That Grape Juice Interviews Fantasia

Published: Tuesday 23rd Apr 2013 by Rashad

‘When I See You’ songstress Fantasia has seen herself aboard a media rollercoaster since the turn of the decade.

Indeed, kicking it off with her Grammy-award winning, 2010 top-seller ‘Back To Me’, the singer shortly thereafter found herself back atop headlines for a spectrum of a reasons – many of which, she tells That Grape Juice, nearly led her to walk away from the very platform that brought her fame.

Now, as her fourth album ‘Side Effects of You’ hit shelves today, Tasia talks exclusively about why it is her most personal to date (addressing those issues “head-on”), the future of her once-scheduled Mahalia Jackson biopic,  and so much more.

It all awaits below…

Fantasia Shouts Out That Grape Juice


That Grape Juice:  Hello again Miss Fantasia! How are you?

Fantasia:  I am good! Just excited about this album! I really hope it blesses people.

That Grape Juice:  From what we’ve heard of it, we’re sure it already has (laughs)!  So, let’s get right to it.  What would you say is the overall sound of the album ‘Side Effects of You’?

Fantasia (audio):

That Grape Juice:  From your amazing ‘American Idol’ performance last week to radio and charts alike, ‘Lose To Win’ is winning everywhere! Why did you feel it was the best first single for this album?

Fantasia:  The passion for my music, with all of the things that were going on in my life, was beginning to be lost. Music is my first love.  After ‘American Idol’, everything happened so fast and got out of control. I had such a bittersweet taste in my mouth for it.

Where I am now, I had to tell my label “If I can’t come back and speak my mind to really let the people know what I felt and what I went through, then I don’t want to come back at all.” Once they [the label] got that, ‘Lose to Win’ was one of the last songs we recorded. I think everybody realized that it was my testimony.  Yes, I may have lost a lot, but now I’m winning again.

When I say “winning” I’m not talking about money, cars, or clothes. I’m talking about finally being at a peaceful place and being comfortable in my own skin to finally doing what I want to do.

That Grape Juice:  Now, that leads us to its follow-up ‘Without Me’ (ft. Kelly Rowland and Missy Elliott).  How did that collaboration come to be?

Fantasia:  I’ve always worked with Missy – even from my first album. She and I became very good friends, so I would always say any album I do, if she’s not producing a song, I still want her to be a part of it.  Our stories are so much alike.

With Kelly, I just kind of sat back and watched her story and how things played out for her.  She’s a very nice down to earth person.  We met up and just started talking.  Both of us were going through some things and weren’t getting much cooperation out of the labels at first, but everything worked out in the end.

Now, I see her out doing her thing and being strong black woman. I love that.  When we worked that out, we thought in the studio who better than Missy to get on the track?

She’s a breath of fresh air.  People miss her.

That Grape Juice: When should we expect a video?

Fantasia:  Really soon! I want Missy to do the video. When I look back at all of the thigns she’s done, all of them were amazing! She’s not afraid to step out of the box.

All three of us are just going to sit down and come up with something different that people haven’t seen us do before.

That Grape Juice:  We look forward to that.  Now, switching gears a bit, you’ve been very vocal about how personal this album is to you – even from its titling.  So, tell us, who or what is the “you” being referred to in the title ‘Side Effects Of You’?

Fantasia:  I like for people to be able to relate to me through my honesty.  As artists, sometimes people put us on a pedestal and think life is great or perfect.  They look at clothes, shoes, and red carpets, but I don’t think people understand that all of that comes with so much more.  Drama and all types of stuff.

I’m not going to let those things change me.  I think people at this point know that I am very honest and feel what I’m going through. I do that to help other people. It’s not easy telling my story and suffering backlash.

That Grape Juice:  Ok then!  So, switching gears again, it’s been a while since we’ve heard any updates on your role with the Mahalia Jackson biopic.  Is that still in the works?

Fantasia (audio): 

That Grape Juice:  Now, moving from the big screen to the small screen, you got your start on ‘Idol’ then moved to a hit VH1 reality show years later.  How do you feel about ever returning to the reality show circuit?

Fantasia:  No way (laughs)!  If I was to do it, it would have to be something totally different from ‘Fantasia For Real’.  You know, when you allow cameras into your home with your family it can either go one of two ways – it can be blessed or cursed.  For me, at this point in my life and going through what I’ve been through with my family, I don’t think I need to show my love for them on camera anymore.

For me, I’d rather love them genuinely without cameras around.  There’s always a camera around when it comes to me anyway, so when I do my “family time” now, that’s special and something I want to be honest and true.

That Grape Juice:  Alright!  Well, let’s bring it all home here on the contextual tip.  Given all that you’ve been through over the course of the past ten years, if you could tell yourself from 2003 one thing, what would it be?

Fantasia (audio):

 

 

******

Interview by:  Quinno Rashad (That Grape Juice US)

(@blueeyedsoul517)

******

Click here to visit Fantasia’s Official Website//Click here to purchase ‘Side Effects Of You’

Your thoughts?

Comments 30

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  1. Hive April 23, 2013

    that 2nd pic is not cute. Nice interview tho i love her new album so much that i downloaded it for free 😉

    • steph April 23, 2013

      And this is why people FLOP.

      • Hive April 23, 2013

        Not my problem sweetie i only buy my favs albums mk

        so dont come for me unless i send for you

      • Q April 23, 2013

        Thank you Steph!!!!

