Lachi – Mad Different

By starrymag | February 3, 2025

By: Mariah Thomas

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

 

A) I don’t fit neatly into a genre box. I blend elements of Dance and electronic instrumentation, jazz vocals, folk story-telling and rap wit when I’m feelin’ it. Generally, what ties it all together is my message of empowerment, badassery and radical self-acceptance—laying bare my warts and all without taking it too seriously. It’s essentially, “Let ‘em stare, we know we look good.”

 

Q) What musicians influenced you when you were growing up? 

 

A) I was less inspired by the music of any given artist and more by the impact a certain artist or album had on my life. Many positive childhood memories are filled with Mom’s favorites like The Beatles, Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton. The first album I ever paid for was Ray of Light by Madonna by sneaking my mom’s credit card out of her purse, and I listened to it on non-stop repeat. As a blind kid learning piano, people passed me Beethoven, Chopin, Mozart, etc. With no blind role-models I could relate to, I settled for the few black female heavyweights that came up in the late 90s and 2000s like Alicia Keys, Lauryn Hill and Missy Elliott.

 

Q) I love some of the cheeky lyrics in “A Girl.” Although this is a reality that girls everywhere know all too well, what was the inspiration behind writing this song now?

 

A) As is often the case with me, a song will just pour out—first to last lyric—unexpectedly, due to something I didn’t realize I’d been subconsciously ruminating on. Such was the case for “A Girl.” I’m not a loud-proud feminist by any means, but I’d never had my privileges as a woman so viscerally threatened as they’d been throughout 2024. The song is passionate but cheeky, a direct reflection of how I navigate through life.

 

Q) “A Girl” features J Renée and Precious Perez. How did the three of you come together to collaborate on this song?

 

A) I felt this song was larger than my voice alone, so I brought together a group of amazing women who, like me, interface with varying identities. Precious [Perez], J. Renee, our interpreter Indi Robinson and our cellist Mercedes Lysaker are all members of RAMPD (Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities), my consultancy group and network platform connecting music creators and professionals with disabilities. When looking for women to join the project, using RAMPD’s directory was a no-brainer!

 

Q) The behind the scenes to the video performance opens up a beautiful conversation. What was the process like recording this song together as girls who have had similar experiences?

 

A) Part of my larger mission as an artist is to use high-quality competitive art to amplify disability narratives to mainstream eyes. So, on each project it’s super important to me to have highly talented artists, world-class musicians and a well-practiced crew that are all diverse and intersectional. Because of this, at our shoots we do what is called an access check-in where everyone on set states their name, a brief visual description, what they’re doing on set and their access needs—from COVID cautiousness to needing auditory or visual cues to energy breaks to clarifying pronouns. Knowing everyone’s needs allows for the smoothest of family-style all-love shoots, where no one feels anxious, unseen or unheard and we can plow through a tough, industry-standard shoot.

 

Q) Is there importance or symbolism behind the choice to say “girl” over “woman?” It feels reflective of childhood selves in a way. 

 

A) I wanted this message to be relatable to a wide range of both women and girls. A lot of our internalized stereotypes were implanted when we were young. While not getting equal pay as an adult stings, (there is potentially something I can do about it) it’s the boys not picking me on their soccer team in middle school even though I could run the fastest and kick the hardest that stays with me forever in some subconscious form or another.

 

Q) What was the inspiration behind the Mad Different series?

 

A) We’re all just so hell-bent on assigning beauty, defining “normal” and skewing power towards those we assume deserve it due to traditional views. Because of this, so many people strive tirelessly to fit this amorphous man-made definition of perfection and curse themselves for falling short. I’ve found that the more I un-normal, the more success, beauty and power I find. Mad Different is a celebration of that un-normal-ness, a radical deep-dive into self-acceptance of all the parts of my identity society tells me to shove under a pillow. I’m here to wear them on a T-shirt and encourage others to do the same.

 

Q) Your concert series Mad Different tackles very important themes of identity and intersectionality. What topics can be expected to be explored in your projects?

 

A) Again, it’s all about bringing these ideas of “different” to mass culture. The Mad Different concert series was performed at Amazon Music Studios and incorporates sign language art front and center, celebrity audio description at the top of the video for blind viewers, promotes a diverse cast and crew and focuses on themes that go against that need to strive for “normal.”

 

Q) What song of yours is a favorite to perform live?

 

A) “Diseducation,” hands down! “Diseducation” from the Mad Different series is a song I’ve been performing for several years now, and folks could only catch it live. Co-created with apl.de.ap, the song is a joyous declaration against underestimation and incorporates a one-to-two-minute scat section that I often elongate to like ten minutes when performing live. If you ever want to see Lachi go “ham” it will be during “Diseducation.” The Mad Different performance is out now!

 

Q) After this incredible Mad Different series concludes in January with “That Kinda Black” what plans do you have for your music?

 

A) We are considering releasing Mad Different as a full-length visual album towards the end of the first quarter. Through April and May we are super excited to be doing a tri-continental Mad Different tour through Africa, Asia and Europe (with support from the State Department) with some kickoff dates here in the States, so look out for dates.

 

Q) What would you like to say to the fans and supporters of your music?

 

A) We’re here because we’re down to say yes, to different, to change, to freak flags, to power building, to dismantling with joy, to badassery with wink, and to saying “f*** off” to nay-sayers. I am down to keep putting that energy out into the world with my art and I’m honored you’ve been down to put it out there with me. We got work to do, y’all. Join me at lachimusic.com!