Lyrica Anderson is a singer-songwriter who has been in the scene for a few years. Since debuting her first mixtape King Me in 2012, the artist has consistently put out subsequent tapes as well as wrote songs for prominent artists like Jennifer Hudson, Demi Lovato, and superstar Beyoncé whose song “Jealous” she co-wrote and earned a Grammy nomination.
While many people may know Lyrica as a star on Love and Hip Hop Hollywood or the wife to producer A1, few know her background and her start in the industry from a young age as well as her ability to write music.
Billboard spoke with Lyrica recently to talk more about her recent project Adia and what she hopes to accomplish as an artist in 2018.
How did the concept of your project come about?
My album is called Adia and Adia is the name of my identical sister who passed away when we were 3 years old. She was fighting for her life the whole 3 years, in the incubator. And very sick with pneumonia and other illnesses that were caused by being born prematurely. So just dealing with her loss, I decided that the first time I put an album out, I would call it Adia and it would be a tribute to her.
Is there a reason you chose the specific picture of you and her as the album cover?
I thought it was really cute we were sitting up at the hospital together. You can see the nurse in the background, the wall painting. I chose this cover because it’s super real, and organic and really what was going on. My twin is on the right, I’m on the left. This picture shows she’s a fighter. It reminds me to not give up and keep fighting in this industry.
Is there a particular song on the album that is most personal to you?
There’s a lot of songs I’m really in love with but “Macaulay Culkin” is actually about my sister and my dad. Basically, it talks about my twin and being without her, but also talks about my dad who abandoned us right after my twin passed away.
On the project you only have a couple of features. Was it intentional to keep the number of features down and if so, why?
Yeah, I didn’t want to start with a lot of features. I really wanted to showcase me and what I can do. I went in a different direction because usually my mixtapes are straight R&B. But with these records, some people are calling it EDM or pop. Records like “Moment” and “Resist” are really different for me. Those are records I wouldn’t have even thought to cut, but those are my favorites too. Even “Curfew” is a different vibe for me. I didn’t want to mix it up with a lot of features because I wanted to show my artistry.
Your single “Don’t Take it Personal” is doing really well. How did you come up with that record and why do you think it resonates with so many people?
What I have to realize is my fans love when I’m just being real. They like when I’m not trying to follow any wave. So “Don’t Take It Personal” is a really special record because everyone can relate. The song could go so many ways but every girl has a guy that they have liked more than they like them. At the end of the day there comes a moment where you think ‘next time I get into a situation with someone I’m going keep all of myself and not get vulnerable or hurt’. So the record is about protecting yourself and not just giving all of yourself before you know someone is giving you themselves in return. I think everyone feels that way.
You decided to release this album through EMPIRE. What made you want to go the independent route as opposed to doing a deal with a major label?
Shout-out to Ghazi, he’s like family to me. He’s been working with me since the beginning of my career. Back then, he just made me feel special and that he really believed in me. He saw the vision and what I wanted to do. He also, at the time, was figuring things out with his own company and I was patient.
Now it’s a big company and many labels are calling him for his help. He’s coming in with platinum records, so he has a method that really works. My mom always taught me to work with someone who is as excited to be around you and believe in what you’re doing. I always felt that way with Ghazi. He lets me do me creatively and I like that. A1 and I can go in and put an album together, and he loves everything.
In addition to being a singer, you’re also a prolific songwriter. Being talented as a writer, how has that been advantage or a challenge in being an artist too?
First of all, I want to say congratulations to my brothers Chris [Brown] and Ty [Dolla $ign] for dropping albums. I have 13 [cuts] on Chris’s album and 1 on Ty’s. But the struggle I was having being a songwriter is sometimes giving away my best music to other people. I might write a song and I would get sad or depressed when I had to give up a record that I felt would be good for me.
I didn’t know I was going to go in and kill it that day, but I do, and I’m like dang, I could’ve taken that. Once I realized that and was getting emotionally attached to records which is a no no, I decided to focus on keeping the records I love and focus on being an artist. I really just locked in on my project.
For 2018, what are some of your goals as an artist?
I definitely plan to be on tour. I definitely plan to do a worldwide now, I’m doing a radio promo tour. I just got with CAA agency so I’m very excited about that. We have a lot of big plans for me in 2018. Of course I would love to get into acting. A lot of people say I could be great at it. Of course more great music and chart-topping records. More placements. Me and A1, family, and more.