August 14, 2025 • 34 mins
What does it mean to thrive in your skin—not just as an artist, but as a woman, a mother, and a soul who’s lived many lives before the world even saw her?
In this soul-nourishing episode of Choosing Joy, genre-bending singer-songwriter ROE joins Deborah Joy Winans Williams for an honest and vibrant conversation about identity, motherhood, music, and trusting divine timing. Known for her songwriting with Mary J. Blige, Usher, and more, ROE is now stepping boldly into her own spotlight.
From her Crenshaw roots to navigating motherhood and music as an independent artist, ROE shares how she learned to pause, reflect, and create art that feels as true as her own breath. With a warm spirit and razor-sharp creativity, she invites us into her world—and even blesses us with a live snippet of her upcoming single, “In My Skin.”
✨ This episode is for anyone figuring it out in real time. Anyone who’s put a dream on hold. Anyone choosing presence over pressure and joy over perfection.
📌 Chapters
00:00 – Wellness Sponsor Message
00:36 – Meet ROE: The Voice Behind the Hits
01:30 – Musical Roots in South LA & Crenshaw Sundays
03:00 – From Theater to Singing to Songwriting
05:00 – ROE’s Genre-Bending Identity
07:00 – Writing for Others vs. Finding Her Story
09:00 – Melody First: ROE’s Creative Process
10:30 – Motherhood & Pivot to Songwriting
12:00 – Wellness, Balance, and Priorities
14:00 – Faith, Family & Trusting the Timing
16:00 – Living to Write vs. Writing to Live
18:30 – Choosing Joy as an Independent Artist
21:00 – Stage Mishaps & Letting Go of Perfection
23:00 – Social Media & Holding Mystery
25:00 – On Balance, Presence & Purpose
26:30 – ROE’s Favorite Song: “In My Skin” (Live Snippet!)
29:00 – “This or That” Game & Final Reflections
33:00 – Closing from Deborah Joy
#ROE #ChoosingJoyPodcast #DeborahJoyWinansWilliams #BlackWomenInMusic #InMySkin #WomenInEntertainment #SongwriterToSinger #AuthenticArtist #HealingThroughMusic #FaithAndMotherhood
💬 What part of ROE’s journey moved you most—her motherhood pivot, her genre-bending honesty, or her stunning live performance?
Let us know in the comments below!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
We know back to school season can take a lot
out of you. ALI helps you prioritize your wellness with
solutions that fit seamlessly into your routine.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
We know keeping your immune system healthy is key.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
Both Women's multi and Probiotic Mango do just that. And
for nights when sleep is hard to find, grab sleep
Gummies to get you the rest that you deserve. Shot
these products and more at Ali dot com or retailers nationwide.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
That's O L l Y dot com.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
Look, she's like girl, Can I play that my hus yet? It?
I would highly recommend.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Hey, everybody, it's Deborah Joy.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
Wining's Williams and thank you so much for tuning in
to choosing Joy. Look today, I am sitting with a
beautiful When I tell you this little chocolate girl is beautiful,
a beautiful artist who has lent her pen and voice
to some of the top artists we know today Mary
(01:00):
j Usher just to name a couple.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
But she is now carving out her.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
Own path and stepping out into the spotlight in a
very major way with genre bending music and a voice Ooh,
y'all want I tell you a voice that is so
deeply rich and captivating and soul stirring. She coming for
y'all next y'all, And today she's sitting right next to me,
(01:27):
and I could not be more excited to have the
one and only beautiful row.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
Welcome darling.
Speaker 4 (01:37):
Thank you so much, Thank you for choosing joy.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
How are you? How are you today right now?
Speaker 3 (01:44):
You know what, I'm grateful more than anything. Yeah, I'm
happy and just glad to be here.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Yeah, thank you. Grateful is a good place to be.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
I find it hard to get there some days, especially
in the world that we're living in now.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
So that's that's.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
Good to be able to recognize. Oh, there's some gratefulness
in there.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
Yeah, and I work on it too.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
Come, come easy, Yeah, tell me about that.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
Well, you know what, First, I want to know your
musical roots, because your voice and the way you write
is to me second to none. So where do you
get these these musical roots? Where did they come from?
Speaker 3 (02:26):
You know what? Ever, since I was a little girl,
like my dad, he had a lowrider and we would
ride around the city. So in La there's this street
called Crenshaw, yes right, yes, where everybody will go and
take their lowriders on Sundays and they would blast their music.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Yes, that is that's that's Crumshaw.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
And is that Lamert yep, right next to Lamert.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Yes, girl.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
Every single Sunday they would go. It was like a
car club and he would just blash Janet Jackson, Anita Baker,
you know, while hitting the switches, just very la yes.
And so that was a start for me. And then
also my mom just always playing like in Vogue and
while she was cleaning and Luther Van draws. So that's
(03:12):
kind of just subconsciously gotten into me, I guess. Mm hm.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
So so when you started in music, have you always
enjoyed the writing.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
Portion of it?
Speaker 3 (03:21):
No? Actually no, I didn't get into writing until later
years later.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Really, so you just started singing, just started.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
Singing when I was five, Like, my mom has a
really cute video of me singing Stumpy and she was
it's so funny because she was watching Love Don't Cost
a Thing, right, I mean, what's the movie with the
Tina Turner the Tina Turner movie.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
Oh oh what's Love Got to Do?
Speaker 2 (03:48):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (03:49):
Okay, So as she would watch that and I would
be in the room singing that, and one day she
came to the room she was like, who is that
is that you then I was like, yeah, until ever
since then, it was just play theater, yes, slowly progressing
up to it.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
So singing has always been a desire Number one.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
So during the course of that journey of plays and
just singing, did you sing a church?
Speaker 3 (04:18):
I didn't sing it, No, because I feel like sings
that grew up in church. It's just a different caliber.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
Oh well, it's you know what, it's just a lot
of it's it's a lot of church tricks.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
They are. But you know what I love about your voice.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
It's this really authentic, beautiful blend of things that we
just wouldn't necessarily put together. So there's that that genre
bending kind of feel. And then it's the soulfulness of
it all. It's you. You ain't missing nothing. You know,
the church is blessed to have you, but you ain't
missing nothing.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
Wow. I appreciate that.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
So, on this journey of singing, did you always understand
the kind of music you wanted to sing or was
that a journey in and of itself finding a genre.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
That's a great question because that was such a huge
part of my journey, like figuring out my voice and
what I wanted to say. So no, because when I
was a teenager, I had my punk rock phase. Like
listening too when Lindsay Lohan was putting out Me Yea
and Hillary Duff, Like, yes, that was that era was
(05:32):
such a big part of my life, and so I
kind of struggled with that like okay, black girl, you
love the real pop rock, you know. So along the
way I had to find my voice, and funny enough,
that's where songwriting really really was able to shine, because
then I was able to bend into all these different
genres without necessarily having to be the face of it. Yeah,
(05:55):
so I think that was a great part of my journey. Yeah,
it was necessary.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
So when you are finding your way in these different
spaces with the talent of your pen, at what point
did you feel like, like, do you ever feel what
you're writing for these other people is a piece of you?
Or are you simply thinking this is for somebody else?
(06:21):
So let me write because almost like for me as
a character, if I am becoming some other character and
then I refer to that character, I'm like, oh, yeah,
she was very da da da da. When you think
of this music that you're writing for other people, do
you feel like it's completely outside of you or or
are you drawing things from you that are giving life
(06:42):
to those words?
