Atlanta’s rising, non-binary pop star Ci Majr returns to talk to the Purple Melon crew following the release of her epic debut EP, Side Effects.
Hey Ci Majr, thanks so much for agreeing to sit and chat with us again. How are you feeling now after the release of your debut EP, Side Effects?
Pretty surreal! For some reason, it’s a moment that I thought would never come. With the hustle and bustle of life it always seemed like such an unattainable and huge task. So just like so many events of the pandemic, it just wasn’t something I was expecting to happen in the last year and now that it’s done I feel accomplished and ready to release more music!
What’s been a highlight of the journey so far, from releasing ‘Summer Drug’ back in January to the EP drop? What sticks out in your mind as a “wow” moment for you?
The “wow” moment for me was definitely releasing the music video for “Guillotine” and being so amazed and grateful for how well received it was. Making a music video for some reason felt like another elusive and lofty goal. Not because making a music video is necessarily hard to do, but I wanted my entry into visuals to be something I’d be proud of not just this year but for years to come. I wanted to be secure in my image, my vision, and my sound before making that leap and so much of 2020 was spent figuring that all out. So yeah the music video was definitely such a wow moment. It turned out so well and it has gotten so many views!
Side Effects is an absolutely EPIC debut EP, such a strong body of work – do you have a favourite personal track? (If so, why that one?)
“Softer” just because it’s such a simple track and it just poured out of me when I wrote it. I was just getting over COVID and was also going through some personal stuff at the time, so I felt like I was 1) losing myself physically to COVID and 2) losing the parts of me mentally/emotionally that I recognized because I just wasn’t behaving like myself. It was like the build up of emotional and physical exhaustion gave me lines like “I’m tired of being so tired of this”. I’m just so proud of the songwriting on that one because it really transports me back to that place. It feels like a time capsule.
Could you tell us what this EP means to you as a budding artist in your own words? Give it the Oscars speech treatment!
It feels like I’ve given birth to my first child and sent them off into the world all in one fell swoop. It really feels like a piece of me, and I feel so proud of that. I’ve given this piece of myself to the world in the hopes that it can provide something that someone might need whether that’s good vibes, comfort, music to clean to, whatever it is! I’m just grateful for the opportunity to share myself so authentically, and it’s given me the confidence to continue to share myself as authentically as possible. It’s taught me to trust myself and my instincts. I’ve learned so much, it’s only up from here!
We often only ever get the highlight reel of musicians lives, so what’s been one of the biggest challenges for you whilst creating this project?
The balance of keeping up with everything that needs to get done for an EP (visuals, music video, answering interview questions, socials, running ads, etc) and mental health. I deal with pretty debilitating bouts of depression, so pushing through that when a release is coming up and I still need to be posting and promoting is TOUGH. I’m definitely thinking about spreading out my releases a bit more next time around just to make sure I can give myself a bit more downtime within the span of a campaign. I had to learn how to be very forgiving with myself because I had this whole roadmap of so many things I just couldn’t bring myself to do.
What can we expect next from Ci Majr?
More music! I’m hoping to release at least 2 more songs this year and MAYBE a music video. The hardest part of releasing more music this year will be choosing which songs to release. Now that the EP is out and I finally have some time, my body feels like it’s purging songs. I’ve been writing so much and it feels so good!
Lastly, is there any advice you’d offer to any other young, black LGBTQ+ musicians out there hoping to make it in the world?
1) Lean into what makes you different, and 2) the art you make should be a reflection of the real you, not the “you” you want people to see. I guess the overarching theme here is just being authentic. It’s very scary. I feel like that’s one of the reasons it’s taken me so long to release my first project, but spending time on myself and having the right support system makes all the difference.
Listen to Ci Majr – Side Effects
Follow Ci Majr on: Instagram
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