EXCLUSIVE: Serayah Talks New Single, Long-Standing Love & Reinvention
Before the world was introduced to Serayah’s coquettish on-screen persona Tiana Brown on Fox’s megahit show, Empire, the actress/R&B singer was at a crossroads. She and her mother (now manager) experienced a season of homelessness that served as the precipice of her realizing her dreams. “You can get weary and feel like giving up, but I had no lower to go,” Serayah tells xoNecole exclusively. “I could only go up [from there]. I decided within myself that this was not going to be [my] life anymore.”
When the opportunity came for her to audition for Empire, Serayah knew that it was now or never. And as fate would have it, landing the breakout role on the show would not only allow her to overcome her hardships but serve as the catalyst to manifesting her dreams of making it in the entertainment industry and penning her perspective into her art.
Serayah, best describes her six-season run on Empire as, “super cool, glamorous college.” After her six-year run on the show, Serayah decided to mark “the end of an era” with a bold, platinum blonde pixie cut, shedding her girlish charm in favor of fully embodying the multi-hyphenate woman she’s becoming.
Sterling Gold
Breaking out as an R&B songstress meant tapping into who Serayah, the artist, declared herself to be. In her highly-anticipated new single, "P.O.V.," Serayah invites her fans and listeners into her real life, to show that even the most challenging experiences can be an opportunity for growth and refined perspective. From shifts within her inner circle, her blooming love life, and everyday challenges of being a public figure, "P.O.V." is the essence of Serayah’s journey through her words, in her way.
“Music has helped me [find perspective] before. I always want to be true to the narrative in the space that I'm in; it’s the transparency through music. I'm not necessarily chasing a sound or chasing a social media platform. I want art to imitate life,” she tells xoNecole. “That’s why I love R&B, blues, and jazz because it was always authentic to what was going on in that time and era. I want to continue to push that side of music that really encapsulates a time and a space. I want my music to feel like that.”
"I'm not necessarily chasing a sound or chasing a social media platform. I want art to imitate life."
Serayah is creating from a space that is true to her intuition by living and learning through trial and error. While she’s flattered to be “#goals” to her fans, what she hopes to get across through her music is that she’s just figuring it out. “I want people to know where I come from and to know my struggles. I want to be an example for those who admire me, but I don’t want them to think that all things that glitter are gold.” She continues, “The prettiest, most expensive diamonds had to go through pressure. It’s okay to have ups and downs, I want to be a realistic role model.”
Allow this to be your re-introduction to Serayah.
xoNecole: What does your new single "P.O.V." mean to you as it relates to the direction you look to take musically?
Serayah: When I recorded the record, I always knew that it would have to be a part of a body of work — an EP or an album — because it's such a story and I just feel like a lot of people can relate to what I'm talking about. "P.O.V." encapsulates my early life, about struggling, finally getting a piece of success, and earning money I've never had before. My friends are changing, I’m losing friendships, some of my family members are acting weird now; it's like success brings different things out of the circle of people around you. And obviously, also my romantic feelings. "P.O.V." is the point of view of early life up until like 21 [years old]. I used this time to leave everything there and I'm moving past it.
xoNecole: Sometimes when it comes to new artists, the first debut project can come with some pressures. Have you had any hesitations about releasing new music and how do you overcome those feelings?
S: Oh my God, yes! I’ve had this song for like two years. Maybe three? I mean, we're artists and we're sensitive. It's literally the most vulnerable thing you can do is say, ‘hey, here's what I think is cool, this is what I put all my emotions into, and I hope you guys like it.’ It's nerve-racking. But I think for me, it's just, like, making sure that I'm 100% into it. I've overthought some records before but I'm putting those out now; I’m past that. I’m sure there'll be another project or another single where I'm overthinking it as well. I just feel like it's a part of the creative process; you may overthink sometimes.
Sterling Gold
xoNecole: You and your boo, Jacob Latimore, have been together for some years now, and the girls want to know, what's the secret? What do you think has been the key component to having a thriving relationship?
S: No secrets, sis! I just really think that things should be extremely simple. I feel like, dating, in general, is a little complicated, but then you add on social media and add on [the fact that] you're celebrities, and it makes it a little more complicated if you let it. [Jacob and I] have had our moments. We talk about everything; how we feel and we're completely transparent. He's so open in that way. He's very warm and nurturing to where he wants to know what's going on with me and how I'm feeling throughout the day, and I appreciate that. That creates a connection to be able to get through things that maybe if I wasn't comfortable, we wouldn't be able to get through it.