Speaker 3 (06:44):
Yes and no, but mainly yes because when I work
with an artist, I'm more so there to serve. So
we kind of have like a little therapy session before,
like I'm asking you, know, what are you dealing with?
Where do you I believe that God gives you other
gifts to go along with your primary gift. Amen, So
like one of my gifts is just being able. I'm
very I have a lot of empathy. I can kind
(07:06):
of feel other people, so that helped me a lot
in my journey, you know, just being able.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
To you know, how are you feeling?
Speaker 3 (07:13):
What is something that you've been wanting to say that
you haven't been able to articulate the way you want to?
So just being there to serve, and I never feel
like I'm missing anything because I'm kind of tapping into
their spirit, their energy and helping them get out what
it is that they want to say.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
So so it's nothing about you, and it's all about
figuring out what it is they're trying to say and
they haven't been able to find the words to put
to it.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
Yeah, I mean, like my melody the skills that I
built up, that's all. But I try to I try
to feel them out and then if I was then
what would I say. Yeah, So it's not even my
story or how I would say or do anything.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
Yeah, So it works for me.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
So then as a writer, do you need a melody
before the words or do the words come and then
the melody?
Speaker 3 (08:06):
Okay, so track and then like my one of the
primary producers that I work with, he'll tell you is
sometimes I'll just come with a melody and then he'll
build it out around it. So for me, melody is
so important because if you don't know the words, you
can at least hum it, you know, right, Yeah, So
I just I always I'll just pull a mic out,
(08:30):
do what I feel, pick the best part, and then
we'll go back and put words on top of it.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
I mean, well, for me, it's I think I would
be stressed out. I would be the artist that you're like, girl,
just sit down, figure out what you want to say.
Speaker 3 (08:45):
Well, that's another thing too, Like when you go into
different rooms, I try to just do work how they
like to work flexible, So sometimes they'll have the concept
of what they want to say first and then we'll
kind of get into the melody after. But my personal favorite, Yeah, melody.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
Is melody, Melody is king. Melody is king.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
For all of you songwriters and artists out there, find
your melody.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
Ooh fine, that's actually a moment. Find your melody.
Speaker 3 (09:17):
What can we do with that?
Speaker 2 (09:18):
Look?
Speaker 1 (09:18):
Look, I know you got a melody, but in finding
your melody? So so, you've been singing all your life.
The songwriting came later. And your mother a beautiful mother
of a fifteen year old, she's fifteen. How how did
(09:39):
that shift your dreams in your career?
Speaker 3 (09:43):
How did it change a lot?
Speaker 2 (09:46):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (09:47):
Because when I first came into the game, it was
as an artist. My first record deal was with Macy Gray. Wow,
she found me a signed to her, did some touring,
you know. She he's the first person to actually kind
of pushed me to try to start doing any kind
of writing. But yeah, that was like the introduction to it. Yeah,
(10:08):
and then once I had my daughter, it was just
kind of like, Okay, I'm gonna take these first couple
of years and just kind of step back, and that's
when songwriting came into play. It was a lot more flexible.
And so now that she's you know it's my girlfriend.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
Yeah, I feel a lot more comfortable just going out
into the world. Plus my family's here, thank God for them.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
But I've never been like a I'm just a big
family person.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
You know, it didn't feel like a delayed career. It
felt like more of a redirection.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
Being transparent where you're going through it, it's going to
feel like a delay.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:50):
Absolutely. It felt like, Okay, I don't know what's going on.
I don't know what's happening. Lots of up and ups
and downs. But God, Yeah, like he'll show you. Okay,
He'll give you one little thing and say look I
got you. Yeah, keep going and there will be more
of this. Yeah. And I couldn't stop anyway even if
(11:11):
I tried.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
Yeah. So yeah, that's the way it works. What God
has for you is for you.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
Whatever road you take, you're gonna find your way right there.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
That's really beautiful.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
You talked about touring initially once you started working with
Macy Gray.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
I know tour life can be stressful.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
I mean growing up in a family where they were
constantly out, only went out a couple of times, but
a couple of times I was like, how do you
stay well.
Speaker 2 (11:40):
How do you stay healthy? What is the thing that you.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
Do, Like I had to find as a grown woman.
I didn't really know this as a child because you know,
I don't know. We were black and in church we
think about vitamins.
Speaker 2 (11:55):
Were just like the Lord gonna heal you. We have
vasoline and a ginger. You know, I'm mixed. That's what
we had.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
But when I became a grown woman, I learned about
multi vitamins. I love all these multivitamin for women. I
love their sleep because a lot of times it's very
hard to just particularly having a kid. What were your routines,
your health routines when it came to being out on
the road or even now because you are coming out
with an EP that is fire and you still have
(12:27):
a daughter who's in school, so you're balancing so many things.
What is the thing that you do that is your
foundational core of keeping healthy.
Speaker 3 (12:35):
The foundational core is, yes, you have to work out. Yes,
you as you grow, you realize what I put in
my body does affect my mood, the way I interact
in the world, the way I look all these different things.
So you know, you learn to prioritize those things. On
a day to day, I am running around a lot,
(12:56):
not gonna lize sometimes and it's not the best. It's
not the healthiest. Sometimes it doesn't energy drink Like, look, girl,
you know.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
I just need it.
Speaker 3 (13:05):
I met tache, just a little chickup. But for the
most part, I try to just like make healthy mills. Yeah,
or I'll do like a millprep here and there.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:16):
So you have a disciplined routine. That's really great, girl.
Multi vitamins, when I tell you, they changed my life
really and even with my son because my son, you know,
and I'm sure you remember this time. He's three, so
going to school at this age, you know, they have
all the cold in the world. They have viruses that
nobody should ever have. Understand straight and then a cough
(13:40):
in your face, like directly in your eyes.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
It's like, what are you doing? And why? And the
way I had to get him things.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
So multi vitamins for him, probiotics for him, I'm like, lord,
what are we doing? Yes, yes, but I wasn't really
introduced to that stuff. So that was something that I
found very helpful into motherhood and really just into my womanhood.
Speaker 3 (14:08):
Yeah. Important, so important because you need that energy to
keep going. Especially doing what we're doing.
Speaker 2 (14:14):
It's NonStop.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
You need that, it's like double energy needed.
Speaker 2 (14:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Yeah, So you started with Macy Gray and then you
set back a little bit and you got you got
your pan bag, and you've been in that bag and
now you're stepping back out.
Speaker 3 (14:29):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
Does this feel like a new version of you or
do you feel like you are reintroducing what people already knew?
Speaker 3 (14:39):
I feel like I'm at home and I feel like,
because I've been doing this behind the scenes, like this
is me. I feel like I'm feel like I'm right
where I should be. Yeah, I'm just allowing people it now. Yeah,
that's really how it feels for me, because.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
I think that you have I mean from then and
now how many years between when you got signed to
Macy Gray and now.
Speaker 3 (15:06):
Some years?
Speaker 2 (15:07):
That's some years.
Speaker 1 (15:08):
So that's some life, and that's some wisdom and some
ups and downs.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
That's multiple lives. Multiple For me, the way that it
changed was just me owning the fact that I'm not
going to create anything for three months. I'm gonna go
live have some real experiences so that I have something
to say. Yeah, otherwise, what am I contributing?
Speaker 2 (15:35):
Like?
Speaker 3 (15:35):
It doesn't feel, you know, doesn't feel authentic to me
to do that. No, I'm writing for other people, you know.
