Melanie Fiona may be promoting new music, but 2024 marks the 15th anniversary of a special time in her life: the release of her debut album, The Bridge.
Reflecting on the project, Melanie says she most loved the process of discovering her voice and sound. “I really wanted to reflect a sound that would be that people would understand, ‘She makes music like this because that’s where she comes from,'” Mel tells ABC Audio, noting she’d grown up on R&B soul and Caribbean music.
With help from late songwriter and producer Andrea Martin, an ally and mentor who was also of Guyanese heritage, Melanie’s idea eventually came to fruition, using samples from songs by Frankie Valli, The Zombies and more.
“It was just really nice to hear these songs that I grew up listening to in my childhood in this, like, retro soul form, and then me having a new version on top of this music,” Melanie shares. “So I was very proud of The Bridge because I felt like I was the bridge.”
With the album turning 15, Melanie says she’s “so grateful” to be making new music while fans still desire her old work.
“I’m still here. I still have more to give. I still have people who want it. And that’s a blessing,” Melanie notes. “It’s just, I think, a testimony to the way that I approached my career from the beginning, which was always wanted to make something that felt classic.”
“I always wanted to be timeless, and to have respect for talent and great art,” she continues. “And here we are 15 years later.”
Melanie’s latest singles are “I Choose You” and “Say Yes.”
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