When you first hear Aissa Torres, you are instantly taken back to the 80’s where old school Hip-Hop, Pop, and R&B were deep in your veins. What makes her style unique is that she took that influence and made it new, made it fresh, with upbeat tempos, catchy hooks, and long lasting melodies.
We had a chance to sit down with the musical maven and get behind the scenes of her art of making music that touches h.earts and makes them dance. Read our interview below:
Hi Aissa, you have been making music for quite a while. What keeps you going?
Music is what I eat, breathe, and sleep every day of my life. Making someone’s favorite song, touching people with my lyrics, motivating others to continue to pursue their own dreams, and having faith in God every day that this is the path I was destined to be on. This is what keeps me going every day.
How would you describe your new sound?
I would describe my music and sound as “Hip-Pop” music. It’s a fusion of Hip-Hop with Pop and Dance elements. Its high energy, fun, dance-worthy, and I feel my lyrics resonate with many listeners.
What influences have defined your music?
I have been heavily influenced by Classic Hip-Hop, Classic Rock, and Classic Pop. I feel like I can tell a story lyrically that would make Hip-Hop heads nod their heads and understand, and I feel my music also has elements of that Classic Rock feel and vibe with a Pop twist. I would say my music is like Pat Benatar, Slick Rick, Jennifer Lopez, and Missy Elliot all got their DNA mixed up and created me!
What is your songwriting process?
Lyrics for me come out of nowhere sometimes. A song can manifest itself just from one word or phrase that I said in the day or something that I feel sounds good and I go from there. I have created songs based on hearing production first and being inspired to write to it, and I have also created songs melodically in my head and sang to my engineer, and he created the music for what I heard in my head. I like to make music that captures what I am feeling at the time, something meaningful and real. My engineer calls me the “hook queen” because he says I always write such catchy hooks. His motivation is inspiring to me as well during the writing process.
How do you hope to affect the listener of your music?
I hope that when they hear my music, they understand where I am coming from when they listen to the lyrics in my songs. I would love for them to love the music enough to not only purchase one single, but to keep coming back for more. I am building a brand, establishing a brand. And I can only hope that my listeners are going to know me for my sound, but also to know that I can surprise them at any given moment.
Tell us about the music video for “Bounce” coming out next month?
Bounce is going to be OFF THE CHAIN!! I cannot wait for this video to explode! The music is so alive and so motivating, fun and feel-good. We are creating a visual for what we feel is going to be a good time had by all, something that everyone watching can enjoy and play for all ages. We shoot the video on May 7th and it will be released later on in the month. I am extremely excited to work with the same director and assistant director from my first two videos, You Wanna Dance and Secret. Bounce is going to be one of those videos that people will keep replaying! I can guarantee it!!!
What is next for Aissa Torres?
I definitely have a lot of projects in the works. I am working on a collaboration with a Hip-Hop artist in the UK, working on another project with a well-respected classic Hip-Hop artist here in the US, and I am rehearsing for a show that’s going down in Philly in July with 30K plus people in attendance. I am also doing radio interviews up and down the East Coast. In addition, after the video for Bounce is released, I will be working on releasing my 5th album titled, “Let’s Rock & Rap”, due out later this year.
Keep up with Aissa Torres and her music on her WEBSITE
