It almost feels like we’ve been here before when it comes to K. Michelle and whether she is genuinely immersed in country music. The Memphis-born singer made that loud and clear during a recent interview where she quickly corrected a reporter who downplayed her history with the genre.
Get this, the chat took a turn when the interviewer suggested that the public was only now starting to recognize K. Michelle in country music and questioned whether she had any real roots in the sound. They even asked what brought her to Nashville, seemingly implying it was a recent move.
K. Michelle responded without missing a beat. “I did grow up in country music. I’m from Memphis, Tennessee. I got a scholarship for yodeling and that’s how I paid for college,” she explained, silencing the doubt with real receipts. She continued by pointing out that people often assume she just started doing country because it is only now reaching their radar.
With a sharp smile, she reminded the interviewer exactly where their perspective was coming from. “This is new to you,” she said, referencing how most folks only began paying attention to her country presence after her emotional 2023 tribute to Naomi Judd. K. Michelle then addressed the elephant in the room, sharing how she has faced pushback trying to enter the space as a Black woman. “I didn’t fly here, I grew here,” she declared proudly.
Staying composed but unimpressed by the ignorance, she made it clear that she feels fulfilled, finally getting to create the music that inspired her. She added with subtle shade, “people like you are just discovering me” in this space.