by Mariel Concepcion, N.Y. |
February 24, 2009 10:51 EST
Chrisette Michele says she had a realization about relationships that lead her to name her upcoming sophomore album "Epiphany." The set, which comes on the heels of her Grammy win, is due on March 31 via Def Jam. The first single, the Ne-Yo-penned title track, enters at No. 78 on the R&B/Hip-Hop songs chart this week, according to Nielsen Soundscan.
"I heard the song that Ne-Yo had written titled 'Epiphany,' and the word just stood out to me," Michele tells Billboard.com. "It stood out to me because I'd been through a lot in my last relationship, and the word 'epiphany' exemplified exactly what happened in the end when I realized I didn't have to put myself through it anymore."
Michele refers to the relationship with her former manager, Douglas "Biggs" Ellison, who Michele sued for embezzlement and harassment last year. Ellison later countersued for breach of exclusive management agreement. The lawsuit is currently still in motion.
Still, Michele is optimistic and says this album is a reflection of that. To create what she describes as a more upbeat/youthful sound she tapped on the likes of Chuck Harmony, Claude Kelly, B Major and Ne-Yo, who writes and co-executive produced the set. The album features no guest collaborations.
And while a second single hasn't been selected yet, Michele does say one of her favorite tracks is the piano-based "Blame It On Me," in which she croons, "Blame it on me / say it's my fault / say I left you out in the cold with a broken heart / I really don't care / I'm not lying no more / say I'm a cheater, a liar, whatever you want / as long as it's over."
Another stand-out track is "On My Own," which the self-proclaimed daddy's girl says reminds her of her father. "I'm very close to my dad, but recently I've learned how to handle situations on my own, without having him step in for me, and it took a lot of me to be able to do that," she admits.
Other songs set to appear on "Epiphany" include "I'm Ok," the hip-hop-tinged "Another One," the ballad "Notebook," plus tracks "What You Do," "Playing Our Song," and "Fragile."
Michele's debut release, "I Am," has sold 419,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen Soundscan. "Be OK," the album's third single, won the 2009 Grammy award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance.
"I heard the song that Ne-Yo had written titled 'Epiphany,' and the word just stood out to me," Michele tells Billboard.com. "It stood out to me because I'd been through a lot in my last relationship, and the word 'epiphany' exemplified exactly what happened in the end when I realized I didn't have to put myself through it anymore."
Michele refers to the relationship with her former manager, Douglas "Biggs" Ellison, who Michele sued for embezzlement and harassment last year. Ellison later countersued for breach of exclusive management agreement. The lawsuit is currently still in motion.
Still, Michele is optimistic and says this album is a reflection of that. To create what she describes as a more upbeat/youthful sound she tapped on the likes of Chuck Harmony, Claude Kelly, B Major and Ne-Yo, who writes and co-executive produced the set. The album features no guest collaborations.
And while a second single hasn't been selected yet, Michele does say one of her favorite tracks is the piano-based "Blame It On Me," in which she croons, "Blame it on me / say it's my fault / say I left you out in the cold with a broken heart / I really don't care / I'm not lying no more / say I'm a cheater, a liar, whatever you want / as long as it's over."
Another stand-out track is "On My Own," which the self-proclaimed daddy's girl says reminds her of her father. "I'm very close to my dad, but recently I've learned how to handle situations on my own, without having him step in for me, and it took a lot of me to be able to do that," she admits.
Other songs set to appear on "Epiphany" include "I'm Ok," the hip-hop-tinged "Another One," the ballad "Notebook," plus tracks "What You Do," "Playing Our Song," and "Fragile."
Michele's debut release, "I Am," has sold 419,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen Soundscan. "Be OK," the album's third single, won the 2009 Grammy award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance.
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