After years of navigating the complexities of the music industry, Sama-nominated singer-songwriter Mikhale Jones is back with her new highly anticipated independent second album, “Too Many Promises”, released on June 28.
Through the new offering, Jones wants to reclaim her artistic independence after leaving her record company, Def Jam Africa.
She said that with the support of her talented team, she had been able to produce a body of work that was a true reflection of her artistry and personal journey.
“I decided to go independent because I have so much to offer and so much I still want to achieve, and being signed to a major affected that. As much as being signed was also very beneficial to my career, it also limited me in a lot of ways, so the changeover was necessary,” she told “The Star”.
Jones said the pivotal decision followed her victory in the MTN Pulse Virals competition, which served as a powerful reminder of her capabilities.
She worked with Ammo Moses, YoshiYuki, and Nothando Mamba to create new music for the upcoming album.
“We locked in and crafted something special, pulling in tracks that were initially sidelined, including ‘24/7’ and ‘Toxic Trends’ which are the current two lead singles, and developing new material as well.”
Jones described the project as a blend of neo-soul, R&B and hip hop, music she could dance to while telling personal stories.
She said much of the music on her second album chronicled her emotional journey after leaving a toxic relationship, mirroring her experience in the music industry.
“From being signed to one of the major record labels to facing harsh criticism on my sound, I finally decided to take matters into my own hands.”
On her relationship with one of the biggest record labels, Def Jam, under which she was one of the country’s leading musical prospects which came to an end, Jones said that even though being signed to the label had a blessing, it had been time to look from within for her new musical direction.
“Being signed to Def Jam Africa was a blessing for my career. But it definitely wasn’t all roses and sunshine. I was constantly compared to my peers. My direction was heard but never fully executed as agreed and, eventually, they labelled my music ‘too R&B’ which had me quiet for a year without any music released. Grateful nonetheless for the recognition, but me leaving was for the sake of execution as I was tired of being quiet.”
The new offering represents Jones taking back her power and fulfilling her vision which was why she took to the studio to be in a room full of talented creatives to collaborate and make gold.
“With this offering, I believe we achieved exactly that and had so much fun doing it!”
The Star
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