Regarding the success of her single “Rise Up,” she said, “It’s amazing, and it is fulfilling. I always tell people that the word that I use to describe it is gratitude. A lot of people were involved, and I am grateful to God and to the people that were part of the team and believed in me. I am very appreciative,” she said.
Day continued, “People have connected with ‘Rise Up’ in particular, in such an intimate and personal way. I’ll be on stage, and I’ll look in the audience and I’ll lose myself in the moment. I would see people with their arms up and their eyes closed, and they are experiencing something that is very personal to them.”
Speaking of “Rise Up,” which Day co-wrote, contestant Jayna Brown performed the song on America’s Got Talent, and it earned her a standing ovation and a golden buzzer from guest judge Louis Tomlinson from One Direction. “First of all, she killed it. I think it’s incredible, as an artist, to have a song that you wrote covered on that show. It was really sweet,” she said.
Earlier this year, Day earned two Grammy nominations for “Best R&B Performance” for “Rise Up,” as well as for “Best R&B Album” for her critically-acclaimed Cheers to the Fall. “It is still very hard to believe. It took 15 years to be an overnight success,” she said, with a sweet laugh. “It’s weird to come back and be nominated for two Grammys. It was really incredible.”
On December 1, she will be performing at the PlayStation Theater in the heart of New York City. “I am really looking forward to it. At this next tour, I wanted to elevate things, and to make it more emotional and intimate,” she said. “We’ll be playing with the music more, and maybe, I will bring some guests on this tour, which are people that I admire and love. It’s still going to be an intimate and a very personal experience that people can remember.”
Each day, the songstress is motivated by the people that she loves, as well as the people’s stories that inspire her. She listed global music star John Legend as her dream male duet choice. “I love his voice and vocal texture,” she said.
Day defined the word success as “Peace and joy, no matter what is going on around you.” “Success means living a life that enriches other people’s lives that helps them to be whole, and to live out their purpose. Serving other people and maintaining peace and joy no matter what your circumstances are,” she concluded.
For more information on Warner Bros. recording artist Andra Day, check out her official website and follow her on Twitter.