Let's say, whatever the hottest sound is out, they're like, hey,
we want this, and so you know that's that. But
when it comes to what I do in my own craft, yeah,
I like to take my time, like I'm never in
(15:55):
the rush.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
Ever, what would you say to the younger you when
you first started, after you've lived all this life and
you are where you are, what would you tell that
sweet little baby chocolate girl and her daddy's lowrider listening
(16:17):
to Anita and Janet?
Speaker 2 (16:20):
What would you tell her with all those big dreams.
Speaker 3 (16:23):
I'll tell her you're doing great. Trust allow things to
happen because they're all leading you to the vision that
you have.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
Yeah, that's what I would say.
Speaker 1 (16:36):
I'm so excited for the world to see you in
this way. I think a lot of times we as
women can sort of get caught up in what we
think people want and what we think we need to
be and have to be. But you have lived and
it feels like in a way that's like, Oh, I
(16:57):
have found my true authentic self and I'm not changing
that for anybody. So I am going to be who
I am and I'm just gonna let you in and
you can come where you can not come. It is
what it is, which is very hard to get to.
Speaker 3 (17:12):
So you're going to talk me out of it.
Speaker 1 (17:14):
When I think of choosing joy, I think of wellness.
Here's a word from our sponsor parents. We know back
to school season can take a lot out of you.
Ali helps you prioritize your wellness with solutions that fit
seamlessly into your routine. We know keeping your immune system
healthy is key. Both Women's multi and Probiotic Mango do
(17:34):
just that. And for nights when sleep is hard to find,
grab sleep gummies to get you the rest that you deserve.
Shot these products and more at Ali dot com or
retailers nationwide. That's O L l Y dot com. I
don't want to use the wrong word because it sounds
like a it sounds like it's but it's very attractive.
(17:56):
Your resoluteness is very just as a human, it's very
attract People want to be around people that know who
they are and trust who they are and move in
their own authenticity.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
So it's very beautiful.
Speaker 3 (18:09):
It's never been put to me like that. It's beautiful.
Speaker 1 (18:16):
Is there anything looking back that you feel like it
was your hardest moment to choose joy and to choose
to see a better perspective than what was right in
front of you.
Speaker 3 (18:32):
There's I feel like those moments come often specifically though,
just because you know, I'm an indeventent artist and there's
so much that comes with that, to the point to
where sometimes it's like, okay.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
Yeah, yeah, let me absolutely agree, yes, let me hold
on a second in a few.
Speaker 3 (19:01):
Days, because that wasn't in the plan or that wasn't
you know. But I believe that it's all a part
of the growth, kind of like what we were speaking
about before the cameras started rolling, but just the growth
of showing up and facing it, and then it becomes
like a muscle and you start to like it, not like,
(19:22):
let's start to like it, but you start to kind
of not question it as much. Yeah, because it's just like, oh,
here's another thing for me to face, breakthrough, yeah, push past,
and then you eventually hopefully find your rhythm.
Speaker 2 (19:39):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (19:40):
It's a it's a it's I love that you said
it's like a muscle. It's it's it's something that you
have to work through.
Speaker 2 (19:47):
Like I hate going to.
Speaker 1 (19:49):
The gym, but I'm always happy when I leave. I'm
always happy that I did it. I'm always happy that
I got it.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
In and I know that I'm building something that is
going to hold me up when I need it to.
You know what I mean. If we don't work.
Speaker 1 (20:08):
Any of this, it ain't gonna hold us up when
we really needed to.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
Okay, So you have to work a lot of things
we don't think about. We have to work.
Speaker 1 (20:16):
Yeah, you know, you have to work that pen game.
You can't just you know. I mean maybe you.
Speaker 2 (20:21):
Can because you just you can really write.
Speaker 1 (20:24):
Thank you, But to me, every gift that you have,
as great as it is, at some point, you got
to keep working it so that you expand it and make.
Speaker 2 (20:33):
It greater and greater.
Speaker 3 (20:34):
Yeah, because as soon as you think you got it
in the bag, a moment will come towards like, oh, okay,
you need to grow a little bit more.
Speaker 2 (20:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (20:44):
So yeah, it's always going to push you.
Speaker 2 (20:46):
Have you ever had a moment on stage? And I
only ask this.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
Because I have, Have you had a moment on stage
as a singer where you went to hit a note
that was not the note?
Speaker 2 (21:01):
Honey? You said where did it go?
Speaker 3 (21:05):
What?
Speaker 1 (21:07):
First of all, like how old were you? And what
did that teach you in that space? Because that's something
that I think a lot of people are afraid of.
Speaker 2 (21:16):
They're afraid to fail.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
They're afraid that if I get up there and I
do this and then I don't hit what I'm supposed
to hit, people gonna laugh, People are gonna do people
gonnada da da da. What is the thing that gets
you over that hump, that lets you know I'm still
gonna get on the stage, I'm still gonna keep singing.
Speaker 2 (21:33):
I'm still gonna go for that note again. How do
you push past?
Speaker 3 (21:36):
Honey? That happened to me? I did this sunset performance
in bel Air. It was like two or three years ago,
and there's a note that I was meant to hit
right and then I went for it and she caught it.
She fell short.
Speaker 2 (21:52):
Uh huh, she's a little loach. I love it, uh huh.
Speaker 3 (21:58):
But then I had to do it again and then
I made up for it. And the only reason why
I was able to do that is because like, and
this may be a maturity growth thing, but people don't
really care. Girl. Yeah it's like they'll care, but then
it's like, Okay, what's the next exciting moment or whatever.
I think we care way more than when people actually care. Yeah,
(22:21):
and that's something that I'm actually proud of. It's beautiful
being able to embody like because that was hard. If
this is not right, that's if everything's not perfect, I'm
not going I'm not showing up.
Speaker 1 (22:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (22:36):
Now I just I realized, like, go take your moment,
have your moment. Nobody cares the way that you think
that they do.
Speaker 2 (22:44):
Yeah, when do you think you came to the realization.
Speaker 3 (22:47):
It's probably just slasher. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
I love it.
Speaker 3 (22:51):
By having forcing myself because I'm kind of like an
introvert a little bit. So this new era of social
media really pushed me.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
Yeah, out of.
Speaker 3 (23:01):
My comfort zone. If I can be like transparent, absolutely,
you know, the stars and people that I admire, they
had a lot of mystery. They had a lot of like,
you know, I'm not going to let you in. Yeah,
you get the music and that's it. Or you get
the movie or the whatever.
Speaker 2 (23:17):
Yeah and that's it. You know.
Speaker 3 (23:19):
And there was a lot more pandemonium too at that time.
Speaker 2 (23:21):
Because absolutely sometimes.
Speaker 3 (23:23):
I struggle with that. But now where I have to
step out. It's I'm glad because it's helping me. You know,
I'm kind of shy a little bit.
Speaker 2 (23:33):
So yeah, yeah, but that also adds to just.
Speaker 1 (23:37):
The mystique that is row you don't have to you know,
everything doesn't have to be on social There's something about
you still that I think you can always hold close.
You can share what you want, but nobody because there
is an air of just almost like this nineteen fifties
glam kind of you know what I mean, like this,
(23:59):
Like so I see that, I get that. It's it's
I'm going to let you in. I'm gonna be kind,
I'm going to give you what I need to give you.
But there's still some that I feel you have reserved
for yourself, which is beautiful. Absolutely, and that's intentional.
