What do you do when your heart yearns for someone who won’t treat you as you deserve?
As she steps into the latest chapter of her musical journey, NYC-based alt-pop songstress Sabrina Monique continues to push herself to even greater artistic heights.
Known for inspired vocal performances and her knack for addressing introspective topics like self-discovery and empowerment, Monique’s dynamic track presence and pure love for her craft have earned her fans and well-wishers everywhere she’s performed. As her star continues to burn ever brighter, this NYC songstress is someone you’ll want to keep on your radar.
Raised in the tumultuous landscape of White Plains, NY, amidst the shadows of a tense household environment, Monique found solace in the power of performance.
From a young age, she embraced the role of the house entertainer, using dance and song to illuminate the darkness surrounding her. Monique's journey has been anything but straightforward, from skipping school for auditions to navigating the cutthroat world of Midtown Manhattan at just seventeen. She refuses to let her artistic fires be dimmed, though, and we’re so excited to see what she has in store for us next.
There’s something special about artists who feel like they speak from the heart on every release. “Run Back,” Monique’s latest offering, sees the NYC songstress do just this as she grapples with the complexities of a toxic romance.
Dropping bars like “Shouldn’t have let you back into my life” and “I know it’s a mistake each time I do, it’s sad, but it’s true / I run back to you,” Monique finds herself between her emotions. It’s a delicate subject and incredibly nuanced, but Monique’s lyrics and soft yet incredibly emotive vocals do it justice.
As she continues to shine even brighter, Sabrina Monique’s latest release, “Run Back,” invites listeners to embark on a roller-coaster of emotions as Monique plays tug-of-war with her heart. Whenever you’re ready, tap in and stream Monique’s latest release, “Run Back,” on all majour streaming platforms.
Welcome to Buzz, Sabrina Monique! We loved “Run Back," we had to ask! What was the inspiration behind this release? Could you take us through the creative process for it?
The entirety of the album “It’s not me, it’s You” tells the story of toxic love cycles in relationships between friends, lovers, family, etc.… Run Back highlights the highs and lows and the unfortunate reality of the cat-and-mouse unrequited love pattern. I found myself in the game of chase for many years, and that cyclical pattern presented itself in various relationships.
Unfortunately, human beings tend to be creatures of habit. I found myself falling back into old patterns whenever I felt alone. As much as I do not want to admit that, as it goes against my entire “fuck it and fuck you” mentality, the -hard truth and reality is sometimes you allow yourself to be put in the line of fire, and that’s on you.
As the song says, “It’s a mistake each time I do…it’s sad, but it’s true, I run back to you.” I realized I was only hurting myself by continuing to allow certain behaviors.
What’s your favorite part of the creative process for your releases, and why?
My favorite part of the creative process is when the song is released! All jokes aside, there is so much excitement and work that goes into the release beforehand that the most exciting part for me is when people finally get to hear it, and all the work I’ve done beforehand is tangible to me. I love to write for myself to heal and connect to others, so there is great enjoyment when other people can enjoy it themselves and hopefully relate to the song.
What characteristic do you think is most important for an artist to have?
The most important thing an artist should be is genuine and authentic. What I’ve learned in the past few years of writing and releasing music is that it doesn’t matter if it doesn’t matter to you and is not true to who you are as an artist. Many people will have ideas of what you should do, who you should be, and how you should sound, but I think those days are OVER!
People respond to authenticity, honesty, and vulnerability. Be an artist rooted in truth. As generic as it sounds, the most important thing you can do is just to be yourself in this industry and do what you think is best for your artistry and music.
What do you want your listeners to feel when they hear your music?
I like to write about experiences that may not have been the happiest, uplifting, or joy to help me heal. I often disguise these lyrics and text behind an upbeat pop sound because I want to rejoice, knowing I’ve worked through the pain.
I never want to be held back by past experiences, but I would rather turn my hardships into something I can therapeutically dance through, and I hope that translates to my listeners, for I want them to feel connected when they hear my music and feel like they can celebrate even the hardships of life.
What’s next for Sabrina Monique? You have an upcoming album called “It’s Not Me, It’s You” slated for release soon, right? Could you tell us a little about that?
The entirety of the album “It’s not me, it’s You” tells the story of toxic love cycles in relationships between friends, lovers, family, etc.… this album is me taking my power back. Each song and story is me contesting the trauma I’ve endured, rejecting the emotional, unhealed baggage I took on for other people, hoping to make them happy while making myself miserable.
I would search for love and acceptance in all the wrong people/places, enduring pain and crosses that were not mine to bear. For years I found myself in a state of depletion and unhappiness giving so much energy, joy, and love to relationships/situations that were undeserving going down dry wells enduring emotional and mental abuse.
In a Constant state of questioning my worth and worthiness to be loved I realized- I was always enough. I was never the problem. It was not me; it was you.