day, an album it still needs to feel cohesive. You can have different dimensions within that, but it still needs to feel cohesive.

So, I think that from writing and working with other artists, I think that's probably one of the biggest lessons that I learned was every song can't make. But, that's okay because I'm never going to stop making music. So, maybe I'll put out a project immediately after Girl Disrupted and the songs that didn't make it, I'll throw them on there.

What do you love most about music? How does your new album show this?

I love the fact that music is universal. I went on tour earlier this year and to see parents with their children, to see black people, to see Spanish people, to see white people, to see everybody from I don't what age, what gender… I saw straight people, I had gay people, [and] it doesn't matter. When you come to a Sevyn Streeter show, or when you buy in to everything Sevyn Streeter, [or] when you listen to a Sevyn Streeter album, I don't care where in the world you fit in, the music is universal and you will be able to relate to something.

So, I think that that's what I love most about music. It's blind. You listen with your ears and with your heart, and we all have ears and we all have a heart. I think that my album will definitely reflect all of that.


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