Singer and songwriter Alus wrote and recorded her music in her bedroom that typically received massive attention on YouTube. She consistently released a number of singles with music videos that boasted about more than 500,000 views on YouTube. According to Alus, her single “Cherry” has been her new pride and joy.
Photo Courtesy of Alus
The songstress’s profound passion for music began when she was born. Her grandma played classical violin and attended the prestigious Juilliard School. She ended up touring with The Rat Pack and playing all over the world.
Alus’ dad was also a musician who played the drums and the trumpet. He introduced her to different genres of music.
“I was a little girl when I remembered playing cassettes in a karaoke player my parents bought me for Christmas. I used those cassettes to record my vocals.”
According to her, she was born with a passion for music because it naturally flowed out of her at a young age—always wanting to perform and put on a show. As Alus grew older, she started playing the guitar and the piano—formulating complete songs.
“It’s crazy how these habits you develop as a child out of passion end up being the factors that hone and develop your craft.”
At the end of the day, Alus is a pop artist but she also mixes in R&B a lot. She is always open to experimenting with different genres.
Photo Courtesy of Alus
“Exercising my pen on different genres of tracks helps me grow as a songwriter.”
Music is always recycled, and there is so much to learn from the past. Alus grew up listening to Mariah Carey all day and relied on Madonna whenever she needed inspiration.
“When I’m not writing music, I am either working out, running to meetings, attending photoshoots or video shoots, scheduling upcoming releases and practicing my skills in piano.”
The idea of her single “Cherry” initially emerged as a joke when Alus’ cousin came to her house and watched Willy Wonka with her.
“After laughing at the idea, I went right into my bedroom studio set up, and ‘Cherry’ was born an hour later. The obvious part is the “Oompa Loompa” hook. Because it was stuck in my head so annoyingly after watching the movie, it only made sense to add it into a pop song.”
Alus originally wanted an 8-feet tall life-size cherry to be a huge prop in the music video. According to her, the item wasn’t included since there wouldn’t be enough of time to retrieve one.
“Maybe I can bring the life size cherry on tour with me one day. I ended up running with a more aesthetically pleasing concept where I matched color palettes and took inspiration from the original Willy Wonka movie.”
Alus said that dressing up as a feminine Willy Wonka, including little people in the video, was a crucial part for her. “Yeezy season 6 inspired the nude look because I wanted it to be a clean color palette with warm tones like nudes, beiges, tans, etc. with the cherry between my legs to be the only colored object in the shot.”
The songstress hoped that people who watch her music video for the first time would feel the same positive energy that was evident during the making of the video.
“Music for me is a safe place to escape everyday reality. When someone watches ‘Cherry,’ I hope they live in that fantasy world for the entire length of the song.”
According to Alus, she is usually very picky on first edits. Instead of feeling satisfied, she constantly feels like there is more work needed to be done before she relaxes.
Photo Courtesy of Alus
“I am very hands-on with picking shots, and sometimes I stay in the editing room with my director all day.”
At first, Alus wanted “Cherry” to sound like an urban and trap song. After her attempt to sing “Cherry” on a trap track, it didn’t feel right, according to her.
“Cherry is more fun and is almost colorful. The trap essence didn’t fit well. I ended up going sonically with a colorful and tropical track to match the tone of the song.”
Alus’ most unforgettable gig was her performance at Madison Square Garden to a sold-out crowd. She sang the National Anthem there on many occasions, but the most memorable boxing match she performed at was in 2018.
“On DAZN, I sang for the Canelo vs. Rocky fight to a sold-out sea of people at The Garden. I never get nervous, but I was so nervous for this one because every celebrity was in the building. I remember seeing Gina Rodriguez backstage when I was warming up, and she was complimenting me on how great I sounded.”
The singer also saw Liev Schreiber and the Jonas Brothers sitting next to the ring. “I ended up crying tears of happiness after my performance because everything went well!”
The “Cherry” singer’s grandma used to say a joke to her when she was younger, “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?” … “Practice, practice, practice!”
Alus advised singers to perfect their craft and to never compete against other people. “Only compete against yourself.”
Watch the music video for “Cherry”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wJo-AZ1JL0&feature=youtu.be
Featured Image Courtesy of Alus
