Ledisi spoke with Billboard on the red carpet at the Grammy Awards on Sunday (Jan. 28) to chat about her three nominations, her music spanning various musical styles and performing at the Women’s March.
Asked about her song “High” — which is a departure from her regular sound — being nominated for best R&B performance, Ledisi says, “That’s the reason why I’m so excited about [the nomination], that because it’s in the middle, it has this modern sound… everyone was afraid of it. And then you have ‘All the Way’ that’s also nominated [for best traditional R&B performance], which is more traditional, so it’s beautiful to have both of my worlds there being nominated.”
She adds that she loves being in the middle of different genres and styles, while “honoring the old and representing the new… It’s a great feeling to have both generations loving my music. That means I’ll have longevity.”
Ledisi, who recently performed at the Women’s March in Las Vegas, also discusses the biggest lessons to be taken from the movement, stressing the importance of organization and speaking up. “Don’t be afraid,” she shares. “Just getting together and talking about it. Having a voice for the voiceless. You can move silently, or you can move loudly.”
You can watch the full video interview above to hear more from Ledisi, including which R&B albums she would suggest new fans of the genre should listen to and tips on her favorite new R&B acts.
