Rising international music sensation, MonChérie, continues her quest for recognition as one of this generation’s most dynamic young music artists. After her music debut earlier this year, which unleashed the major hit single, “No Santa,” the singer has followed up that effort with her heavily awaited and equally energetic new song, “Billy Billy Boom Boom.”
The St. Lucian songstress is on the last leg of a busy 2014 campaign that showcased a unique musical infusion of reggae/dancehall, pop and R&B. Her magnetic persona and sultry voice has captured the attention of industry insiders across the U.S. and the Caribbean and most have little doubt of her potential for super stardom.
MonChérie cites Jamaican dancehall trailblazers Lady Saw and Patra as her musical influences. And indeed, there are those that say that MonChérie is this generation’s Lady Saw and Patra. When asked how she felt that she could expand and build upon what those legendary Queens of the Dancehall have accomplished she responded, “Well, I feel that what I add and bring to the table is bringing cultures together. In the past there were those who said that they couldn’t connect with Caribbean music because they didn’t understand what was being said, but now music genres like reggae, dancehall and even soca are evolving. I believe that I serve as a bridge between cultures with my different sounds where people can say, ‘Yeah, I can relate to that.’”
There is quite a variety and mixture of sounds in “Billy Billy Boom Boom.” It is not old school, but it is a mixture of African and West Indian styles and sounds. You will also see a lot of dancing. When asked if that was representative of her style as an artist? She said, “Yes. I have songs that have and R&B flavor and a Hip Hop vibe and even with that, I still wouldn’t say that that’s all I am. I believe I have a sound and message that can reach anyone, no matter where they are from.”
Although her music has an island feel to it, MonChérie is adamant about the desire for her music to transcend the Caribbean music scene. When asked how she planned on accomplishing this crossover she responded, “Well, most of my music promotions are going to be in America. I have a three-month campaign on Power 105.1. Right now, my other single, ‘No Santa’ is also getting a lot of play. It’s a major accomplishment. My music is playing in the biggest marketing area in the world, New York City, on one of the biggest music stations in the world, Power 105.1.”
In 2015, MonChérie plans to release new projects and she is also looking to explore possible collaborations with other big name artists. “Right now, I’m in the process of doing collaborations with Movado. I’m also interested in working with Shaggy and Sean Paul because what those two have in common are exactly what I’m interested in being, which is a crossover artist. I’m also interested in doing collaborations with Nicki Minaj. She’s one of the biggest Hip Hop artists in the world and she was born in Trinidad! I’m interested in collaborating with artists that can help expand my fan base, internationally,” she said.
In response to the possibility of releasing an album next year she said, “That’s not my main focus right now because in the music industry, it’s wiser to build up a name first, get the people talking and then come with an album. Right now, we’re just releasing singles out there to create that buzz like Billy Billy Boom Boom.’ Also, we have other singles that we’re going to be pushing as well as shooting a video in St. Lucia.”
MonChérie has spoken about addressing social issues with her music. “I would definitely tackle issues of abuse; any form of abuse. I believe as music artists, we have a duty to spread positive and helpful messages to the community with our voices and our songs. ‘Billy Billy Boom Boom’ accomplishes that.
“Yes. You see, I like party, feel-good, happy music like ‘Billy Billy Boom Boom’ because when I’m down or sad about a situation, I like to put on a a fun song with a positive message. I want all of my songs to be able to help people is some sort of way or else I’m just doing songs for nothing. Songs such as ‘Billy Billy Boom Boom’ serves to bring a happy and light feeling to a world that can sometimes seem so full of darkness.”