Speaker 3 (24:16):
I mean it's it's intentional, but it's internal, that's just
naturally just how I am.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
Yeah, it's not like a thing that I'm trying to do. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (24:25):
So do you feel like I just only a couple
more questions than you're gonna play a game of Chris,
But do you feel like you really have a handle
on balance when it comes to because now you're coming
out with this new record and you've got your family,
and I'm sure you've got your friends and relationships. Have
(24:46):
you found the balance of work, self care, and family
and and in like not losing your mind with all
of those things working.
Speaker 3 (24:59):
I thank you kind of like lose your mind in
it while you're doing it. It's like you know that saying,
do it afraid anyway?
Speaker 2 (25:07):
Oh yeah, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (25:08):
It's one thing that I'm learning is kind of how
to focus on what's in front of me. Right. I
don't have it perfect. I don't think i'll probably ever
have it perfect.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
But we're not.
Speaker 3 (25:20):
We're not. Yeah, that's the fun. That's the beauty of it. Yea,
to have it one thousand years together. But Okay, when
I'm here and i'm working, that's what I'm doing.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (25:31):
I mean my child she can always intercede in that anytime. Absolutely,
But okay, when it's mommy's time, when I'm taking my
girl to school picking her up, I'm fully present. I
just try to always be present.
Speaker 2 (25:43):
Be present.
Speaker 3 (25:44):
I think that's the key.
Speaker 2 (25:45):
That's key. It is key. Be present with whatever you're doing.
Speaker 3 (25:48):
Yeah, you're on your dating, be there, be there, don't
think about work, think about all these like, be present.
Speaker 1 (25:54):
Yeah, because time is something you don't get back, so
if you're going to give it to anybody, then they
should be valuable enough to really be present in that moment.
Speaker 3 (26:06):
No, that's great too, because it's like then the more
busy you get, the more particular you are with your time,
so all the things, it's kind of you're doing what
you want to do anyway, So it's not hard, it's
not hard to focus on that.
Speaker 1 (26:19):
Yeah, I want to know what your favorite song is
from your upcoming EP, and I want to know.
Speaker 2 (26:27):
I want to know your favorite song. I want to know.
Speaker 1 (26:31):
Why you wrote it, and I want to know if no, no, no,
I'll save that for latter. Okay, I want to know
your favorite song and why you wrote it.
Speaker 3 (26:46):
My favorite song of mine on this current project. Yes,
I'm gonna say it's a song that I wrote called
in my.
Speaker 1 (26:56):
Skin, in my skin, beautiful skin, it is in my skin?
Speaker 2 (27:04):
Why did you write in my Skin?
Speaker 3 (27:08):
Because, like, have you ever felt that feeling for someone
where it's like I love you and I can tell
you that I love you, but I don't feel like
that's enough when you don't really get how I feel
about you, and it's like like I want it. I
want you in my skin. I want to be in
(27:28):
your skin, like, not just hugging you, not just cuddling
with you.
Speaker 2 (27:32):
But but I'm meld.
Speaker 1 (27:34):
Can we just a meld together. I can't wait to
hear it in my skin.
Speaker 3 (27:42):
And it's so beautiful. There's all these strings, yes, live strings. Yes,
it's very sexy, very intimate. Yeah, and yeah, that's one
of my favorites.
Speaker 2 (27:53):
I am so excited.
Speaker 1 (27:57):
I'm typically not this person, So you can say no,
I promise you, Okay.
Speaker 2 (28:00):
Can I just hear a little bit of it, musky.
Speaker 5 (28:04):
I'm just a small tanch. I'm gonna get this money.
But when I get home, I'm gonna need you and
muskin and my skin.
Speaker 4 (28:17):
Yeah, and don't be acting funny because I've been gone.
I want to get home on you and my skin,
my skin.
Speaker 3 (28:33):
It gets a little explicit look.
Speaker 2 (28:39):
She's like, girl, can I.
Speaker 3 (28:45):
Play that on my h Yes, I would highly recommend.
But you might come.
Speaker 2 (28:51):
Out with another NELSI And here's the thing. This is
where we draw the line, so you might want to
wait on that one.
Speaker 3 (28:58):
Man.
Speaker 1 (29:00):
Oh my god, yes, row.
Speaker 2 (29:06):
Girl. I don't know if y'all.
Speaker 1 (29:07):
I don't know if y'all ready. I'm ready, but I
don't know if they're ready.
Speaker 2 (29:11):
Are you all ready ready? For in my skin? That
was beautiful?
Speaker 1 (29:19):
I can't wait for the world to see money. I really,
I truly can't. I truly cannot.
Speaker 2 (29:23):
Okay. So we're gonna play a game. It's gonna be
this or that, and you know what. I want to
do this in a way where.
Speaker 1 (29:35):
You answer for me and I'll answer for you, and
then we'll see what we come up with. So I'm
gonna ask the questions and then we'll turn around after
we finish writing.
Speaker 2 (29:42):
Okay, okay.
Speaker 1 (29:44):
So number one dressing up or comfy in sweats?
Speaker 3 (29:49):
Oh I'm not Gemini's, but I have to write for you,
right m.
Speaker 1 (29:56):
Number two beach day or pool day?
Speaker 2 (30:04):
Uh number three?
Speaker 1 (30:05):
And this is for all of our uh melanate as
sisters out there weave are braids. Okay, okay, okay. And
then this is the last one. And honestly, I think
(30:25):
we're gonna say the same thing.
Speaker 3 (30:27):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (30:28):
Is it five o'clock somewhere or is it five o'clock yet?
Speaker 3 (30:41):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (30:41):
I can't okay spell?
Speaker 1 (30:43):
Okay, Okay, I mean, how do you feel?
Speaker 2 (30:47):
How do you feel about your answers.
Speaker 3 (30:49):
I feel like I might have it in the bag.
Speaker 2 (30:51):
Yeah, you can have it.
Speaker 1 (30:51):
Ade Okay, I feel a little bit iffy about to,
but I think I think we're gonna see it.
Speaker 2 (30:57):
That was one where I.
Speaker 1 (30:57):
Was like, I don't know, but we'll see.
Speaker 2 (31:01):
We'll see if we are best friends.
Speaker 1 (31:04):
Okay, Okay, I am a comfy sweats person.
Speaker 2 (31:11):
Are you comfy sweat or do you like to dress up?
I put dress up?
Speaker 3 (31:15):
I'm cow.
Speaker 1 (31:18):
Oh, so you know what?
Speaker 2 (31:19):
Why try to blame me? Okay? What was the second one? Okay,
beach day or pool day?
Speaker 3 (31:25):
I'm a beach day girl.
Speaker 2 (31:26):
Your beach. You don't mind all the sand.
Speaker 3 (31:30):
I'll do the pool for convenience. But I'm a beach girl.
Speaker 2 (31:35):
Okay, So I got that wrong. I'm for sure a
pool girl.
Speaker 3 (31:37):
Okay I put pool.
Speaker 2 (31:38):
Yeah, I'm for sure pool. So you got that right. Okay.
We were braids.
Speaker 3 (31:45):
Weave, you got me, I got Okay? Are you braids
for sure? Okay? For sure?
Speaker 1 (31:52):
You do, and you do, but sometimes you can't really
get to it, and then that's when i'm That's when
I'll be struggling.
Speaker 3 (31:57):
That's true.
Speaker 1 (31:57):
Okay, So are you a It's five o'clock or is
it five o'clock yet?
Speaker 3 (32:03):
I'm somewhere for sure? Did you yet you're somewhere.
Speaker 2 (32:14):
It's five o'clock somewhere? Okay, yeah, okay, I love it.
I mean we were very close.
Speaker 3 (32:20):
I feel for each other.