    • truth(icki released 1,726 singles and 80 videos for reFLOP and still caint go platinum! Yea b****** i said it NNN WIT!! pops tongue) April 23, 2013

      @HIVE you cheap sl-LUT!!!

    • RICHANDBLACK11(JUST LIKE BEY) April 23, 2013

      That’s not cute….Support your BLACK peeps

    • Navy Sailor!!! April 23, 2013

      🙄

    • Dev April 23, 2013

      @HIVE stealing Kendra from TRHOA is desperate and queenie. Fantasia is here to sing, not for you to model your desires to be a woman on like you obviously do with Beyonce.
      And don’t pretend to claim that you’re actually a woman already…. maybe one in the making

    • Von April 24, 2013

      Its Not Suppose To Be Cute. Its Paying Homage And Giving You “Rock N Soul”. Ugh, Ya’ll Are So Pathetic. Just Appreciate This Woman’s Music & Keep It Moving.

  2. DAMIEN April 23, 2013

    I bought the album just over two hours ago and I’ve already listened to to the entire album twice.

    FANTASIA’S VOICE IS JUST SOMETHING ELSE CHILE’!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂

    Songs 3, 6, 9, 11, 12 & 13 are the ones to watch.

    I just hope that this album doesn’t suffer the same fate that ‘Xtina or Keyshia’s’ did.

    • RICHANDBLACK11(JUST LIKE BEY) April 23, 2013

      This album is everthing to me

    • truth(icki released 1,726 singles and 80 videos for reFLOP and still caint go platinum! Yea b****** i said it NNN WIT!! pops tongue) April 23, 2013

      OMG I LOVE #9 Change Your Mind!!

  3. truth(icki released 1,726 singles and 80 videos for reFLOP and still caint go platinum! Yea b****** i said it NNN WIT!! pops tongue) April 23, 2013

    Thanks Sam for posting the interview!! @hive B**** YOU A CHEAP W****!!!

  4. Monstarebel April 23, 2013

    The album isn’t for me but i did buy without me feat Kelly rowland that song is HOT!!

    Anyways good luck with everything fanny xo

    • truth(icki released 1,726 singles and 80 videos for reFLOP and still caint go platinum! Yea b****** i said it NNN WIT!! pops tongue) April 23, 2013

      i really like like this postn of yours. Thanks

  5. truth(icki released 1,726 singles and 80 videos for reFLOP and still caint go platinum! Yea b****** i said it NNN WIT!! pops tongue) April 23, 2013

    On my way to pick up the cd now chile

  6. Miguel April 23, 2013

    ‘She will flop, Fantasia has been saying the same thing, performing the same way, and making the same type of music for the past three years . She needs to let it go already .

    • ras April 23, 2013

      you must have not heard any of fantasia album cause there all different i can tell you just want to hate take a sit

      • truth(icki released 1,726 singles and 80 videos for reFLOP and still caint go platinum! Yea b****** i said it NNN WIT!! pops tongue) April 23, 2013

        @ras Honey that b**** just want some attention that why she said that… F*** ha!! All 3 of her cds r different and that s*** just had to post a ‘-‘ comment. She need to suck on her fav

    • Dev April 23, 2013

      Yeah, and the record company still has her signed and she still wins grammy’s

  7. ras April 23, 2013

    fantasia did it on this album its so awesome

  8. TruthSpeaker April 23, 2013

    She did a great job with the album. You can here Whitney, EnVogue & Motown influences throughout along with great lyrics & awesome production. This may just be her best album yet.

  9. truth(icki released 1,726 singles and 80 videos for reFLOP and still caint go platinum! Yea b****** i said it NNN WIT!! pops tongue) April 23, 2013

    I JUST PICKED IT UP HONEY!! I GOT THE CD!!! And i did a lil promotn myself. The cashier asked if this was a new cd by Fanny and chile us girls had a nice time talkn bout it and then i told her to google her AI performance and she thanked me. She said ahe heard it was epic and that she’d get the cd! Go Fanny!!

  10. truth(icki released 1,726 singles and 80 videos for reFLOP and still caint go platinum! Yea b****** i said it NNN WIT!! pops tongue) April 23, 2013

    LOVE IT!!!!!!!

  11. JER April 23, 2013

    Samantha you are doing too much with this post

    • truth(icki released 1,726 singles and 80 videos for reFLOP and still caint go platinum! Yea b****** i said it NNN WIT!! pops tongue) April 23, 2013

      F*** u s***…no one askd yo B**** ass to stop by

      • JER April 23, 2013

        And no one asked for 300 d**** to fall out of your ass ho so that makes us even. It makes you f*****, but it makes us even.

      • truth(icki released 1,726 singles and 80 videos for reFLOP and still caint go platinum! Yea b****** i said it NNN WIT!! pops tongue) April 23, 2013

        That was weak. H** if this werent a Tasia post id wear yo ass out but im listening to Fanny and sissies like wont wont make me slay HERE on her post. So ill take this lost…TO WIN! #blast loose to win and smokes my blunt chile

  12. Sterling Infinity ( The New Prince) April 23, 2013

    I have to say yes to this album. Her voice the lyrics everything comes through. Lets get that Grammy!

  13. deniseblack April 25, 2013

    fantashia you have been through a lot keep the faith and pressing forward and nice job on talking with the label for its all about you and your struggles I wish you the best on many more albums

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