Vivian Green has a new album out, and I love it! It is grown and soulful.  She took a few minutes to answer a few questions about her new album, her career, and more… Click here to purchase Vivid (August 2015)

NNG: I am so excited about your new album, Vivid (August 2015). It is one of those albums where you don’t need to skip a song. You can turn it on and have fun with it.

VG: Thank you so much! This is exactly what Kwame and I wanted. Kwame produced the entire album, and he is a different kind of producer than I’m used to working with. EVERYTHING he does has energy; even the ballads. So it was new territory making an entire album that had this great fun energy to it. When Kwame and I first started working, he said, “I thought you were this depressing, sad girl from your previous music, but you’re nothing like that. You’re funny, crazy, quirky, and a lot of fun; so let’s make music that’s a true reflection of you”. Also, we wanted to make a cohesive body of work that made sense altogether. It’s so nice to hear you say you don’t need to skip a song.

NNG: I have this album on heavy rotation these days. I wanted to feature you on NappyNaturalGirl.com for two reasons. First, I love your music, and I wanted to hear from you and show you support by helping to promote the album. Secondly, when I finished listening to “Vivid,” I had to reach out. This album is a conversation piece. Vivian is speaking about life and love from a very authentic space.

You look beautiful, and of course, you sound amazing. However, this is a new Vivian Green for loyal fans like myself. I feel like the music is more upbeat, and lyrical motifs are stronger and more direct. I can’t get enough of it. “Vivid” feels so personal, and I know you are a songwriter; which songs did you write?

VG: I either wrote or co-wrote every track. Kwame and I wrote, “Get Right Back to my Baby” and “Leave it All Behind” together. “All I Want Is You” was first an entire song that I completely wrote the lyrics to and recorded alone. Then we decided it should be a duet, so we scratched my second verse and part of the bridge to allow Raheem to write his own words.

NNG: “All I Want Is You” is dope. I love it. It is sassy but still classy. How was it to work with Raheem DeVaughn? Do you think that track will be a single? I am hoping for a video.

VG: With technology ruling the world it’s easy to do a duet and never see the other person. This is what happened with this song. While Kwame and I both know and are friendly with Raheem, we didn’t see him once during the creation of this record…lol…I think it’s pretty cool that you can still create if schedules aren’t meshing. “All I Want is You” is a single contender, but we’re honestly not sure yet. It’s a difficult choice.

NNG: My favorite songs are “123”, “Get Right Back To My Baby,” and “Like Fools,” but honestly I like the album as a complete piece of art. What are your favorite songs on the album? Why?

VG: I honestly don’t have favorites. When your favorites start becoming 2/3 of the album, then you don’t have a favorite. I honestly have a hard time choosing a favorite of anything..lol

NNG: This is your fifth studio album, and there is a maturity to this project, especially regarding love songs. There’s a sense of self-control, a love of self, and an authentic confidence that comes through in the music. What inspired these motifs? What made you want to explore love from this perspective?

VG: I wouldn’t say anything inspired me, or I explored from another perspective, I’m just grown..lol. My first album was mostly written before I was 21 years old, and it was about my first love who broke my lil heart. I was nowhere near the woman I am now; I was just a girl. In life, we should constantly grow and strive to be better. So this album is just as much me as the first one. However, this is me now, and that was me then. I’m much more fun now! Lol…wiser, and the perspectives on love from then to now are like night and day. If I didn’t keep putting myself in ridiculous situations back then, I wouldn’t have written those sad songs. My standards weren’t where they should have been.

Now I believe in taking responsibility for what you allow others to do to you. I didn’t see it that way then. I would never tolerate the kind of men I wrote about on albums 1 and 2. They wouldn’t stand a chance now. IJS lol And I value and love myself, so that’s why there’s so much empowerment in this album. It is a true reflection of Vivian all grown up.

NNG: Your son Jordan opens up the project, and it is adorable. What advice do you have for mothers who are still pursuing their dreams?

VG: ALWAYS remember your kids see you as “mom” and not necessarily the successful career woman you are. You have to always be “mom” for them because that’s all they’re concerned with at the end of the day. If Jordan comes to a show, after I get off stage he says, “Can we go eat now” or “Can we go home now” He’s so over it! Lol!

NNG: In songs like “Leave It All Behind” and “Count Your Blessings,” there is a strong sense of self-satisfaction and gratefulness. There is also a call to action for your fans to count their blessings. How did Vivian get to this point?

VG: OMG I get oh so tired of hearing fans say I’m underrated. I appreciate the gesture, but it discounts my blessings and all that I have done. My journey is my own. I don’t chase other people’s success or money; I’m just grateful for my own. I’ve always been that way.

The second verse of “Count Your Blessings” is about my sister, Sha Green, who is a teacher and school administrator in Philly. Her kids LOVE her to death, but teachers don’t get the glory in this world as athletes and entertainers do. I think she’s underrated but at the same time I KNOW, she’s SUPER blessed. My sister gets to see the kids she taught growing up. They come back to her school to visit her before going off to college. They tell her if it weren’t for her, they don’t know where they’d be. Her influence changes lives; changes paths. That’s BIG and more than anything I’ve ever done..lol. I know she goes to sleep fulfilled.

NNG: Where can we catch you live? Is there a tour in the works? What can you tell us about it?

VG: Check out my FB and Instagram pages to see when I’m coming to a city near you. My show is SO MUCH FUN!! The music on this album has just taken my show to another level. Before we had to figure out how NOT to do so many ballads back to back…and it was a challenge lawd!..lol…. But the energy of this album gives my show LIFE that I can honestly say it’s never had. And don’t worry, we do all of the old favorites!

NNG: Thanks for taking the time out to do the interview! We appreciate you.

Click here to purchase Vivid (August 2015)