Grace Mckenzi is a 22 year old artist from Libumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo. He interest in music began at the age of 12. At first, his mother wanted him to join a choir. He refused, stating that he would prefer to be an acolyte because it was cooler. From 2018, he has continued his journey writing his original music.
“Melomaniac” is the latest single by Grace Mckenzi. This song has an upbeat and danceable quality from the get-go, with an acoustic guitar comprising the introduction. A quality beat accompanies the verse when the vocals enter. The vocals are tuneful, sultry and well executed. The melodies are all quite catchy, and the arrangement is simple yet thoughtful. The lyrics are still in French which provides a delightfully romantic quality. Despite this, the vibe of the song is unmistakable, showcasing a maturity in the songwriting and arrangement beyond the 22 years of this young artist. We look forward to what Grace Mckenzi will dream up for the future, and recommend you give “Melomaniac” a spin today!
Get to know more about Grace Mckenzi below!
Thanks for chatting with us! You are from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Would you mind describing what the overall music scene is like there?
In the democratic republic of the congo, the music scene is really dominated by the Congolese rumba, it comes from the Cuban rumba and among the big names that made this Congolese rumba, I can mention Tabu Ley, Papa Wemba, Koffi olomide or Fally ipupa. the Congolese rumba is easily recognizable because it is really catchy and dancing.
What is your songwriting process like? How does your music all come together?
My process is really basic. I listen to the beat(I listen to more beat than music...hahaha), I find a good rhythm with some words which does not mean anything . after I hear again beat and I start to write. But sometimes I have some ideas and when I have trouble, my friend Michel-Ange helps me, Shot out to him. When I finish writing, I record the song on my computer to see if it's a good song and when I think it's a good song. I go to the studio to concretize that .
Who would you say are your biggest musical influences?
It's a good question, I'm a music lover and I really listen to everything, but if I have to mention my musical influences. I would say Charles Aznavour and Frank Sinatra because the are kings then we can add Drake, Chris brown,Nekfeu, Damso, Jorja smith and post malone
You are about to release a new album. Would you mind talking to us a little bit about that?
yes, then this is my first album, it will be called Melomaniac, it will be released on May 17th. This name came to me when I wrote "Pourquoi mentir" which is one of the last tracks of the album.I noticed that my album was a mixture of several sounds, several kinds of music and I thought wow I'm too melomaniac. Melomaniac is a passionate or obsessive enthusiast for music. Also in weakened sense: a music lover. That really me. There will be 14 songs and in this album I've done many things, I talked about me, my Life ,my relationships, the youth of today, my dream, the behavior of men in this world. And I speak a lot about love, people often reproached me for singing about love all the time. but it does not bother me because I love love, I think it's a rather interesting feeling that can give you a lot of happiness today and a lot of pain the next day.and today people condemn love while it is they who make love. love has become commonplace today, people get together to fill a gap and not because they want . I talk about it in “Amour Moderne”. And in “ Pourquoi mentir ”,I'm talking about the fact that people like to lie, how can you tell a person today that it's your soulmate and the next day you cheat it. If you want a non-serious relationship, stay single, do not waste people's time, time is money. be honest with you and with people.
What can we hope to see from you in the future beyond your album release?
It's a very personal album because I really reveal myself . In a song like “Chloe” which is one of my favorite songs and in the song for my Dad, who is a model for me. It's really a very nice album, it took me 5 years to do it, I hope people will love it as much as I do.
I am proud of myself and look forward to seeing him go out. and I thank my friends Michel-Ange Kweshi, Duduline Magloire, Jordan Diade . To have helped me on this project, the artists with whom I collaborated. I also thank Pierre who understood my music. MELOMANIAC OUT ON MAY 17th. Thanks .
Connect with Grace Mckenzi on social media
www.instagram.com/gracemckenzii
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