EXCLUSIVE: Ledisi Talks ‘Interludes Live’ & Social Media’s Impact on Her Career (By: Jasmine York)

By: Jasmine York, contributing writer

For the first time, the eight-time Grammy-nominated R&B and jazz recording artist joined Interactive One’s HelloBeautiful Interludes Live for an hour-long special during Thanksgiving weekend.

Ledisi wowed the crowd with her soul-grabbing vocals and with performances of a few fan favorites including: “Good Good,” “Pieces of Me,” and “Like This.” Viewers were also able to tune in to an exclusive conversation where Ledisi shared more on her music background and offered an intimate look at moments that shaped her artistry.

“I realize that a lot of people have never seen me live. They’ve just seen me in pieces, on performances of award shows, and things like that attributing other people. But, here’s a moment for me to showcase my voice and where I’m from and to tell my story. It was great to be apart of that,” said Ledisi.

She believes that online and digital platforms benefit artists like herself by helping them become more mainstream and directly reach audiences they may not have otherwise reached. One way in particular is through social media.

“I’ve gotten more buzz from this album – and being socially involved – that I’ve reached different generations than I did when I first started releasing albums on a major label and as an independent artist,” said Ledisi.

She admits to being very socially active on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and appreciates how supportive her followers have been to her and other artists like her.

“I have some great announcements coming up that I’m going to announce on my social media in the beginning of December. So, people should really check that out. There are some great surprises,” said Ledisi.

Follow her @Ledisi to keep tabs on her latest projects. (P.S. She’s also set to appear in the movie Selma coming out around Christmas.)

In case you missed her live performance on HelloBeautiful Interludes Live, you can check out a video clip of her performing “Good Good” below. You can also visit HelloBeautiful.com and, while you’re there, gain access to bonus online footage of Ledisi.