Speaker 2 (32:23):
Yeah, we just need more time. We need to be
in your skin. Yes, how about that? How about that? Actually,
that's what we need to walk away with.
Speaker 1 (32:36):
How you have chosen Joy in your.
Speaker 2 (32:43):
Skin, in your skin.
Speaker 1 (32:48):
You got to hear a snippet today, you already know
it's absolutely beautiful. She's beautiful. U. That's the thing that's
even more beautiful than the music. It comes from a
beautiful soul who has lived and has learned and is
continuing to grow, and she's just letting us in. And
so I'm grateful that you let us in. I'm grateful
(33:11):
that you have chosen Joy. I know that you were
happy when you walked in. I pray that you are
even happier leaving. Yes, And I am just dreaming big
things for you. This album is going to be is
absolutely incredible, and I just can't wait for the world
to see you in this way.
Speaker 2 (33:29):
Ro thank you for.
Speaker 1 (33:31):
Being here, of course, of course, and you just gave
like the best snippet of life.
Speaker 3 (33:38):
I'm so glad you love it.
Speaker 2 (33:40):
Hi, my name is.
Speaker 1 (33:41):
Debah Joy Winen's Williams. Thank you so much for tuning
into Choosing Joy. We just got to talk to the beautiful,
delightful artist Row, and I know that I am walking
away with understanding that I thrive when I am in
my skin. Let me know what you liked about this,
and let us know what you want to hear more of.
(34:02):
Thank you so much for choosing Joy. Hit that like
button subscribe to our channel. Thank you so much.
We know back to school season can take a lot
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Speaker 2 (00:08):
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Speaker 1 (00:11):
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Speaker 2 (00:25):
That's O L l Y dot com.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
Look, she's like girl, Can I play that my hus yet? It?
I would highly recommend.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Hey, everybody, it's Deborah Joy.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
Wining's Williams and thank you so much for tuning in
to choosing Joy. Look today, I am sitting with a
beautiful When I tell you this little chocolate girl is beautiful,
a beautiful artist who has lent her pen and voice
to some of the top artists we know today Mary
(01:00):
j Usher just to name a couple.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
But she is now carving out her.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
Own path and stepping out into the spotlight in a
very major way with genre bending music and a voice Ooh,
y'all want I tell you a voice that is so
deeply rich and captivating and soul stirring. She coming for
y'all next y'all, And today she's sitting right next to me,
(01:27):
and I could not be more excited to have the
one and only beautiful row.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
Welcome darling.
Speaker 4 (01:37):
Thank you so much, Thank you for choosing joy.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
How are you? How are you today right now?
Speaker 3 (01:44):
You know what, I'm grateful more than anything. Yeah, I'm
happy and just glad to be here.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Yeah, thank you. Grateful is a good place to be.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
I find it hard to get there some days, especially
in the world that we're living in now.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
So that's that's.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
Good to be able to recognize. Oh, there's some gratefulness
in there.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
Yeah, and I work on it too.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
Come, come easy, Yeah, tell me about that.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
Well, you know what, First, I want to know your
musical roots, because your voice and the way you write
is to me second to none. So where do you
get these these musical roots? Where did they come from?
Speaker 3 (02:26):
You know what? Ever, since I was a little girl,
like my dad, he had a lowrider and we would
ride around the city. So in La there's this street
called Crenshaw, yes right, yes, where everybody will go and
take their lowriders on Sundays and they would blast their music.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Yes, that is that's that's Crumshaw.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
And is that Lamert yep, right next to Lamert.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Yes, girl.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
Every single Sunday they would go. It was like a
car club and he would just blash Janet Jackson, Anita Baker,
you know, while hitting the switches, just very la yes.
And so that was a start for me. And then
also my mom just always playing like in Vogue and
while she was cleaning and Luther Van draws. So that's
(03:12):
kind of just subconsciously gotten into me, I guess. Mm hm.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
So so when you started in music, have you always
enjoyed the writing.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
Portion of it?
Speaker 3 (03:21):
No? Actually no, I didn't get into writing until later
years later.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Really, so you just started singing, just started.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
Singing when I was five, Like, my mom has a
really cute video of me singing Stumpy and she was
it's so funny because she was watching Love Don't Cost
a Thing, right, I mean, what's the movie with the
Tina Turner the Tina Turner movie.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
Oh oh what's Love Got to Do?
Speaker 2 (03:48):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (03:49):
Okay, So as she would watch that and I would
be in the room singing that, and one day she
came to the room she was like, who is that
is that you then I was like, yeah, until ever
since then, it was just play theater, yes, slowly progressing
up to it.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
So singing has always been a desire Number one.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
So during the course of that journey of plays and
just singing, did you sing a church?
Speaker 3 (04:18):
I didn't sing it, No, because I feel like sings
that grew up in church. It's just a different caliber.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
Oh well, it's you know what, it's just a lot
of it's it's a lot of church tricks.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
They are. But you know what I love about your voice.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
It's this really authentic, beautiful blend of things that we
just wouldn't necessarily put together. So there's that that genre
bending kind of feel. And then it's the soulfulness of
it all. It's you. You ain't missing nothing. You know,
the church is blessed to have you, but you ain't
missing nothing.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
Wow. I appreciate that.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
So, on this journey of singing, did you always understand
the kind of music you wanted to sing or was
that a journey in and of itself finding a genre.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
That's a great question because that was such a huge
part of my journey, like figuring out my voice and
what I wanted to say. So no, because when I
was a teenager, I had my punk rock phase. Like
listening too when Lindsay Lohan was putting out Me Yea
and Hillary Duff, Like, yes, that was that era was
(05:32):
such a big part of my life, and so I
kind of struggled with that like okay, black girl, you
love the real pop rock, you know. So along the
way I had to find my voice, and funny enough,
that's where songwriting really really was able to shine, because
then I was able to bend into all these different
genres without necessarily having to be the face of it. Yeah,
(05:55):
so I think that was a great part of my journey. Yeah,
it was necessary.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
So when you are finding your way in these different
spaces with the talent of your pen, at what point
did you feel like, like, do you ever feel what
you're writing for these other people is a piece of you?
Or are you simply thinking this is for somebody else?
(06:21):
So let me write because almost like for me as
a character, if I am becoming some other character and
then I refer to that character, I'm like, oh, yeah,
she was very da da da da. When you think
of this music that you're writing for other people, do
you feel like it's completely outside of you or or
are you drawing things from you that are giving life
(06:42):
to those words?
Speaker 3 (06:44):
Yes and no, but mainly yes because when I work
with an artist, I'm more so there to serve. So
we kind of have like a little therapy session before,
like I'm asking you, know, what are you dealing with?
Where do you I believe that God gives you other
gifts to go along with your primary gift. Amen, So
like one of my gifts is just being able. I'm
very I have a lot of empathy. I can kind
(07:06):
of feel other people, so that helped me a lot
in my journey, you know, just being able.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
To you know, how are you feeling?
Speaker 3 (07:13):
What is something that you've been wanting to say that
you haven't been able to articulate the way you want to?
So just being there to serve, and I never feel
like I'm missing anything because I'm kind of tapping into
their spirit, their energy and helping them get out what
it is that they want to say.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
So so it's nothing about you, and it's all about
figuring out what it is they're trying to say and
they haven't been able to find the words to put
to it.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
Yeah, I mean, like my melody the skills that I
built up, that's all. But I try to I try
to feel them out and then if I was then
what would I say. Yeah, So it's not even my
story or how I would say or do anything.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
Yeah, So it works for me.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
So then as a writer, do you need a melody
before the words or do the words come and then
the melody?
