A Chat with Sabrina Monique (25.08.24)
Blending a bold pop sound with life experiences, Sabrina Monique is an enchanting artist capturing the core of profound themes. We speak with Sabrina Monique about her new album It’s Not Me, It’s You, her favourite cocktail, advice for musicians and upcoming plans.
OSR: Cliché, but what drew you to music? Why did you decide to pursue a career as a musician?
Monique: I cannot remember a time when I was anything other than an artist and musician. I was singing before I could talk. To me, writing a song is the most therapeutic thing I could do for myself and my soul.
OSR: What does music mean to you?
Monique: Music is the one way I can express myself when words often fail. It’s my outlet and a form of therapy. Music is also the soundtrack to so many different parts of my journey in life and is a way to connect to people all around the world who may not speak the same language as you but will understand through song and lyrics.
OSR: It’s well known that women in music are stereotyped and have to face discrimination to “make it big”. Your album It’s Not Me, It’s You explores that attitude. What can you tell us about creating the songs? What was the inspiration, possible specific experiences, and backstories?
Monique: I was in situations where the people that were supposed to be guiding me creatively were the ones that were putting me in harm’s way. I often felt that, regardless of how loud I could scream, my voice wasn’t being heard. It wasn’t until I completely removed myself from certain situations and took the power and control back that I could really draw what I wanted and what I wanted my viewers and audience to hear and listen to. Sometimes, you have to go backwards to go forward, and that is a lesson that I had to learn. I think that it’s very difficult in today’s society for women to have their voices heard, but I also think it’s more prominent now and in today’s society more so than ever that we listen to the women who are prevalent in this industry who are spearheading major music movements today.
OSR: Do you think women are still under-represented, and how do you think this can be changed?
Monique: Right now is the perfect time for women to be represented in the industry, and I think women, instead of asking for a seat, are pulling one up at their own table.
OSR: What message are you trying to get across with the album?
Monique: This album is obviously a play on the saying “it’s not you, it’s me”. This album highlights the narcissistic relationships and patterns I kept meeting in other people, family members, and friends, and the cycles I tried so hard to get out of. Throughout the early journey of my music career and early adolescence into adulthood, I have encountered many different situations pertaining to the overall development of who I am as an individual and young woman today. These circumstances, ranging from friendships, relationships, relationships, familial ties, love and loss, heartbreak, personal growth development, and all that in between, I realized that a lot of my own insecurities, attachment, and self-dependent behavior that I was unlearning were things that were holding me back from growing and developing in situations where I may have blamed the other people actions that I could have been accountable for.
This entire album pays homage to the wrongdoings and chromatic cycles that I’ve experienced in my life, as well as nodding to the accountability that I have in the growth and responsibility in taking acceptance of my own behavior and utilizing the two as an overall yin and yang to become one, as the grounded individual and young woman that I am today.
OSR: If you had to recommend one track from the album to a new listener, which would it be and why?
Monique: I would tell the listener to go listen to ‘Me, You, and Your Ego’. It is a song that really empowers and tells the story of an individual who is reclaiming their power and staying true to themselves.
OSR: What advice do you have for up-and-coming musicians?
Monique: The best advice I can give to up-and-coming musicians is to do whatever you want to do, regardless of what anybody else says. There is no right or wrong answer or formula on how to do anything in this industry, so as long as it feels right to your heart and is authentic to you, then go for it.
OSR: What is your choice of cocktail?
Monique: A glass of red wine and a really good book.
OSR: I don’t know if you binge-watch TV shows or films, but what could we find you binge-watching?
Monique: My new thing is that I stop binge-watching. I’ve seen it 1 million times and actually go out and go to the movies! See you at the cinema.
OSR: What can we expect from you in the future?
Monique: Believe it or not, there is even more music, performances, and Sabrina Monique’s madness.
OSR: Do you have a message for our readers?
Monique: When someone tells you you “probably shouldn’t do that”, that’s when you most definitely should.
Many thanks to Sabrina Monique for chatting with us. Find out more about Sabrina Monique on her official website, Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
