Rouge is working on a timeless album
Having released her first rap single in 2014, Rouge has been on an upward trajectory, working with the likes of AKA on his ‘Baddest’ remix in 2015 and Moozlie on 2016’s ‘Mbongo Zaka’. Her debut album, ‘The New Era Sessions’, released in 2017 to critical acclaim was accompanied by a short film which won a South African Film and Television Award for Best Micro Budget Film. 2017 also saw her take home the win in the Best Female Artist category at the South African Hip Hop Awards. Since then she has released a number of singles, most recently ‘One By One’ alongside AKA. Currently completing her next album, Rouge visited Red Bull Studios Cape Town to work on additional tracks for the album. We caught up with her to find out what she’s been up to since the release of the ‘New Era Sessions’, the process and concept behind her new album, the shift in her sound and who she worked with. Read the full interview below.
Your most recent single is ‘One By One’ with AKA. Can you tell me about how that came about?
AKA and I have always had a really great relationship. Always since the ‘Baddest (Remix)’ in 2015, he kept in touch with me and kept checking up on me, watching my growth. Which I’m pretty sure people are shocked by because everyone thinks AKA is this ‘mean guy’, but honestly I’ve had the best experiences with him, I’ve learned a lot from him. He’s pretty tough, I won’t lie! He’s a very straight forward, honest guy. His work ethic is there. Once I released my new project he reached out to me and told me “you’re an artist now, it’s there, let’s make music” and he stuck to his promise. Here we are now with an amazing single. Even when we were recording the song I remember so much stuff was going on with him as usual, on the socials, his life being out there, but he was so focused on my project. I remember telling him we don’t have to record that day because I could see there were certain things with the AKA brand that he needed to focus on and he said “no, I promised you a song and that’s what we’re gonna do today” and I’m really happy with how it turned out.
Photo by Ashiq Johnson
You’re working on a new album now. When did the process start and is there a concept driving it?
This process started such a long time ago. It’s been like 3 years since I dropped an album and I’ve been working on this project for a good 3 years. It’s because I knew I didn’t want to do something that people had already heard. I felt like I had already proved my point, that yes, Rouge can rap. The concept is just making great classic music. Not feeling that pressure of having to prove how many words can I put in a bar, I just wanted to make music kids’ kids are going to be listening to. I was very inspired by Lauren Hill. I was listening to a lot of ‘The Miseducation of Lauren Hill’ and that album is timeless. Legit that’s the only project that she had released and 21 years later she is still touring with that album. That is the goal. That is the level I’m trying to reach, where I’m releasing something that is timeless. Not just for now. That’s what makes people legendary, that’s what creates longevity. When I’m gone my albums are still living with the next generation. That’s why it’s taken me three years and I think I’ve finally got it.
What kind of sonics are you exploring on the album?
It’s not a ‘rappy’. A lot of musical elements, a lot of instruments and singing. People don’t know how much I sing and that I started singing before I started rapping. So there are a lot of melodies on this project, a lot of singing, storytelling in a way that’s not so hard to catch that you have to sit down and listen. Very easy to catch, very singalong. For me it was easy and that was the hardest part. I had to tell myself not to do too much and have fun with it. I know people think it’s just words here and there but no, for me, that’s the hardest thing because I always feel like this sounds stupid, this is dumb. But I really got the concept of this project which was how I wanted to make people feel. So this project is just music from rapping to singing to mixing both. The project will be called ‘Love and other stuff’ because that’s really the process I was going through. A whole bunch of love, whether it be romantically, family, friends and other stuff. So it’s really just baggage that I’m showing through this project.
What made you decide to explore your singing voice?
I felt like this is another way of making people feel. If there’s one way of really getting people to feel I think it’s singing. Another thing was that I felt like this is a talent that God gave me and I’ve been hiding it for so long and I think it’s time to really explore it. Why not? It’s there and it can really show me another level of artistry that I’ve never experienced in my life. And it can show other people a level of artistry of Rouge that they never knew existed. It will make a triple-threat! That’s what we’re trying to put out there. We’re trying to show that I’m not one-dimensional and that this project isn’t one-dimensional.
