Cynthia Erivo joins Hattie Collins on Proud Radio ahead of her second album “I Forgive You” being released on 6th June. Cynthia discusses the importance of using female pronouns, the noughties, her album closing track ‘Grace’ and not getting Oasis tickets.
Cynthia on the importance of using female pronouns…
I also wanted to share more of me as a queer woman in there as well. There are songs like She Said, there are songs like Play The Woman that have the word she in it instead of he on purpose, because I also want to let people know that I'm proud of that part of myself, I want to share that part of myself. And I think sometimes we don't hear it very often.
Cynthia on being a black performer in the noughties…
Hattie Collins: We had Mae Martin on Proud last month, they were talking about how it might've been easier for them back in the noughties to exist as a queer person than it is now. I don't know. Does that resonate with you? How do you feel from your perspective?
Cynthia: I mean, I think every time has its issues, I think every time has its problems. It may have been easier for Mae to exist in the noughties. But as an artist, I look at how many Black performers were around in the noughties, and you think, well, there were a few, but very few Black women were getting the chance to make music. And if they were, they were around for a very short time and then they disappeared. Right now we're starting to see sort of a resurgence as an artist of Black female performers. So for me it's pick your poison. We've come leaps and bounds from where we were. But also we keep taking steps back. I think that's the nature of it. We keep having to learn our lessons over and over again to do better and want better.
Cynthia on her track “Grace” which closes the album…
So I was making this album whilst we were doing the press tour and finishing off Wicked. Glutton for punishment, I know, it's insane. But I felt kind of creative at the same time. So I was making the album at the same time. And sort of towards the end of it, and whilst we're about to embark on the press tour, I got a phone call from someone at Universal who said that there's this young girl who is terminally ill and she wants to watch the film. Because she knew what was happening to her.
When she watched the movie she sent this beautiful video of what she thought of it, what she liked. And when I got the video, I sent her a video back to say thank you. And then she sent another video. And then I sent another video. And I got to speak to her auntie. And her auntie was like, "I just want you to know that she really enjoys these videos, they make her happy." So I was like, "Well, if she wants to speak to me in real life, just let me know, I'll take some time out and FaceTime her for real."
And as I get to the studio, I get this call, Grace would love to FaceTime with you. And we're on the phone for 20 minutes on FaceTime for 20 minutes and talking about everything. So she talks about what wings she wants, because she knows she's going to be an angel.
And then I put the phone down, I go into the studio and I think, what do I want to write about? And I thought, what if I write something about the goodbyes that can feel untimely but they still leave you with a little bit of joy because of the person. And they leave you with something that you can pass on to someone else. So I thought, well, I'll write about that. And that's when Grace was written. And I called it Grace because her name was Grace and I knew I wanted to leave those words at the end because I wanted everyone to have those words, to be left with those words. I feel you and I love what you did, I love you.
Cynthia Erivo on not getting Oasis tickets…
Hattie Collins: So are you going to go and see Oasis when they play?
Cynthia Erivo: I would love to.
Hattie Collins: Have you got tickets?
Cynthia Erivo: I didn't get tickets because it was insane.
Hattie Collins: You didn't get tickets? Did you try and get tickets and you couldn't get tickets?
Cynthia Erivo: Yeah.
Hattie Collins: What?
Cynthia Erivo: It was like the internet broke down.
Cynthia on the importance of using female pronouns…
I also wanted to share more of me as a queer woman in there as well. There are songs like She Said, there are songs like Play The Woman that have the word she in it instead of he on purpose, because I also want to let people know that I'm proud of that part of myself, I want to share that part of myself. And I think sometimes we don't hear it very often.
Cynthia on being a black performer in the noughties…
Hattie Collins: We had Mae Martin on Proud last month, they were talking about how it might've been easier for them back in the noughties to exist as a queer person than it is now. I don't know. Does that resonate with you? How do you feel from your perspective?
Cynthia: I mean, I think every time has its issues, I think every time has its problems. It may have been easier for Mae to exist in the noughties. But as an artist, I look at how many Black performers were around in the noughties, and you think, well, there were a few, but very few Black women were getting the chance to make music. And if they were, they were around for a very short time and then they disappeared. Right now we're starting to see sort of a resurgence as an artist of Black female performers. So for me it's pick your poison. We've come leaps and bounds from where we were. But also we keep taking steps back. I think that's the nature of it. We keep having to learn our lessons over and over again to do better and want better.
Cynthia on her track “Grace” which closes the album…
So I was making this album whilst we were doing the press tour and finishing off Wicked. Glutton for punishment, I know, it's insane. But I felt kind of creative at the same time. So I was making the album at the same time. And sort of towards the end of it, and whilst we're about to embark on the press tour, I got a phone call from someone at Universal who said that there's this young girl who is terminally ill and she wants to watch the film. Because she knew what was happening to her.
When she watched the movie she sent this beautiful video of what she thought of it, what she liked. And when I got the video, I sent her a video back to say thank you. And then she sent another video. And then I sent another video. And I got to speak to her auntie. And her auntie was like, "I just want you to know that she really enjoys these videos, they make her happy." So I was like, "Well, if she wants to speak to me in real life, just let me know, I'll take some time out and FaceTime her for real."
And as I get to the studio, I get this call, Grace would love to FaceTime with you. And we're on the phone for 20 minutes on FaceTime for 20 minutes and talking about everything. So she talks about what wings she wants, because she knows she's going to be an angel.
And then I put the phone down, I go into the studio and I think, what do I want to write about? And I thought, what if I write something about the goodbyes that can feel untimely but they still leave you with a little bit of joy because of the person. And they leave you with something that you can pass on to someone else. So I thought, well, I'll write about that. And that's when Grace was written. And I called it Grace because her name was Grace and I knew I wanted to leave those words at the end because I wanted everyone to have those words, to be left with those words. I feel you and I love what you did, I love you.
Cynthia Erivo on not getting Oasis tickets…
Hattie Collins: So are you going to go and see Oasis when they play?
Cynthia Erivo: I would love to.
Hattie Collins: Have you got tickets?
Cynthia Erivo: I didn't get tickets because it was insane.
Hattie Collins: You didn't get tickets? Did you try and get tickets and you couldn't get tickets?
Cynthia Erivo: Yeah.
Hattie Collins: What?
Cynthia Erivo: It was like the internet broke down.
