Like many other young singers in the world, Dejah’E has struggled with self-confidence over the course of her career. Though she’s always had a great singing voice and has been encouraged by others to showcase that God-given talent, it hasn’t been easy for her to be center stage with all eyes on her. For many years she remedied that by remaining in the background as a backup singer in two girl groups. But that was never her dream and she knew that if she didn’t push past her insecurities, she’d never realize her fullest potential.
In 2017, she finally broke through that ceiling, and now with the release of her debut album “Mark My Words,” Dejah’E is ready to show the world what a strong, confident young woman can do in the world of music and entertainment.
“I had to push myself out of my comfort zone,” she said. “It was hard and scary but totally worth it. My confidence builds every time I do something new and succeed at it. Now I love doing live shows. At first I didn’t like being on stage by myself but when I incorporated dancers into my routines, it became fun. At the album release party on Jan. 9, I had all my dancers with me and had fivepeople open for me and it was such a blast. That’s how I want all of my shows to be throughout my career, fun and entertaining.”
Dejah’E said she has been inspired by many artists over the years, and relates in particular to the late Aliyah. The way Aliyah was soft-spoken and introverted but also projected an air of confidence and power every time she performed is something Dejah’E said she wants to emulate. In the same ways that she looked up to Aliyah when she was growing up, Dejah’E said she is conscious of how other girls will look up to her and will be watching closely how she walks through her ever evolving career.
“I realize that a lot of people see me coming up and are looking at me,” she said. “A lot of times I get random messages from people saying I inspire them. They might tell me they want to do music but are too shy, and it feels so good to know that I’m helping people achieve their dreams, too. That’s what I want to be about. I want to inspire people to chase their wildest dreams and live their best lives. If God gives you a vision, He will fulfill it. You just have to have the courage to go for it.”
Dejah’E said the release of her new album is a perfect example of realizing her dreams. It was a project that took two years to complete, but she’s proud of the final product and is excited for more and more people around the world to get a taste of the new sound she’s created called “Hip-Pop.” It’s a style that she describes as sweet melodies and harmonies coupled with catchy beats and expressive vocals. This is perhaps no more perfectly put on display than through her debut single “That Button.”
“It’s a song about how someone can push your buttons so far that you just snap,” she said. “You don’t want to take it that far, and though you keep warning them they just keep pushing those buttons. I can be the nicest, sweetest person but if you push my buttons, I can snap. I think that’s very relatable to other women. Sometimes we can snap out when we’re treated wrong for so long. And really, I think there’s a good side and a crazy side to every person. This song is about that.”
Dejah’E said she hopes that this song and the album will continue to reach an ever-widening audience and that her name and reputation can grow internationally over the next year. She’s hopeful to take her show on the road this summer with a full tour, and can’t wait for more people to “feel my music and connect with it.”
