Vanessa Williams talks about her new album ‘Survivor’

Vanessa Williams. Photo Credit: Mike Ruiz.

Multifaceted entertainer Vanessa Williams chatted about her latest studio offering “Survivor” and being a part of the digital age.

Colin Powell once said: “A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.” Vanessa Williams is a woman who embodies this wise quote.

Her work in music, film, television, and the Broadway stage has been recognized with four Emmy nominations, 11 Grammy nominations, one Tony nomination, three SAG award nominations, and seven NAACP Image Awards. She was crowned “Miss America” back in 1984, and made history doing so.

Her platinum single “Colors of the Wind” from Disney’s “Pocahontas” won the Academy Award, Grammy, and Golden Globe for “Best Original Song.”

Song selection approach for ‘Survivor’

On the song selection process for the new album, Williams said, “Well, a part of it was songs that I’ve sung before that were a part of my history such as ‘Being Good Isn’t Good Enough,’ ‘On the Other Side of the Tracks,’ and ‘Come Dance With Me.’ Those were all songs I had done at Syracuse as a Musical Theatre major, so I was doing a retrospective of the songs that meant something to me in my life.”

“Also, favorites like ‘La Costa,’ which I sang with the Westchester Youth Jazz Ensemble in my high school days (before college). I would say 50 percent of the album is remembering songs that were important to me,” she said.

“The new songs were reminding folks that I had more than one dance hit. ‘The Right Stuff’ is not the only dance song that I’ve done, and I wanted to get back in the dance lane,” she added.

Williams on her first album of new music in 15 years

This marks her first album of new original music in 15 years. “It was a long time in the making,” she admitted.

“I started it pre-COVID; I recorded the first half of it back in 2018, possibly, and then COVID hit, and then we had the SAG AFTRA strike. So, now was the time to finish it, because there was obviously nothing else going on, and I buckled down and finished it up,” she elaborated.

Williams on the theme of the album

When asked if she was going for a certain theme, she said, “Initially, I was doing the retrospective, but now, there is always a theme of singing about things that are important to me. I always come from a stance of power but also being comfortable with myself and being at ease as opposed to begging and pleading.”

Williams on her personal favorite song on the album: ‘Bop!’

Williams listed “Bop!” as her personal favorite song on the collection since it affords her the opportunity to sing with her daughter (Jillian Hervey of Lion Babe). “We did the music video for ‘Bop!’ together, and we just performed it on the talk show ‘Tamron Hall,’ which will air in October,” she said.

“It was nice sitting there and talking about my career and raising kids while I did the whole thing, and I watched my daughter do the same thing. I was proud that she saw the work that I did, and I knew that she could do it as well, so at this point, ‘Bop!’ is definitely one of my favorites,” she elaborated.

Lessons learned from this album

“This album taught me that you can’t wait for other people to make things happen for you,” she acknowledged. “That is part of what has happened with the business, and what has happened career-wise the last 40 years I’ve been in showbusiness.”

Williams continued, “Previously, you had to wait for somebody to sign you, or you would get a demo, someone would sign you and give you an opportunity, and then, the record company would take over.

“The same thing with acting: you would have to wait till you got a role, and then you would be able to start your career. Now, it’s a completely different era and age in terms of business,” she noted.

“As an actor, it is better to write your own material and figure it out by yourself and do it independently, or find your own team, and that’s how you catch fire,” she said.

Williams continued, “The same applies to the recording industry. Record companies are not making any money at all, and they are firing people left and right, and you can’t depend on them for everything that you need.”

“Also, there is no guarantee that you are going to make money on recordings because people don’t really buy CDs and albums anymore. It’s a completely different structure these days, and that was the big lesson for me: I just had to do it myself,” she explained.

‘Here’s to You’ song

Williams also spoke about the significance of the song “Here’s to You.” “This was an extremely personal song for Kipper Jones and myself because we lived through it all together,” she said.

“We started working together in 1987, and we lost a lot of friends during the AIDS crisis, and this was one to remember all the great talent and friendships that we lost.”

‘Legs (Keep Dancing)’ single

On her lead single “Legs (Keep Dancing),” she said, “’Legs’ is an anthem for all the women that are my age. The age of the 60s is definitely completely different from what it was 20 years ago.”

The digital age

On being a part of the digital age, at a time when streaming, technology and social media are so prevalent, Williams said, “I don’t know. I’m still learning. I have no idea. It’s a whole new skillset, and I’ve got a team that is teaching me what needs to be done. I am realizing that basically, it’s a big promotional tool.”

‘The Devil Wears Prada’ on West End

Williams revealed that she is looking forward to performing “The Devil Wears Prada” at the West End in London’s Dominion Theatre. She will play the iconic role of Miranda Priestly, the Editor-in-Chief of Runway Magazine.

“I can’t wait. We are about to start. I leave on Sunday,” she said. “Our first preview will be on October 24^th, and then, we have the opening on December 1^st.”

Advice for young and aspiring entertainers and performers

For young and emerging entertainers and performers, Williams said, “Be prepared for struggle, basically, to be realistic, but be hopeful and have a vision. Be open to helpful people that come into your life, who can provide guidance and wisdom for you.”

“You never know what is going to happen, and what other things you can be open to in terms of your career, your skillset and your teamwork,” she noted.

Stage of her life

On the title of the current chapter of her life, Williams said, “What’s Next?”

Career-defining moments

Regarding her career-defining moments, she shared, “I’ve had many pinnacle moments. I’ve sung at the Academy Awards, I’ve sung at the Super Bowl, I’ve sang for presidents at the White House, I’ve worked with legends, so there is not one thing that I feel I missed out on. I’ve been defined by amazing history.”

Key to longevity

On the key to longevity in the entertainment industry, Williams said, “To be professional and show up on time because that is what you are hired to do.”

“One of my biggest sticking points is to be on time,” she underscored. “It’s a small world and people talk… When your reputation is not great, people know, and that spreads like wildfire.”

“Be prepared, be on time, be open to work with people and be open to taking risks in your career,” she said, prior to noting that it is crucial to get comfortable being uncomfortable.

Dream duet choices in music

Regarding her dream duet choices in music, Williams revealed, “I’ve sung with Sting for a couple of concerts, but I would love to record with him. That would be amazing. I also loved Sergio Mendes, who we just lost, who was in the Brazilian Samba world.”

Superpower of choice

If she were to have any superpower, it would be “teleportation.”

“Probably to show up or teleport, especially now that I will be in London for close to a year. I would love to be able to snap my fingers and show up and hang out with my grandson, who is in New York. I will miss him very much,” she acknowledged.

Success

On her definition of the word success, Williams said, “Success means winning on your own terms.”

Message for her fans and supporters

For her fans and supporters (many of which are multi-generational), Williams expressed, “Thank you to all the people that have been delighted by my career, and my gift and personality.”

“Thanks for your dedication and thank you for that piece of your heart that I will embody. Everyone has a story on how they heard of me or know of me, and I love it,” she added.

Closing thoughts on the ‘Survivor’ album

Williams concluded about her “Survivor” album, “I want my fans to be happy that I’m back in singing, and I hope they listen to new music, and remind themselves that they can get through anything.”

“Survivor” is available on digital service providers by clicking here.

For more information on veteran music and entertainment star Vanessa Williams, check out her official website, and follow her on Instagram.