And so I think the secret would just be to be transparent and sensitive with each other because we all come from somewhere; we all have triggers and pasts. We have to build up respect for each other, especially as Black men and women. We have to respect each other and be just a little bit more gentle with each other. There's a lot of trauma going on, and you have to understand what that is and everything that plays into it. As you can see, if I'm serious with someone, I'm going into it with everything. Just keep it 100% with each other at all times.
xoNecole: How have you grown in your relationship?
S: It's so important when you are in love or in a relationship with another person that you prioritize your self-love because how you feel about yourself, your life, and your career reflects on you and will bleed into your relationships and how you view them. I've learned to just have self-reflecting moments instead of reacting; if there's something that bothers me, I don't need to say it as soon as it happens, I can take a second, a day, or an hour, and reflect on it myself. Is it me? How am I interpreting the situation and how can I talk to [my partner] without being angry or something? It's helped me just be able to communicate more efficiently and in a healthier way. Communication's everything.
Especially for [me and Jacob]; I haven't seen him in a month. So we have to communicate, we don't have the lifestyle to where we're always gonna just be around each other. We should give our men their flowers too. There’s this big thing going on that says, ‘He needs to buy me Birkins, he needs to buy me this and I'm in the club singing it too, don't get it twisted.' But I really feel like the gem is to celebrate our men and make them feel wanted and appreciated and that they're doing good. They're changing the trajectory for Black men in general. It's just so important for us to think about the overall picture when we talk about Black love.
"It's so important when you are in love or in a relationship with another person that you prioritize your self-love because how you feel about yourself, your life, and your career reflects on you and will bleed into your relationships and how you view them."
xoNecole: You’ve had a lot of rapid growth and life transitions over the years, what advice would you give to someone who’s learning to adjust to a new chapter in their life?
S: I would say: be humble, not modest. Being humble is a great thing and humility goes a long way, apart from being grateful. So when you’re in that transition, bring your confidence and attack your goals head-on. Big places and big blessings are always going to be uncomfortable, the more that you want [in life], the more you’re going to be uncomfortable. As long as you know that you’re never in a place you’re not ready to be in, don’t even worry about the small things. Just focus on the bigger picture and it will all work out.
For more of Serayah, follow her on Instagram @serayah. Her new single, "P.O.V." is now streaming.
Featured image by Sterling Gold
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Aley Arion is a writer and digital storyteller from the South, currently living in sunny Los Angeles. Her site, yagirlaley.com, serves as a digital diary to document personal essays, cultural commentary, and her insights into the Black Millennial experience. Follow her at @yagirlaley on all platforms!
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Tyler James Williams Explains Why His And Quinta Brunson 'Abbott Elementary' Characters Should Remain Friends
While Abbott Elementary fans are hoping that Janine and Gregory end up together, the show’s star has another take. Tyler James Williams plays Gregory on the Emmy award-winning sitcom, and he recently stopped by The Jennifer Hudson Show to share his point of view on his storyline with Janine, which Quinta Brunson plays.
“I hate to say it. I know that everybody’s always mad at me for this. I don’t necessarily want to see them together,” he revealed. “It’s partially an actor’s choice, but also somebody who, like, I read a lot of scripts all the time. I watch a lot of TV, a lot of film. I don’t think that we see displays of platonic love between two people often. I think it’s really easy to go right to they have feelings for each other, therefore they should be together. I like this dynamic of exploring withholding that and just actively loving each other where they are. That I like to see more.”
If you recall, they were co-workers who became friends but were secretly crushing on each other. They’ve had many awkward run-ins during and after school, like the unforgettable club scene where they were dancing nervously with each other in season one, and in season two, they finally kiss. However, it only made things even more awkward, and they decided to just be friends. Tyler further explained why he thinks it’s important to showcase that type of relationship on screen.
“I think it’s time for that. I think TV allows people to see things that could be their lives for the first time, and I think seeing a healthy friendship that is deeply caring about one another in a work atmosphere needs to be shown more than the relationship,” he concluded.
Abbott Elementary comes on every Wednesday at 9 p.m. EST on ABC.
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Feature image by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images