Speaker 3 (08:06):
Okay, so track and then like my one of the
primary producers that I work with, he'll tell you is
sometimes I'll just come with a melody and then he'll
build it out around it. So for me, melody is
so important because if you don't know the words, you
can at least hum it, you know, right, Yeah, So
I just I always I'll just pull a mic out,
(08:30):
do what I feel, pick the best part, and then
we'll go back and put words on top of it.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
I mean, well, for me, it's I think I would
be stressed out. I would be the artist that you're like, girl,
just sit down, figure out what you want to say.
Speaker 3 (08:45):
Well, that's another thing too, Like when you go into
different rooms, I try to just do work how they
like to work flexible, So sometimes they'll have the concept
of what they want to say first and then we'll
kind of get into the melody after. But my personal favorite, Yeah, melody.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
Is melody, Melody is king. Melody is king.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
For all of you songwriters and artists out there, find
your melody.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
Ooh fine, that's actually a moment. Find your melody.
Speaker 3 (09:17):
What can we do with that?
Speaker 2 (09:18):
Look?
Speaker 1 (09:18):
Look, I know you got a melody, but in finding
your melody? So so, you've been singing all your life.
The songwriting came later. And your mother a beautiful mother
of a fifteen year old, she's fifteen. How how did
(09:39):
that shift your dreams in your career?
Speaker 3 (09:43):
How did it change a lot?
Speaker 2 (09:46):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (09:47):
Because when I first came into the game, it was
as an artist. My first record deal was with Macy Gray. Wow,
she found me a signed to her, did some touring,
you know. She he's the first person to actually kind
of pushed me to try to start doing any kind
of writing. But yeah, that was like the introduction to it. Yeah,
(10:08):
and then once I had my daughter, it was just
kind of like, Okay, I'm gonna take these first couple
of years and just kind of step back, and that's
when songwriting came into play. It was a lot more flexible.
And so now that she's you know it's my girlfriend.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
Yeah, I feel a lot more comfortable just going out
into the world. Plus my family's here, thank God for them.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
But I've never been like a I'm just a big
family person.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
You know, it didn't feel like a delayed career. It
felt like more of a redirection.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
Being transparent where you're going through it, it's going to
feel like a delay.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:50):
Absolutely. It felt like, Okay, I don't know what's going on.
I don't know what's happening. Lots of up and ups
and downs. But God, Yeah, like he'll show you. Okay,
He'll give you one little thing and say look I
got you. Yeah, keep going and there will be more
of this. Yeah. And I couldn't stop anyway even if
(11:11):
I tried.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
Yeah. So yeah, that's the way it works. What God
has for you is for you.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
Whatever road you take, you're gonna find your way right there.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
That's really beautiful.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
You talked about touring initially once you started working with
Macy Gray.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
I know tour life can be stressful.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
I mean growing up in a family where they were
constantly out, only went out a couple of times, but
a couple of times I was like, how do you
stay well.
Speaker 2 (11:40):
How do you stay healthy? What is the thing that you.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
Do, Like I had to find as a grown woman.
I didn't really know this as a child because you know,
I don't know. We were black and in church we
think about vitamins.
Speaker 2 (11:55):
Were just like the Lord gonna heal you. We have
vasoline and a ginger. You know, I'm mixed. That's what
we had.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
But when I became a grown woman, I learned about
multi vitamins. I love all these multivitamin for women. I
love their sleep because a lot of times it's very
hard to just particularly having a kid. What were your routines,
your health routines when it came to being out on
the road or even now because you are coming out
with an EP that is fire and you still have
(12:27):
a daughter who's in school, so you're balancing so many things.
What is the thing that you do that is your
foundational core of keeping healthy.
Speaker 3 (12:35):
The foundational core is, yes, you have to work out. Yes,
you as you grow, you realize what I put in
my body does affect my mood, the way I interact
in the world, the way I look all these different things.
So you know, you learn to prioritize those things. On
a day to day, I am running around a lot,
(12:56):
not gonna lize sometimes and it's not the best. It's
not the healthiest. Sometimes it doesn't energy drink Like, look, girl,
you know.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
I just need it.
Speaker 3 (13:05):
I met tache, just a little chickup. But for the
most part, I try to just like make healthy mills. Yeah,
or I'll do like a millprep here and there.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:16):
So you have a disciplined routine. That's really great, girl.
Multi vitamins, when I tell you, they changed my life
really and even with my son because my son, you know,
and I'm sure you remember this time. He's three, so
going to school at this age, you know, they have
all the cold in the world. They have viruses that
nobody should ever have. Understand straight and then a cough
(13:40):
in your face, like directly in your eyes.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
It's like, what are you doing? And why? And the
way I had to get him things.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
So multi vitamins for him, probiotics for him, I'm like, lord,
what are we doing? Yes, yes, but I wasn't really
introduced to that stuff. So that was something that I
found very helpful into motherhood and really just into my womanhood.
Speaker 3 (14:08):
Yeah. Important, so important because you need that energy to
keep going. Especially doing what we're doing.
Speaker 2 (14:14):
It's NonStop.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
You need that, it's like double energy needed.
Speaker 2 (14:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Yeah, So you started with Macy Gray and then you
set back a little bit and you got you got
your pan bag, and you've been in that bag and
now you're stepping back out.
Speaker 3 (14:29):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
Does this feel like a new version of you or
do you feel like you are reintroducing what people already knew?
Speaker 3 (14:39):
I feel like I'm at home and I feel like,
because I've been doing this behind the scenes, like this
is me. I feel like I'm feel like I'm right
where I should be. Yeah, I'm just allowing people it now. Yeah,
that's really how it feels for me, because.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
I think that you have I mean from then and
now how many years between when you got signed to
Macy Gray and now.
Speaker 3 (15:06):
Some years?
Speaker 2 (15:07):
That's some years.
Speaker 1 (15:08):
So that's some life, and that's some wisdom and some
ups and downs.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
That's multiple lives. Multiple For me, the way that it
changed was just me owning the fact that I'm not
going to create anything for three months. I'm gonna go
live have some real experiences so that I have something
to say. Yeah, otherwise, what am I contributing?
Speaker 2 (15:35):
Like?
Speaker 3 (15:35):
It doesn't feel, you know, doesn't feel authentic to me
to do that. No, I'm writing for other people, you know.
Let's say, whatever the hottest sound is out, they're like, hey,
we want this, and so you know that's that. But
when it comes to what I do in my own craft, yeah,
I like to take my time, like I'm never in
(15:55):
the rush.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
Ever, what would you say to the younger you when
you first started, after you've lived all this life and
you are where you are, what would you tell that
sweet little baby chocolate girl and her daddy's lowrider listening
(16:17):
to Anita and Janet?
Speaker 2 (16:20):
What would you tell her with all those big dreams.
Speaker 3 (16:23):
I'll tell her you're doing great. Trust allow things to
happen because they're all leading you to the vision that
you have.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
Yeah, that's what I would say.
Speaker 1 (16:36):
I'm so excited for the world to see you in
this way. I think a lot of times we as
women can sort of get caught up in what we
think people want and what we think we need to
be and have to be. But you have lived and
it feels like in a way that's like, Oh, I
(16:57):
have found my true authentic self and I'm not changing
that for anybody. So I am going to be who
I am and I'm just gonna let you in and
you can come where you can not come. It is
what it is, which is very hard to get to.
Speaker 3 (17:12):
So you're going to talk me out of it.
