ALONZO
Photo credit: Tony Bowen Photography
I instantly LOVED ALONZO’s new single “Respect”. The production and the message behind the song are my favorite things. I read his Instagram post about the song last night and it made me want to support artists even more. I will never part of these people who think that having a lot of followers and streams will make you more important and more relevant and more talented. Music should always comes first. ALONZO is fucking talented and from what I read of him so far, he’s someone who worked really hard to get to where he is today. He is, without a doubt, an amazing talent. A true artist with a story to tell. And his voice is absolutely phenomenal.
“Respect” is an empowering song, and I’m honored to get to feature ALONZO and this song on my blog.
With that said, he will be dropping his record ENOUGH, on March 3rd and I cannot wait !
“The album is called ENOUGH because I’m done with allowing myself to be held back by perfectionism and fear. I wanted to affirm that I am enough. My talent is enough. Black people are enough. The black women that raised me are enough. Our beauty is enough. We are enough,” he says.
But until then, go stream “Respect” - out now :)
Photo credit: Tony Bowen Photography
Introduce yourself - what's your story?
My name is ALONZO. I was born in Chicago, IL but I grew up in a smaller city named Rockford, IL. After battling with anger and depression for most of my childhood, I discovered dance as an outlet. I started making a name for myself as I won every talent show in school and every talent show in the city. I then started a dance crew named “Fatally Unique”. I led Fatally-Unique to the Semi-Finals on America’s Got Talent. I realized that being a dancer/choreographer was making me successful but secretly my entire life I loved to sing. My true dream was to be a singer. One year after we finished America's Got Talent, I decided to pursue music full-time. In 2013, I responded to a craigslist ad searching for singers and dancers for an international tour. I went on to headline four tours in China 2013-2016. In 2015, I moved to Los Angeles where I’ve been fighting for my dreams ever since. In 2019, I was selected to be the lead singer of the 4 U Prince Tour. This was the first tribute tour ever approved and sanctioned by the Prince Estate. I was the first singer the Estate ever approved to sing on this tour. That same year, I started releasing music. Fast forward to now (3 singles later) I am already a Grammy contender. My life has been a story of miracles and overcoming obstacles. It’s not common that an angry little black boy from one of the country’s most dangerous cities ends up on America's Talent, going to China, and later being looked at by the Grammys voting members, but this is my story. A boy with a lot of talent whose purpose was to inspire people around the world to fight for their dreams.
How would you define ALONZO, the artist?
This is always hard for me because I have so many things. In 2 sentences I’d say, ALONZO, the artist is Rock, Pop, & Soul. ALONZO, the artist is Talent & Resilience personified.
"Respect" is your first single of the year. What's the story/inspiration behind this song?
When we first started writing “Respect”, it was more about me having a problem with record executives in the industry not giving talented musicians that have a lower social media following a chance. As we wrote more and more, it began to develop a deeper meaning. Really in the 2nd verse when I said “I don’t need words I can feel it, because I know what my worth is” I realized that this was not about me wanting someone’s approval, but about me affirming my worth as a singer, as an artist, as a black man.
Could you describe the songwriting/production process? Who helped you create it?
My full Album was co-written and produced by Eric Zayne. Our process really depends on the song. Some songs I start at home and I walk in the studio with a full vision and he brings it to life. For other songs, Eric and I just walk in the studio each a blank canvas, ready to create and we allow whatever magic possible to take place.
What did you feel when writing this song?
I felt like the song was catchy. I felt like I was getting my point across in a cool way. To this day I feel like it’s one of the coolest songs we ever wrote. It’s so simple but so fly haha
What do you like the most about this song?
The tone in which I sing the verses. I love the melody of the verses as well.
What made you want to release "Respect" as the first single of the year?
It wasn’t my first choice. I knew everyone loved the song but for some reason I wasn’t sure if I had time to release It before the album. It was really my publicist Nate from Impulse Artists that mentioned it was his favorite song on the album and that he highly recommended it being a single before I release the album. Sometimes I just trust people on my team, so in this case that’s what I did.
What can you tell us about the artwork?
That I love it! Haha. I did a promo photoshoot for this single and the photo we used for the single artwork was really a unanimous choice by my team and all of my close friends. Sometimes we have to decide between many photos about which one will be the cover. In this case we know that this photo should be the photo for the art work. The graphic designer that does all of my artwork is Nicholas Davison (@creat1ve). He’s super talented!
What message do you want to give to the black community?
LOVE, HEAL, FEEL, & KEEP FIGHTING!
What are your thoughts on today's music industry? If you could change one thing, what would it be?
I feel that the labels have gotten away from giving undiscovered talent a chance. If I could change one thing it would be for Social Media not to be so “follower-based". We now live in an industry where if you don’t have a certain number of followers and streams NO MATTER HOW TALENTED YOU ARE you still won’t be given a fair chance.
What lessons have you learned since the beginning of your career?
I've learned so many important lessons. I’d say the biggest lesson though is that the success of my career is in the power of my own hands. I used to feel like I would need someone’s help to be successful. I don’t need a record deal, I don’t need permission. All I need is my gift, my determination, and my consistency.
What is the proudest moment of your career so far?
The success of Fatally Unique on America's Got Talent.
What do you want to accomplish personally and professionally?
Personally, I want to master controlling my thoughts. So that my anxiety can be eradicated. Professionally I want to be the most successful male artist of all time with every record broken. The goal is to make history before I leave this lifetime.
What major life lessons did you learn in 2020?
Mental health is the most important component to life. I realized how important it was to take care of my MIND. It is because of my mental strength that I was able to sustain mental clarity and peace throughout the entire 2020.
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