Learn More About New Album by Ledisi | “Pieces Of Me”

With
her new album Pieces of Me, Ledisi undoubtedly proves that she is a
woman to know. Loaded with emotion and charged with unparalleled soul,
this record adds another dimension to the persona the singer has been
sharing with audiences since her explosive entrance on the music scene a
few short years ago. “Imagine some of the characteristics of Shug Avery
from The Color Purple,” Ledisi says playfully. “She is fiery,
expressive, spiritual and uninhibited. Well, I would say this is my Shug
Avery-like project,” she adds with her trademark laughter. Anyone who’s
seen her dynamic live show or follows her on Twitter knows this lively
and clever side of the singer and Pieces of Me delivers many more.

“This
project is more layered,” says Ledisi. “All of the songs reveal aspects
of the confident woman I am becoming. It’s a discovery of another side
of me.”

Following
her last two critically acclaimed albums—2007’s breakthrough hit Lost
and Found, which was nominated for two Grammy® awards including Best New
Artist, and 2009’s rock & funk, attention-stealing Turn Me Loose,
which also garnered two Grammy® nods and a No. 1 debut position on the
Billboard R&B chart—Pieces of Me is a natural progression for a
singer possessing an involuntary penchant for growth. Bursting with
songs of love, intimacy and self-assurance and delivered by an unmatched
voice at the top of its game, this album marks Ledisi’s shining moment.

The
poignant title track is an introspective look at a woman discovering
her unique offerings to the world. Co-written by Ledisi and in-demand
songwriter Claude Kelly (Fantasia, Carrie Underwood), she sings “Like
every woman I know/ I’m complicated for sure/But when I love/I love till
there’s no love no more.” “That’s what a woman does,” she states. “That
is power and strength. It’s okay to celebrate being a woman.”

“So
Into You” is a late-night groove with a sweeping sensuality. “I am
addicted to how we make love/What you’re giving me is never too
much/It’s like a carnival/And I’m ready now to go for a ride,” she sings
on the track she produced along with long time collaborate and
co-executive producer, Rex Rideout (Luther Vandross, Kem, Angie Stone).
“This song is very sexy and romantic,” she offers, slightly blushing.
“It’s supposed to feel cool and hot, like Patron on ice!”

On
“I Gotta Get To You”—produced by Ivan & Carvin (Jill Scott, Keyshia
Cole) — Ledisi takes a ‘by any means necessary’ approach to getting to
her man. “There is distance between us/making me feel like/I’m about to
take a bus, plane, train or bike/Just so I can have you/right by my
side,” she sings with deliberate urgency.

“Coffee,”
an amusing, in-your-face, wish-list jam about the type of man she
dreams of—crafted by veteran hip-hop/R&B producer KayGee (of Naughty
by Nature)—displays Ledisi’s more flirtatious side. “At first, I was
freaking out because I did not think I could sing this song! But I
realized that it’s sassy and fun and I found a certain freedom in
singing it. It’s okay to express what you want and what you don’t want.”

“I
Miss You Now,” written for her by multi-platinum singer/songwriter John
Legend, is a raw account of the aftermath of a breakup. It expresses
what people oftentimes are unwilling to admit. Quite the opposite,

“Stay
Together,” a duet with Jaheim (co-written by Ledisi and Rideout), is an
affirmation of commitment. As passionate as Rick James and Teena
Marie’s quiet-storm classic “Fire & Desire” and as joyous as Ashford
& Simpson’s legendary “Solid,” Ledisi and Jaheim create their own
timeless, feel-good embrace.

Demonstrating
that she can be just as confident as she is loving, Ledisi flips the
script on “Hate Me,” a bluesy, juke-joint-worthy track, singing “I know
it’s hard to understand/Sometimes a woman wanna act like a man/And when
it feels like I’m running things/I know you ‘bout to lose your mind.”
“There is great honesty in this song. There are some independent women
out there who don’t need permission to be themselves. Writing this song
helped me to be okay with the more dominant side of myself.”

For Ledisi, it was a long journey to that “a-ha” moment.

Born
in New Orleans and raised in Oakland, CA, where she says she developed
ambition, drive and an appreciation for opera, gospel and R&B,
Ledisi struggled for years. After constant rejection from recording
companies, she and a partner formed their own label on which they
released two independent albums, both of which gained national
attention, resulting in her 2007 major label deal with Verve. Pieces of
Me is a culmination of the challenges she’s experienced and lessons
she’s learned.

“Before
I started working on this album, I had to figure out what I wanted to
offer, not only musically, but also spiritually, emotionally and
intellectually. That meant I had to finally embrace the totality of me.
Now, I see the greatness in me and that I have much to offer to this
world.”

Many
of the songs on this album are evidence of this new attitude, including
the barefaced “Shut Up,” produced by Mike City (Bilal, Kelly Price). “I
wrote this while driving in L.A., listening to the track which I’d had
for two months. Someone cut me off on the freeway and I was irate. For
some reason, I started thinking about what I wish I could have said to
all of the people who said I was never going to succeed by being me.
Now, I have a song for all of the naysayers.”

Claude
Kelly also lent his platinum pen to two other cuts, including the
celebratory “Bravo”—which finds Ledisi declaring her new outlook on
life—and “Shine,” a celebratory ode to relationships. “This song is not
about the obvious,” she reflects. “It’s not about one relationship, but
many. It’s a song I wrote for the people who help me be who I am today.”

The
uplifting “BGTY,” co-written with Salaam Remi (Amy Winehouse, Jazmin
Sullivan) and produced by Remi, is one of her favorites. “When I arrived
to the studio, Salaam had already begun writing it based on the last
thing I had tweeted to my followers earlier that day: “Be good to
yourself.”

“Raise
Up” encapsulates Ledisi’s entire message: “Time for you raise up/get
up/stand up,” she sings with conviction. “This was my mantra to rise
above anything that comes against me. You have to stand up for what you
love and for the person you want to become.”

It
is clear who Ledisi has become: a complex and colorful woman who is
open, self-assured, creative, unafraid and, most of all, inspirational.
Pieces of Me defines this moment in her life. “Recording this album was
my therapy. Every aspect of it is who I am. But…not all of me…just
Pieces of Me.”