Speaker 1 (17:14):
When I think of choosing joy, I think of wellness.
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(17:34):
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don't want to use the wrong word because it sounds
like a it sounds like it's but it's very attractive.
(17:56):
Your resoluteness is very just as a human, it's very
attract People want to be around people that know who
they are and trust who they are and move in
their own authenticity.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
So it's very beautiful.
Speaker 3 (18:09):
It's never been put to me like that. It's beautiful.
Speaker 1 (18:16):
Is there anything looking back that you feel like it
was your hardest moment to choose joy and to choose
to see a better perspective than what was right in
front of you.
Speaker 3 (18:32):
There's I feel like those moments come often specifically though,
just because you know, I'm an indeventent artist and there's
so much that comes with that, to the point to
where sometimes it's like, okay.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
Yeah, yeah, let me absolutely agree, yes, let me hold
on a second in a few.
Speaker 3 (19:01):
Days, because that wasn't in the plan or that wasn't
you know. But I believe that it's all a part
of the growth, kind of like what we were speaking
about before the cameras started rolling, but just the growth
of showing up and facing it, and then it becomes
like a muscle and you start to like it, not like,
(19:22):
let's start to like it, but you start to kind
of not question it as much. Yeah, because it's just like, oh,
here's another thing for me to face, breakthrough, yeah, push past,
and then you eventually hopefully find your rhythm.
Speaker 2 (19:39):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (19:40):
It's a it's a it's I love that you said
it's like a muscle. It's it's it's something that you
have to work through.
Speaker 2 (19:47):
Like I hate going to.
Speaker 1 (19:49):
The gym, but I'm always happy when I leave. I'm
always happy that I did it. I'm always happy that
I got it.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
In and I know that I'm building something that is
going to hold me up when I need it to.
You know what I mean. If we don't work.
Speaker 1 (20:08):
Any of this, it ain't gonna hold us up when
we really needed to.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
Okay, So you have to work a lot of things
we don't think about. We have to work.
Speaker 1 (20:16):
Yeah, you know, you have to work that pen game.
You can't just you know. I mean maybe you.
Speaker 2 (20:21):
Can because you just you can really write.
Speaker 1 (20:24):
Thank you, But to me, every gift that you have,
as great as it is, at some point, you got
to keep working it so that you expand it and make.
Speaker 2 (20:33):
It greater and greater.
Speaker 3 (20:34):
Yeah, because as soon as you think you got it
in the bag, a moment will come towards like, oh, okay,
you need to grow a little bit more.
Speaker 2 (20:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (20:44):
So yeah, it's always going to push you.
Speaker 2 (20:46):
Have you ever had a moment on stage? And I
only ask this.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
Because I have, Have you had a moment on stage
as a singer where you went to hit a note
that was not the note?
Speaker 2 (21:01):
Honey? You said where did it go?
Speaker 3 (21:05):
What?
Speaker 1 (21:07):
First of all, like how old were you? And what
did that teach you in that space? Because that's something
that I think a lot of people are afraid of.
Speaker 2 (21:16):
They're afraid to fail.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
They're afraid that if I get up there and I
do this and then I don't hit what I'm supposed
to hit, people gonna laugh, People are gonna do people
gonnada da da da. What is the thing that gets
you over that hump, that lets you know I'm still
gonna get on the stage, I'm still gonna keep singing.
Speaker 2 (21:33):
I'm still gonna go for that note again. How do
you push past?
Speaker 3 (21:36):
Honey? That happened to me? I did this sunset performance
in bel Air. It was like two or three years ago,
and there's a note that I was meant to hit
right and then I went for it and she caught it.
She fell short.
Speaker 2 (21:52):
Uh huh, she's a little loach. I love it, uh huh.
Speaker 3 (21:58):
But then I had to do it again and then
I made up for it. And the only reason why
I was able to do that is because like, and
this may be a maturity growth thing, but people don't
really care. Girl. Yeah it's like they'll care, but then
it's like, Okay, what's the next exciting moment or whatever.
I think we care way more than when people actually care. Yeah,
(22:21):
and that's something that I'm actually proud of. It's beautiful
being able to embody like because that was hard. If
this is not right, that's if everything's not perfect, I'm
not going I'm not showing up.
Speaker 1 (22:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (22:36):
Now I just I realized, like, go take your moment,
have your moment. Nobody cares the way that you think
that they do.
Speaker 2 (22:44):
Yeah, when do you think you came to the realization.
Speaker 3 (22:47):
It's probably just slasher. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
I love it.
Speaker 3 (22:51):
By having forcing myself because I'm kind of like an
introvert a little bit. So this new era of social
media really pushed me.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
Yeah, out of.
Speaker 3 (23:01):
My comfort zone. If I can be like transparent, absolutely,
you know, the stars and people that I admire, they
had a lot of mystery. They had a lot of like,
you know, I'm not going to let you in. Yeah,
you get the music and that's it. Or you get
the movie or the whatever.
Speaker 2 (23:17):
Yeah and that's it. You know.
Speaker 3 (23:19):
And there was a lot more pandemonium too at that time.
Speaker 2 (23:21):
Because absolutely sometimes.
Speaker 3 (23:23):
I struggle with that. But now where I have to
step out. It's I'm glad because it's helping me. You know,
I'm kind of shy a little bit.
Speaker 2 (23:33):
So yeah, yeah, but that also adds to just.
Speaker 1 (23:37):
The mystique that is row you don't have to you know,
everything doesn't have to be on social There's something about
you still that I think you can always hold close.
You can share what you want, but nobody because there
is an air of just almost like this nineteen fifties
glam kind of you know what I mean, like this,
(23:59):
Like so I see that, I get that. It's it's
I'm going to let you in. I'm gonna be kind,
I'm going to give you what I need to give you.
But there's still some that I feel you have reserved
for yourself, which is beautiful. Absolutely, and that's intentional.
Speaker 3 (24:16):
I mean it's it's intentional, but it's internal, that's just
naturally just how I am.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
Yeah, it's not like a thing that I'm trying to do. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (24:25):
So do you feel like I just only a couple
more questions than you're gonna play a game of Chris,
But do you feel like you really have a handle
on balance when it comes to because now you're coming
out with this new record and you've got your family,
and I'm sure you've got your friends and relationships. Have
(24:46):
you found the balance of work, self care, and family
and and in like not losing your mind with all
of those things working.
Speaker 3 (24:59):
I thank you kind of like lose your mind in
it while you're doing it. It's like you know that saying,
do it afraid anyway?
Speaker 2 (25:07):
Oh yeah, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (25:08):
It's one thing that I'm learning is kind of how
to focus on what's in front of me. Right. I
don't have it perfect. I don't think i'll probably ever
have it perfect.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
But we're not.
Speaker 3 (25:20):
We're not. Yeah, that's the fun. That's the beauty of it. Yea,
to have it one thousand years together. But Okay, when
I'm here and i'm working, that's what I'm doing.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (25:31):
I mean my child she can always intercede in that anytime. Absolutely,
But okay, when it's mommy's time, when I'm taking my
girl to school picking her up, I'm fully present. I
just try to always be present.
Speaker 2 (25:43):
Be present.
Speaker 3 (25:44):
I think that's the key.
Speaker 2 (25:45):
That's key. It is key. Be present with whatever you're doing.
Speaker 3 (25:48):
Yeah, you're on your dating, be there, be there, don't
think about work, think about all these like, be present.
Speaker 1 (25:54):
Yeah, because time is something you don't get back, so
if you're going to give it to anybody, then they
should be valuable enough to really be present in that moment.
