Courtesy of Savannah V Music
What’s worse than bad-mouthing a fellow colleague or peer?
Award-winning Tejano music vocalist Savannah V dropped her latest English single today. “Talk About It” will tell you with just five little, yet hurtful, words that one hugely famous and talented diva actually said about another female artist: “I don’t even know her.” The artist to whom Mariah Carey referred is possibly one of the most famous women in the world, yet Carey dismissed her completely with her words. “Talk About It” explores these types of feuds between women.
“I’m all about women empowerment,” Savannah V tells Tejano Nation. “I work with nothing but strong, driven women, and I love that I’m able to be with them and feel the same success that they feel, because we work together.”
Interview with Savannah V
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However, even in the Tejano music industry, females often compete against each other rather than rally each other on.
“I’ve been in the back of everything, and I see a lot of things that go on that people, like fans, don’t see,” Savannah V said.
Savannah V then recalled how one of her musical inspirations, Mariah Carey, uttered these five hurtful words against another top female performer. Carey served as a judge on “American Idol” in 2012, the year Savannah V appeared on the show.
“I said, ‘Why don’t we say: I don’t even know her?”
After she said that, the ideas flowed among producer, Clef God, featured artist Squishy, and Savannah V. She even credited “memes” as a major source of inspiration in the writing of “Talk About It.”
“A lot of us women, we are all in a man’s world when it comes to Tejano music,” Savannah V said. “When it comes to being in any genre, it is harder for a woman.”
Savannah V emphasized that she was not “male bashing,” just pointing out a harsh reality for women in the competitive, often cutthroat, music business.
“We were trained to, I guess, compete, especially in the Latino world,” said Savannah V. “A woman is going to compete against another woman, and that’s not how it’s supposed to be.”
“With this song, I was like, ‘You know what? I want to talk about that,'” she added. “Because a lot of women do that, behind your back, without you even knowing.”
As an artist, Savannah V believes women do endure many trials and challenges, and for her personally, she has faced bullying since the start of her professional career. This song, however, excites her as it differs from any other project
“The song itself, for me, it’s very empowering, because we go through a lot as artists,” she said. “You have to be your own driven person…No matter what, people will turn on you. People will backstab you. People will hurt you if you’re in an industry that we are in, and so you have to learn how to, I guess have thick skin.”
Savannah V | Courtesy photo
The energetic, confident, and daring performer has faced ridicule and bullying. “And with this song, it’s my anthem, because I can have that thick skin through music, of course, because I do everything through music,” Savannah V said.
In case you’re wondering who the famous woman was who Carey targeted her hateful words toward, it was none other than Latina actress/dancer/singer/entrepreneur and fellow diva Jennifer Lopez. In various interviews, Carey even pretends not to know that Lopez has a singing career.
“When you don’t know somebody, and they’re just being ugly towards you or going against your character, that’s something that you’re like, ‘I don’t even know this person,'” Savannah V said. “So, it happened. It happens to everybody. So, people are going to relate to it.”
As to her opinion on the vocal ability of Lopez, Savannah V expertly avoided saying anything negative about the Puerto Rican star who portrayed the Queen of Tejano, Selena, in the 1997 biopic. “She’s a great actress, and I respect her as a woman,” Savannah V said.
Savannah V x Squishy — Talk About It (Music Video)
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Fresh off her last collaboration with La Machy on “CHATUM,” Savannah V’s current single, “Talk About It,” does include explicit language as well, yet the artist does not see that as necessarily a negative aspect of the song.
“I don’t see what the problem is,” Savannah V said. “We’re living in a different time. This is a different era. We’re much younger, our artists, you know, that are coming out with music like this. Even older artists are doing it as well.”
“Talk About It” does come with an explicit lyrics warning for a couple of phrases that contain curse words, yet the music serves as a form of creative expression, it’s not necessarily inappropriate to curse. She likened it to an actor who takes on different roles.
As far as the problem of bullying within the industry, especially among female artists, Savannah V now has a team who advocates on her behalf when such situations arise, and this support helps ease any anxiety. However, Savannah V emphasized that the stressful nature of the entertainment business does make it wise for an artist to take breaks, if needed, for their mental health and wellness, as well as not spend so much time on social media.
Music, for her, however, provides a source of calm and catharsis on which she can rely. “That’s one thing that I have learned, that I can use my music as my outlet,” Savannah V said. “And that’s how I find my peace.”
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