NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� It began as it always should, with her voice.
The second solo album from fresh off a herculean press run with the was always meant to be 鈥渧ocal-focused,鈥� she told The Associated Press recently. It may be the understatement of a lifetime: to know her is to know her instrument 鈥� that range, the notes few else can hit but many attempt.
And Erivo's new soulful album, the evocatively titled 鈥淚 Forgive You," hits the mark.
In the studio, that meant using her vocals 鈥渁s the pads, as the stacking,鈥� like an artist might with a guitar or piano. 鈥淭he meat of each of the pieces that you listen to is the voice,鈥� she says, 鈥淪o that you can hear the lyrics, you can hear the song, you can hear the emotion in it,鈥� she explains. The other instruments, too, were performed live. "Everything you hear in there is real and tangible.鈥�
For that reason 鈥� and other expressions of autonomy take across the album 鈥� she says it felt like her first. For the listener, it evokes a real feeling of intimacy.
Erivo spoke to the AP about 鈥淚 Forgive You,鈥� life after 鈥淲icked" and the forthcoming and the ways in which acting, inform one another.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
AP: The title is 鈥淚 Forgive You.鈥� What's the significance?
ERIVO: This album is a collection of stories and songs that are both personal for things that are happening now, things that have happened in the past, and I think some of which I have had to forgive people for. And honestly, some of which I鈥檝e had to forgive myself for. And I loved the idea of calling it this title, because it鈥檚 a simple concept, but not an easy one. And not one that we as humans are very good at, often.
A part of me was feeling, like, 鈥淲ouldn鈥檛 it be wonderful if people had to keep repeating the words, 'I forgive you?'鈥� So even if you鈥檙e finding it difficult to say this album will give you the permission to actually say the words, even if you鈥檙e not quite ready.
AP: There's a lot of candor on the album. Like in the song
ERIVO: The concept of being a work in progress 鈥� who still gets scared of things, who still has to deal with things 鈥� that won鈥檛 ever necessarily stop. It might get quiet, but that feeling doesn鈥檛 necessarily always go away. I just wanted to be honest, and I think that 鈥淩eplay鈥� was probably the first song that I put out was because I felt like it was sort of a reintroduction to the inner part of me that most people might not really know.
But it鈥檚 also a tricky song in that it鈥檚 fun, it鈥檚 kind of upbeat, and if you actually listen, you hear that there鈥檚 like a person who鈥檚 a little bit fragile, a person whose trying to figure some things out, a person who鈥檚 been through some things, who鈥檚 dealt with things, who has abandonment issues, who who an inferiority complex sometimes, who wants to help everyone, who wants to save everyone, but gets it wrong.
Those are human, human things that I want to share.
AP: So, there was no apprehension in being so forthright?
ERIVO: No apprehension about writing it, a little apprehension about sharing it, because it鈥檚 honest. But once it鈥檚 done, what can you do? It鈥檚 time to share.
AP: Writing, singing, how does one inform the other?
ERIVO: They feed each other. When I sing, I feel free and I feel open, which means that when I go and act 鈥� because I鈥檝e given myself that experience 鈥� the want to close off again sort of goes away. So, when I鈥檓 on a set, I鈥檓 as open as I am when I am singing. I鈥檓 waiting to receive whatever I鈥檓 getting from my counterpart or whoever鈥檚 opposite me so I can actually listen. Because the act of writing and singing actually is also the act of listening.
AP: You've long been 鈥淲icked鈥� has launched you to the heights of mainstream culture. What's the biggest adjustment you've had to make?
ERIVO: I had a sort of level of anonymity that I think I got used to and I really kind of enjoyed. That isn鈥檛 necessarily there anymore, which is still really lovely because people are kind and sweet, and I鈥檓 really grateful for it. But that鈥檚 an adjustment, to realize that you can鈥檛 just walk into a store and no one will know who you are, or you can鈥檛 get on a plane, and no one will there you are. That鈥檚 a new thing that I didn鈥檛 expect or wasn't seeking.
AP: Are you done shooting
ERIVO: We have a couple pickups and then we鈥檙e done.
AP: Is there anything else you'd like to add
ERIVO: I鈥檓 so proud of it. We spent a lot of time on it. We worked really, really hard on it. There was no stone unturned on it because I love what I do, and I love music, and I loved making it.
So just know that this was made with a lot of love.
John Carucci And Maria Sherman, The Associated Press