Speaker 3 (26:06):
No, that's great too, because it's like then the more
busy you get, the more particular you are with your time,
so all the things, it's kind of you're doing what
you want to do anyway, So it's not hard, it's
not hard to focus on that.
Speaker 1 (26:19):
Yeah, I want to know what your favorite song is
from your upcoming EP, and I want to know.
Speaker 2 (26:27):
I want to know your favorite song. I want to know.
Speaker 1 (26:31):
Why you wrote it, and I want to know if no, no, no,
I'll save that for latter. Okay, I want to know
your favorite song and why you wrote it.
Speaker 3 (26:46):
My favorite song of mine on this current project. Yes,
I'm gonna say it's a song that I wrote called
in my.
Speaker 1 (26:56):
Skin, in my skin, beautiful skin, it is in my skin?
Speaker 2 (27:04):
Why did you write in my Skin?
Speaker 3 (27:08):
Because, like, have you ever felt that feeling for someone
where it's like I love you and I can tell
you that I love you, but I don't feel like
that's enough when you don't really get how I feel
about you, and it's like like I want it. I
want you in my skin. I want to be in
(27:28):
your skin, like, not just hugging you, not just cuddling
with you.
Speaker 2 (27:32):
But but I'm meld.
Speaker 1 (27:34):
Can we just a meld together. I can't wait to
hear it in my skin.
Speaker 3 (27:42):
And it's so beautiful. There's all these strings, yes, live strings. Yes,
it's very sexy, very intimate. Yeah, and yeah, that's one
of my favorites.
Speaker 2 (27:53):
I am so excited.
Speaker 1 (27:57):
I'm typically not this person, So you can say no,
I promise you, Okay.
Speaker 2 (28:00):
Can I just hear a little bit of it, musky.
Speaker 5 (28:04):
I'm just a small tanch. I'm gonna get this money.
But when I get home, I'm gonna need you and
muskin and my skin.
Speaker 4 (28:17):
Yeah, and don't be acting funny because I've been gone.
I want to get home on you and my skin,
my skin.
Speaker 3 (28:33):
It gets a little explicit look.
Speaker 2 (28:39):
She's like, girl, can I.
Speaker 3 (28:45):
Play that on my h Yes, I would highly recommend.
But you might come.
Speaker 2 (28:51):
Out with another NELSI And here's the thing. This is
where we draw the line, so you might want to
wait on that one.
Speaker 3 (28:58):
Man.
Speaker 1 (29:00):
Oh my god, yes, row.
Speaker 2 (29:06):
Girl. I don't know if y'all.
Speaker 1 (29:07):
I don't know if y'all ready. I'm ready, but I
don't know if they're ready.
Speaker 2 (29:11):
Are you all ready ready? For in my skin? That
was beautiful?
Speaker 1 (29:19):
I can't wait for the world to see money. I really,
I truly can't. I truly cannot.
Speaker 2 (29:23):
Okay. So we're gonna play a game. It's gonna be
this or that, and you know what. I want to
do this in a way where.
Speaker 1 (29:35):
You answer for me and I'll answer for you, and
then we'll see what we come up with. So I'm
gonna ask the questions and then we'll turn around after
we finish writing.
Speaker 2 (29:42):
Okay, okay.
Speaker 1 (29:44):
So number one dressing up or comfy in sweats?
Speaker 3 (29:49):
Oh I'm not Gemini's, but I have to write for you,
right m.
Speaker 1 (29:56):
Number two beach day or pool day?
Speaker 2 (30:04):
Uh number three?
Speaker 1 (30:05):
And this is for all of our uh melanate as
sisters out there weave are braids. Okay, okay, okay. And
then this is the last one. And honestly, I think
(30:25):
we're gonna say the same thing.
Speaker 3 (30:27):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (30:28):
Is it five o'clock somewhere or is it five o'clock yet?
Speaker 3 (30:41):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (30:41):
I can't okay spell?
Speaker 1 (30:43):
Okay, Okay, I mean, how do you feel?
Speaker 2 (30:47):
How do you feel about your answers.
Speaker 3 (30:49):
I feel like I might have it in the bag.
Speaker 2 (30:51):
Yeah, you can have it.
Speaker 1 (30:51):
Ade Okay, I feel a little bit iffy about to,
but I think I think we're gonna see it.
Speaker 2 (30:57):
That was one where I.
Speaker 1 (30:57):
Was like, I don't know, but we'll see.
Speaker 2 (31:01):
We'll see if we are best friends.
Speaker 1 (31:04):
Okay, Okay, I am a comfy sweats person.
Speaker 2 (31:11):
Are you comfy sweat or do you like to dress up?
I put dress up?
Speaker 3 (31:15):
I'm cow.
Speaker 1 (31:18):
Oh, so you know what?
Speaker 2 (31:19):
Why try to blame me? Okay? What was the second one? Okay,
beach day or pool day?
Speaker 3 (31:25):
I'm a beach day girl.
Speaker 2 (31:26):
Your beach. You don't mind all the sand.
Speaker 3 (31:30):
I'll do the pool for convenience. But I'm a beach girl.
Speaker 2 (31:35):
Okay, So I got that wrong. I'm for sure a
pool girl.
Speaker 3 (31:37):
Okay I put pool.
Speaker 2 (31:38):
Yeah, I'm for sure pool. So you got that right. Okay.
We were braids.
Speaker 3 (31:45):
Weave, you got me, I got Okay? Are you braids
for sure? Okay? For sure?
Speaker 1 (31:52):
You do, and you do, but sometimes you can't really
get to it, and then that's when i'm That's when
I'll be struggling.
Speaker 3 (31:57):
That's true.
Speaker 1 (31:57):
Okay, So are you a It's five o'clock or is
it five o'clock yet?
Speaker 3 (32:03):
I'm somewhere for sure? Did you yet you're somewhere.
Speaker 2 (32:14):
It's five o'clock somewhere? Okay, yeah, okay, I love it.
I mean we were very close.
Speaker 3 (32:20):
I feel for each other.
Speaker 2 (32:23):
Yeah, we just need more time. We need to be
in your skin. Yes, how about that? How about that? Actually,
that's what we need to walk away with.
Speaker 1 (32:36):
How you have chosen Joy in your.
Speaker 2 (32:43):
Skin, in your skin.
Speaker 1 (32:48):
You got to hear a snippet today, you already know
it's absolutely beautiful. She's beautiful. U. That's the thing that's
even more beautiful than the music. It comes from a
beautiful soul who has lived and has learned and is
continuing to grow, and she's just letting us in. And
so I'm grateful that you let us in. I'm grateful
(33:11):
that you have chosen Joy. I know that you were
happy when you walked in. I pray that you are
even happier leaving. Yes, And I am just dreaming big
things for you. This album is going to be is
absolutely incredible, and I just can't wait for the world
to see you in this way.
Speaker 2 (33:29):
Ro thank you for.
Speaker 1 (33:31):
Being here, of course, of course, and you just gave
like the best snippet of life.
Speaker 3 (33:38):
I'm so glad you love it.
Speaker 2 (33:40):
Hi, my name is.
Speaker 1 (33:41):
Debah Joy Winen's Williams. Thank you so much for tuning
into Choosing Joy. We just got to talk to the beautiful,
delightful artist Row, and I know that I am walking
away with understanding that I thrive when I am in
my skin. Let me know what you liked about this,
and let us know what you want to hear more of.
(34:02):
Thank you so much for choosing Joy. Hit that like
button subscribe to our channel. Thank you so much.
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