Following the success of her Colors performance, released only late last month, Debbie’s collection of intimate moments has become a rich, velvety stream of soul. Here Raissa speaks to the singer about her road through the changes.

Debbie continues to align herself as a soul singer, not to fit into the genre, but where her music comes from which is from within. Each moment Debbie spent writing music deepened her sense of connection to her faith, as melodies and lyrics became a meaningful expression of her spiritual journey. “Faith plays a big part in things for me. I just try to stick to my ‘why’ and my purpose as much as possible because I think it's easy to be influenced by this trend, it is loud and confusing. I just try to stick to the why, which is healing people through the power of music.” The 26-year-old explains a childhood in an environment that is not a beautiful place, melody became her escape from reality, “I discovered writing and I was like, oh, this is a different level. Music has just allowed me to escape and release emotions where I could not do it with words.” Ongoing resilience is something to admire separate from the sound of her voice, the single ‘Weight on Me’ has eased into the excitement for her project to come.

My first question to you is, your music carries like a striking sense of emotional honesty. So was there a defining moment in your upbringing that first pushed you towards songwriting?

Oh, yeah. That's a good question. You know what? Like, I didn't grow up in the best environment, so music was my escape before I even knew it was my escape. First it was just listening, and then I discovered writing and I was like, oh, this is a different level. Music has just allowed me to escape and release emotions where I couldn't do it with words.

What is your process when writing a song?

Honestly, I just like someone who can play instruments and then just do not talk to me.

Oh.

Because I'm about to go like this [covers face] and I'm just in my world. It almost feels embarrassing. Imagine like your diary or your ChatGPT, then you're singing it out loud.

But it must be amazing knowing people relate to the stories and emotions portrayed within your songs. Like, I think that's a huge, defining moment to know that they see themselves in Debbie. Do you know what I mean?

Yeah.

That is amazing.

That is all. All the bells and whistles, they're great but just stick to the why.

Well, you've worked alongside Victor Ray. Can I just say, I love him. What did the collaboration with him reveal to you about your artistry and authenticity?

I think, like, normally I was quite to myself, and I didn't really see myself writing with other artists. Obviously, I did the Stormz (Stormzy) thing, but Stormz was like, ‘here's a mic, you do you.’ And that was it. So, I still got to do me, but just in a different environment. But Vic was the first time I really collaborated with someone, and it was nicer than I thought. It taught me that I am more capable of being vulnerable in a room than I thought. Because before, I'd be like, no, close your eyes.

You would just be in your own world.

But obviously, you can't do that with another artist in the room. Like, you need to talk. So, he just opened a vault within me that I didn't even know was there.

And how did that collaboration come about between you and Victor Ray?

You know, he does the busking. So, I went to go busk with him and from the busking he had a song, and he was like, do you want to jump on it? It was called Falling into Place. And I was like, yeah, let's do it. From that, I went on tour and then we became friends, and then it was like, let's just go into a session because we've never done it. That's where the magic happens.

I want to dive a bit more into your lyrics. It often feels deeply personal without becoming overly confessional in a way. How do you decide what parts of your life belong in a song and what stays private?

That’s a good question. I don't know if I ever make that decision. I feel like my mouth just runs, and then I'm like, oh, okay. But I'll still put it out anyway, to be honest. That's your duty as an artist, to just pass it [on]. It may be a bit embarrassing but it's okay, let the people know.

I want to know who inspires you musically?

I think I get different inspirations from different people. At first, it was just life. But then I like Lauryn Hill for her philosophy, Bob Marley for his freedom. I love Nina Simone for her attitude towards music, like, she'll sing it. I love Aretha Franklin for her big notes. I love Michael. Michael Jackson for his performance. There are just different little things. I love Amy Winehouse for her rawness. And that's it. So, I get little inspirations from different people, there's not one person. There's just a bit of everything.

Okay, nice. Talk to me about your Colors debut. How did that come about?

Crazy.

You must be proud of yourself.

It was really after The Rain Isn't Over. I put this song out while teasing it and it just attracted so much attention from labels, different people, and celebrities. Colors was one of the people that came forward. What I did is give them the choice and let them make the decision. And they were like, yeah, Weight On Me - it was cool. I was so nervous doing it.

Really?

Oh, my days.

Why?

I did the take like five times, and they were like, stop, like you're dragging it. And it was crazy because the founder of Colors was down.

Okay, that's a bit nerve wracking.

He was so lovely, so hands on. Like he was fixing my hair and his attention to detail was just incredible. And I was like, ‘is it good? Just tell me the truth. If it's bad, I'll do it again I swear.’ He was like, ‘look at me, this is great. It's perfect.’ And I was like, okay, I'm trusting you, thank you. So, I just left it to God. That's it.

Oh my God. No, that's amazing. Have you seen the reception you've been getting on social media so far?

[Shakes head] No.

You must see it, it’s great. What's next on your bucket list? You've recorded for Colors and toured. When can we expect an album?

So, I'm aiming for the end of the year, but if not the end of the year, top of next year. It's crazy because this album was meant to be an EP and then after leaving the label and doing this 90-day challenge thing, I was like, we should do an album. So now I am like building, scrapping, putting things together and it's a new team. I want it to be good and sometimes that might take a bit of time. Amen, it will be [good].

It will be. Don't doubt yourself. Will there be any collaborations on the album?

You know what? I don't think so. I feel like I've done a lot of collabs, and I just want this to be like a heart pour. If the right person came along, then yes. But I do think I want it to be quite personal to me and just, like, tell the story, man.

Like a Forest Hill drive album? An album of J.Cole’s which features him alone and tells a story from start to end.

Yeah, exactly.

Well, I’m excited for you. I think it's going to be an amazing year and congratulations again.

Thank you. That was so fun.

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