Tweet took a break from finishing up her forthcoming album, Simply Tweet, last week to talk with us about what she’s been up to, where she’s at with Missy, what she thinks about the current state of R&B and the moment that brought her to her knees.
Tweet, how are you?
I’m excited. This moment I’m in, was definitely…chosen.
So how’s the new album coming?
The songs are already done. Now we’re just putting on the final touches and it’ll be here in September. It’s called Simply Tweet and it’s just me. I’m branching out of my own. I’m not under the wings of anybody else. It’s a new space in my life. It’s just different…different love, different situation…very different than the place I was in when I recorded Southern Hummingbird. The single is called ‘Enough’, and it’s for my ladies…and that’s all I can tell you about that.
It’s been a while since we last heard from you. What’s happened since 2005?
The last album was It’s Me Again, in 2005 and I think I took a good break. I didn’t get the support that I thought I deserved on that last album. I was feeling overwhelmed and decided to get my life together, get my relationship with God back on track, start spending more time with daughter.
How is the 2012 Tweet, different from the 2005 Tweet?
I’m happier now. I know who I am as a woman and an artist. Now I want to let women know that they can do it too. They can find that happiness, they don’t have to stay in unhappy situations.
Tell me about some of your unhappy situations…
I was definitely unhappy with the record company. When I first turned in the last album it was all me. But being that Elektra turned into Atlantic, it was all new people and they didn’t know who I was. They made me take off ½ of my songs to make room for more Hip Hop. I can’t blame anybody because I didn’t stand up for myself. So even when I look back on that period, I blame me.
That’s interesting. It’s rare that you hear an artist take responsibility for disappointing albums. Did you feel that way at the time, or did you eventually come to that resolve?
Definitely over the years. I give all the credit to God. I was blaming a lot of people. I had to heal and finally point the finger at me. No matter what, I allowed it to happen like that. A lot of times I let people speak for me. So I learned from it. Now I speak for myself.
Does any of this have anything to do with your relationship with Missy? I notice she’s not on the album.
We’re fine. I just decided I wanted to prove to myself, in that healing, that I wanted to do this on my own and be a business woman. We’re cool and everything is fine. We were actually going to work together for this album but our schedules didn’t meet up.
So who is on the album?
Me. I been gone so long that I wanted to give you myself. We’d planned a D’Angelo collaboration but we couldn’t make it happen in time. But that’s fine because it’s just me.
How do you feel about the current state of R&B?
I’m sad. Everything sounds the same. I’m a music lover and I’m still playing our old stuff. We should be evolving right now, we’ve mixed everything so much. We’re on a one track mind. Every song sounds the same.
So there’s no one in the new class that you’re feeling?
Honestly, I listen to my old stuff. I’m still playing my Marvin and Aretha. Honestly I haven’t gotten into anybody. I do like Miguel. I play a couple of his cuts a lot. Joonie is really dope too.
R&B has evolved into an even ‘racier’ place, since 2005, and you’re a very grown woman now. Where do you see yourself fitting in, in this overt landscape?
I am grown. I’m 41. I’ve never been the type to want to be overly sexy. Even when I was portrayed that way, I’ve been made to. I’m t-shirt, jeans and sneakers. It’s not my main focus to be sexy. You don’t have to do all that to be sexy. And I want to tell all my ladies, my aunties, cousins, sisters: We got Mac make-up, we don’t have to wear it. You don’t NEED all of that to be sexy.
So I’ve got to ask, what happened in 2005 that led to the break? What drove you back to God?
There was just a moment in 2005 and 2006 when I was on my knees, when I didn’t have anything. I think I saw the performance of ‘Make Me Over’ by Tonnex on BET. I grew up in church, and I knew that was the only way out. I knew it would be a process but I asked God to heal me. And He did.
Did it change your relationship with any of the people around you?
I really had shut everybody out. You really have to do that. Just focus on me and God. They understood. Most of the people around me knew I was struggling.
One last question, does twitter annoy you?
I get upset sometimes. We’re looking into a couple of things. But I’m not mad at it. Stuff happens. But I do get tired of the ‘oh tweet, tweets’ tweets.
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