Los Angeles based Haitian-American singer’s devastating heartbreak unleashes a raw source of female empowerment into her music. After her hit single, **“One Job”** captivated women, she launched that new power into making her lyrics and rhythm break down female double standards.
TeaMarrr transfers anger into a passion that generates an anthem for women who fall prey to the abuse and cheating trends that female male relationships have passed as normal for centuries. In her latest track, **“Whorey Heart”** pushed her own appearance to make a play on her message; grey streaks in her hair and broken teacups, this 21-century sage reveals truth with a prescriptions of uniqueness and mystical healing. We at Flaunt, have high hopes for this modern day Amy Whinehouse while she gets ready to break the internet along with her latest teacup in her latest album, _Tea Turns To Wine._
**When talking about your basic roots and your lyrics, what is it that inspires you?**
My lyrical inspiration definitely has to be Biggie Smalls, Jay Z, Amy Winehouse. I have a very “rapper” mentality. I was one of those fans that got really sad when I would find out that an artist I liked didn’t write their own songs. So, definitely Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra inspired me because there’s something about easy listening to just speaking. Literally speaking what’s on your mind and putting it in rhythm makes something so magical. Feeling like Drake is just talking to me- even though he’s not… like at all, he literally doesn’t even have to say my name- he will just say something that I’m used to doing. It’s a really dope way of keeping it real via song, without having to say “hey I’m singing this song.” I have a manager who tries to get me to use lines out of songs and they’ll sound so familiar. I’ll be like, “What is this?” and he’ll be like “Oh my bad, you are the first to catch me.” H.E.R.’s manager will send my lyrics when we’re having a debate or something and I’ll automatically know what lyric it is. We speak in lyrics. It’s down to even when me and Kareem, my manager, when we’re just talking I’ll say something like, “Yeah, right” and he’ll be like “Oh, I liked your tone on that.” We’re constantly critiquing the words and energy and how the frequency is coming out of our mouths and we’ll be like “That’s a bar, that’s for a song.” You know, everything we say is being lyrically tested.
**I find it super interesting that you’re able to use linguistics as a jump off point. At the end of the day, there’s the poetry of everyday language that you’re using is each day. That continues on to the visuals being very strong on that and just the message in general. Do you feel like that is something that you continuously want to perpetuate and push?**
Definitely, I know that my visuals is really what sells a lot of it. A lot of people will be hear a song and think its dope but then wonder what I look like. I definitely want every visual to be a story, a comic, to be piercing, colorful and an energetic thing. I always use Earth, Fire, WInd and Water in every video, even the lyrical videos have to have one of the elements to really feel whole. There’s something about the balance of having those four elements visually in my stuff.
**Color wise, it’s very balanced in regards to the type of choices that you have picked, which I think is really great. It is a rainbow, and it isn’t overweight one side or the other, which I thought was very nice. But, we’re here to speak mostly about the new single, “Whorey Heart.”**
Yes, Whorey Heart is really about that hoe! That guy or girl that you’re crushing on always seems to have someone else. They just seem to have these constant options, and one of those options may or may not be one of your friends. You hear good stuff- everybody knows about his ex-game and it’s not like they’re angry about it but it exists and it’s continuously messing with all the girls hearts. At the same time, do I want to get this type of energy? It’s a back and forth you know, it’s like “You’re a hoe… but OH MY GOD the sex is fire… so maybe I should suck it up.”
**When are you going to be coming out for the video for that? Have you been working on that also?**
Yeah the album is basically, there is one song I want to go in and rearrange, but its basically done. Now we leaving it up to getting the deals done for each record and that kind of stuff. Its cool, it has my mom on it and my dad on it, voicemail wise. My mom acutally isn’t a voicemail, she was actually yelling at me and I recorded it because I thought it would be useful one day. There is one song on there thats going to be on BET’s, Being Mary Jane.
**Oh Cool!**
There are others but I don’t know if there are official. But yeah its like story telling about where I was, where I am at, and where I am trying to be in love. So the first few songs are very vague heartbreak situation. I was so hurt that I don’t the balls to say “I’m going to flip out if you are fucking my ex”, I was so sad, people don’t know what happened to me. I was going back in elaborating on certain things. I think “I do, but” and “Whorey Heart” are the same song but Whorey is explaining what I couldn’t on “I do” that’s why I have a whole dance break, I didn’t know what to say anymore. “Tea Turns to Wine” is very mature, I am saying the things that said before with more detail, a lot more reason, a lot more angst, a lot more soul and also i am not as hurt. Chapstick I was so hurt and now that I am not hurt I can say anything it feels like. As the album progresses we leave the Chapstick era and I am dating new people and I am obviously changing even my sexuality, I am curious. There are a lot of things that evolving as the album goes. Like hey this is who I want to be and hey this who I want to be with.
**The way your saying it is wonderful because you’re saying the same story in different type of headpsaces. Which is something that is really special in regards to your approach.**
The sound is more expensive. No one knew I could sing, they were just like “oh wow she’s good!” It sounds a lot more cinematic, theatrical. When you hear the music its like “I’m in a forest, look theres a bunny rabbit!” that’s you seeing everything and if not it feels like you been there before. It takes you through it.
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Interview conducted by [BJ Panda Bear](https://www.instagram.com/bjpandabear/?hl=en)
Photographed by [Tyren Redd](https://www.instagram.com/tyrenredd/?hl=en)
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