Melanie Fiona Talks Upcoming EP, Hiatus From New Music, Balancing Career & Family (Exclusive Interview)

There was such excitement among R&B lovers when Melanie Fiona returned recently with new music. After all, she had been on quite a lengthy hiatus from releasing new songs, and her last album came out over a decade ago.

When she originally came out in the late 2000’s, she immediately captivated us with her unique sound, powerful vocals, and dynamic live show. Although she has found different ways to remain connected to her fan base over the years, these are the first new singles in many years. (Click Here To Listen)

We had a chance to catch up with Melanie Fiona for an interview to discuss her return to new music, how she manages to balance her family and her career, reflections of her debut album, what the music industry was like when she came out in the late 2000’s, what’s giving her inspiration now, and much more. Also check out some fun rapid fire type questions we asked her at the end.

YouKnowIGotSoul: Talk about your return to new music after such a long time, and how it feels to be back.

Melanie Fiona: It feels really, really great. I am really excited about this chapter. Not just from a chasing success standpoint, but from a personal accomplishment season of life. Just getting this music out, being able to connect with the fans through the music again. I’ve been connecting with them in so many different ways the past few years, but the music is the foundation. So it feels good, it’s more of a personal accomplishment that I’m really proud of myself getting to this place, I know what I had to go through to get here. I’m really happy and excited.

YouKnowIGotSoul: After such a long time away from releasing new music, how did you know this was the right time to return?

Melanie Fiona: This literlaly is just divine timing. I don’t feel like I did anything but just say yes. *Laughs* I just allowed myself to not overthink or feel like I had to be the one in control. Really just going with the natural progression of this music and the people that showed up to say “Hey, we’ll help you put it out, how can we help you? How can I be apart of the team?” So for me, it’s really just divine timing, it’s God’s plan! *Laughs* I just showed up.

YouKnowIGotSoul: You have two new singles out now, and an EP on the way as well. Tell us about the upcoming EP.

Melanie Fiona: It’s so good, I’m so excited. These two songs “Say Yes” and “I Choose You” will be on the six song EP. It’s just a collection of music that I really wanted to hear. Stuff that I wanted to vibe to, I wanted to ride in my car to, and hang out with my friends to or sing to. The name of the EP is “Say Yes”, and the theme of the EP is “What will you say yes to, and where will that take you in your life”. That’s kinda like what these songs are about for me. Saying yes to my husband, saying yes to myself, saying yes to having children, saying yes to closing a chapter and opening a new one. Just really wanting people to be connected emotionally to it, when they want a song that encompasses that, and they can find it in these six songs. Not over thinking it. Just really allowing myself to be creative, allowing myself to learn and grow, collaborating with people, working with some Canadian producers, shout out to Akil Henry who produced “I Choose You”, and Child. Just having fun, and I think that’s what people will feel in this project. A fun, light hearted, loving, genuine, version of me through these songs.

YouKnowIGotSoul: Talk about the balance of being a mother, a wife, having a family, and still trying to balance your music career and keep the fans happy and engaged.

Melanie Fiona: I think the thing I always just remember and learned in this time, it’s a journey and everyone is on a journey. In the space of entertainment and R&B, we live in such a quick, what have you done, what are you doing, culture. We forget to give people space to just be human. I don’t think there is such a thing as balance, and I think there is just the journey and in the last 10 years of my life, I’ve really been on the journey of making what balance looks like for me. There’s been a lot that’s happened and I’ve had to reshape a lot of things in life, personally and professionally. I’ve had to think about what I want the next 20 years of my life to look like. That requires set up and learning. Getting lost and finding yourself. In that time, I got married, we had a pandemic, I became an independent artist, I had two children. I think the thing we forget is that things take time. Good things take time. The good parts of me that I’m so proud of, I really discovered in this time. I think in this season of my life, I’ve set myself up to be able to give a good percentage of my capacity to my art and to being out in the space of music again, knowing that I have support and I have a family and I have a partner and I get to be able to say yes to myself. It’s great. It’s been a journey to get here.

Rapid Fire Questions:

YKIGS: Best Song on “The Bridge”.
MF: That’s a tough one. “It Kills Me”!

YKIGS: Best Song on “The MF Life”.
MF: “Wrong Side of A Love Song”

YKIGS: What Song Best Represents Who Melanie Fiona Is As An Artist.
MF: “I Want It All”. It’s an independent song that never came out, but I used it to announce my pregnancy with my son.

YKIGS: Favorite Collaboration You’ve Done.
MF: Working with Cee-Lo Green, I got two Grammy’s off of that!

YKIGS: Who Is the Best R&B Singer From Toronto.
MF: Oh my gosh! I’m going to give flowers to Deborah Cox. And Glenn Lewis!

YKIGS: If You Could Pick Any Artist To Collaborate On A Song With Right Now, Who Would It Be?
MF: I want to do a record with Brandy.

YKIGS: Pick A Producer To Collaborate With Right Now.
MF: Ryan Leslie.

Watch above for the entire interview

Photo Credit: Franco Zulueta