Need some new musical flavour on your radar? Well, look no further than the next charismatic captain on your screen and bursting through your stereos and headphones. Meet TONI. The London-based fly style singer, performer and recording talent known for countless previous singles Taste, Radical Self love, Aesthetics, Problem Messy and many more graces the scene with her powerful, fulfilling and inspiring project, Black Girls Don't Cry. Based on the 6 track newly released EP.
The songs of the EP include: Don't e a pussy, Is you good, Weirdo, Lit Bitch, Bitter and I'm so fiiiiine tell the journey of the 'Young Black Woman' taking centre stage. Hosting themes of identity, friendship, and sexuality; essentially post-graduation growing up and into adulthood, 'the real world'. The coming of age presentation also includes a beautifully introductory visual to the online series with the first episode already available to stream online. Having featured on national wide spread publications and airwaves channel of BBC Introducing, NTS, Reprezent and platforms and magazines like Spinup, Comeherefloyd, and Mixmag. The bada$$ musical figure and visual artist gave us a breakdown of the build for the EP, visual series and she spoke on positive affirmations, her meaningful upbringing and more music in 2022. Enjoy!
To Stream it Click here
1. It’s beautiful to host this exchange with you about your EP project Black Girls Don't Cry. It grabbed us by with such a description as it dwells into the world of a ‘Young Black woman’ and we love that and it’s also based on your upcoming EP of the same name, right?
TONI: Awww that’s so sweet I’m glad. Yes, it is.
2. Loving this, the themes shone through the project are evenly split into 6 parts. Could you give the people a little warm-up into such as poetic, retro, eloquent and bold clip Episode 1 titled ‘Don’t be a p*ssy . ?
TONI: With all these compliments my head is going to explode haha, but yeah I’ll be honest I don’t really like to explain or give too much away I prefer to hear what people got from it and if it’s the same thing I meant/was going for. I’ve been very surprised that most of the time people have very different interpretations of things so yeah if you hear it DM me and let me know what you got from it, I’m genuinely curious.
Produced by TONI / Director of Photgraphy Raki Ralko
3. We hear some powerful literature within the first intro as speaking in the Yoruba language from the West African nation of Nigeria. You describe such words of ‘Affirmation’ growing up. What was it like growing up hearing such positivity and rich energy? What do hope that people can receive from the opening prologue?
TONI: I think hearing such affirmations growing up really contributed to who I am now as a person. I didn’t value it as much growing up but when you get older you realise the importance of having such confidence and belief in yourself and I'm so so grateful those were instilled in me from a young age. It always bothers me when people don’t have that in themselves like yeah obviously we all get moments of doubt or anxiety and whatnot, but at the very core, you need to be able to back yourself with your chest. That’s what I want for everyone but especially black women. You know, the world isn’t always kind to us so I want every single black woman to have this unshakeable confidence and self-belief that they are that girl and can do ANYTHING and I mean literally anything they put their mind to.
4. And for the creative direction for Episode 1 how was the experience working on this pilot which is obviously the very important one right? TONI: It was actually pretty simple and so much fun I was chilling one day just listening to the project and as the track played I could literally see the video in my head exactly as it is. Some of the others from the EP haven’t been so easy so I love it when a concept is just effortless and natural like that. The process of putting it together was also so calm and effortless I think the only problems I faced were those little 5 seconds of doubt every and then but I had to remind myself I’m really that bitch and I’ve got it. I’m so grateful I connected with an amazing DOP that just got my vision. Shout out to Raki. I will say though I spent nearly 6 hours straight on that bull and it fucked up my legs for a solid week, I’ve learnt my lesson… to always stretch haha.
5. Now we aren’t going to just breeeeze past the music you got on the EP now haha so, what can listeners expect per song and visually per episode for the series?
TONI: Haha. Hmm, that’s a good question, I literally never know how to describe my music but it’s all just good vibes man. The second track coming this month is a bit more vulnerable than I’m used to being in public and vulnerability is something for me but I like challenging myself. But yeah the rest of the EP, it’s personal, it’s sweet, dedicated to friendship it’s really on its black woman shit.
6. Last of all. You had the launch event for Black Girls Don’t Cry. How did it go and what’s next to load from TONI this year after the series?
TONI: It was so much fun, I'm grateful for everyone that came. All good vibes and supportive energy. There was actually so much love in the room, I'm not really a fan of being the centre of attention so that took a minute to get used to but it got me so gassed to put the rest of the project and events out.
As for what’s next… fam I don’t know. After I put everything out I definitely want to focus on performing a bit more, do a couple of shows here and there, make more music, put on more events, just living life on my terms. I’m just so excited for where im going and where God is taking me. The future is wayyyy too bright.
For more music loading from TONI, check her official website and follow her Twitter and Instagram.
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