Photo by Ashiq Johnson
Who are you working with on this project?
Whew! Producers from Tweezy to Wichi 1080 to Mae N. Maejor. Features, obviously AKA, I’ve got Sarkodie who is my favourite rapper in Africa, Yemi Alade, Emtee, Shekhinah, JSomething. So it’s artists, but levels of artists. It’s going to be insane! That’s why people must understand why it took me a few years. I waited to get every artist that’s been on my dream collabs list since I was a kid. That’s what I wanted to do with this album and I did it!
Do you have a tentative release date?
I’m looking at June. Even May would be amazing, but I’ve got to be happy with it. Right now we just recorded some incredible stuff here at Red Bull Studios Cape Town and I’m like we need to revisit the album before I hand it in because it’s doing so much. The goal is May/June, hopefully, May.
As you mentioned you’ve been at Red Bull Studios Cape Town for the past few days producing some new tracks. Will they make the album?
100%. I told Red Bull whether you like it or not! We made some really good songs here. It’s a nice break. There was the ‘Love and other stuff’ and it was a period I was in and there is a new phase that I’m in right now and that’s what this part is showing. The music we’re making right now has been very much influenced by my group, my team, my brothers. Everyone knows I go nowhere without these boys. You can feel that in the energy of the songs that I made here, which is always great for performance and make people have fun and not think. That was the music that was created here and that’s what I want my project to be as well. It’s not just about love it’s also about the other stuff! That’s the focus.
Photo by Ashiq Johnson
Are any singles coming in the lead-up to the album?
Definitely. Right now ‘One By One’ which is doing absolutely amazing, very commercial sound because it was time for people to hear the singing part of things. I might be releasing one of the songs from Red Bull because it’s so good. I’ll also be releasing the song with Sarkodie and Youssoupha from France, he’s a huge rapper in France if not legendary. That’s coming out because people need to hear the rapper in me has also elevated. So I’m going to release a few singles before to get people comfortable with the singing, rapping and fun versions of me so they know what to expect.
How do you see yourself pushing the album?
I’m not one of those people that just does a young tour and goes to a few places. For me, it’s really about the experience I give people. My team and I are planning an incredible movement that we’re going to be doing with this project. From pop-up performances, where you won’t know where it’s happening but it’s an opportunity to reach the people, not have something where they’re always expected to pay. Whether it be in an alleyway, you’ll find us there, things like that. Of course, I’m going to be having an incredible listening session for the Rouge fans who are really there. They need to hear this project before anyone else because they are that loyal. Then, of course, we’re going to be touring, I really want to do school tours and varsity tours. There’s going to be a lot reaching the people, rather than having to come to me.
Do you have anything similar planned as with the release of the short film that accompanied the release of your debut album?
Yes! I don’t want to talk about it too much but on this journey that we’re going to do with this project, we also want to capture that. I don’t want to capture it like a normal documentary because they usually show the beautiful side of things, this is going be very honest. People will see my writer’s block, fighting with the crew, losing deals, getting deals, fans booing me, calling out for other artists instead of me on stage, fans screaming for me, so it needs to be honest. That’s something I’m working on. I won’t say that it’s going to be rushed. I really want to take my time with it because it really needs to be that honest but also that well shot.
Photo by Ashiq Johnson
Do you have any collabs coming outside of your album?
The girls and I are talking. It’s time. It’s 2020 and women in the industry are the talk of conversation. I’m not just talking South Africa but in general. From Cardi B to Megan Thee Stallion to Doja Cat, there are too many girls right now doing the most and I just love the fact that in South Africa we’re also catching that. Right now we’re in the forefront, the guys can rest a bit while we do the things. Gigi and I are finally putting something together, people have been nagging us to do so. I’m also in talks with this amazing rapper Hanna, she’s disgustingly good. I’m looking to work with YoungstaCPT as well. A lot of music is going to be made in 2020, not just for my project but in general.
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This interview first appeared on Red Bull Music.