Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with ALONZO

ALONZO is an up-and-coming singer-songwriter who’s letting his gifts speak for themselves. As the industry has shifted its focus from talent to numbers, ALONZO has continued to grind away, finally earning the respect that he deserves. We recently caught up with him to chat about building a career for longevity, his upcoming debut album, and the message behind his new anthem, “Respect”.

PC: How did you discover your passion for music?
ALONZO: It’s always been a hidden passion. My grandfather used to have a recording studio. I remember the first time I stepped into it—I was four years old, and it was so cool. His recording studio was in the basement of his home and it looked like a cave. He had all these instruments. I was always fascinated with the studio, but as I got older, I ended up getting into dance. My family says dance was my first gift, partially because my mother was a dancer as well. Dance took off for me first.

I became a really popular dancer in the city. That’s when America’s Got Talent happened and all those different things. But the whole time, at my core, I missed doing music. As soon as we finished America’s Got Talent, I made a promise to myself that I was going to pursue my real dream, because I was on television telling millions of other people to pursue theirs, but I wasn’t pursuing my real dream.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
ALONZO: As far as really pushing and inspiring me, I’d definitely say my manager, Joseph Pearson. He’s been with me for almost ten years now. The issue for me is I’ve always been insecure about singing; I’m always nervous singing in front of people. If you’re nervous, you can’t breathe, and you need breath to sing. It was one of those things where I would sound really bad. People would be like, “No, ALONZO, you need to keep dancing. Singing isn’t for you.”

When I met my manager, Joseph, it was at an audition for a musical. When I sang, he was like, “Wow, you have an amazing voice.” Fast forward and here we are, almost ten years later. If it wasn’t for him affirming for me that I did have a voice and there was a star inside of me, I don’t know if I would have really believed it for myself.

As far as my musical influences, a lot of people instantly think Prince and Michael [Jackson]. Although those are my uncles in the industry, my real influences and people that I really listened to were all divas—so, Patty LaBelle, Tina Turner, Whitney Houston, and Aretha Franklin. People bring up Prince because I’m a guy who can sing high, but if you really pay attention to me onstage, I’m really tapping into a big Black woman. That’s what I’m channeling, but I’ll take Prince, too!

PC: You’ve been really vocal in the past about the ups and downs of this industry. During those more challenging times, how are you able to persevere?
ALONZO: I’m always receiving signs that confirm for me that I’m on the right path. I’m very spiritual. The biggest issue for us has been that my journey has been so different, in the sense that it’s taken me much longer to really, really strike a flame into the real standard of what success in the music business is. A lot of people would say, “It’s only a matter of time. He’s so talented. Why isn’t he huge already?”

I was just talking to my manager about this earlier today. Sometimes you have a one-hit-wonder or are someone who was on American Idol one day and gone the next. There’s no longevity in that.

But those of us that are on the grind? I plan on doing this for the rest of my life. I do believe that it’s only right that I fight for it. When I get there, I’ll be prepared for longevity. This isn’t a quick situation. I always tell myself that it’s worth it—it’s going to pay off in the end. This is what it takes. It takes sacrifice. It takes pushing yourself. It takes fighting, even when you don’t want to fight anymore. This is what it takes for the level of success I’m going for.

I’m going for worldwide, breaking records, and making history success: the Michaels, the Beyoncés, the Gagas. They’re not selling out theaters, they’re selling out football fields.

PC: You’ve had a lot of success throughout the years. When you look back, is there a particular moment that stands out to you?
ALONZO: It was in 2019 when I did the Prince tour. It was called 4U and was sanctioned by the Prince estate. It was the first and only tour that the Prince estate actually worked with to make it happen. To be the first lead singer that the Prince estate would ever approve to sing his music on tour was the biggest honor.

The funny thing is that I was in a really dark place before I got that job. Sometimes we reach points where we’re like, “Ugh, am I really in alignment with what I’m supposed to be doing? Or should I try to do something else?” But when that happens, another sign is sent. They hadn’t approved anyone else. They could have hired so many different Prince impersonators, but they chose a little guy that didn’t really know many Prince songs but reminds everyone of Prince. I had the essence of him and didn’t realize it. It was a huge reminder that your life can change overnight.

PC: You were talking about this earlier, but you got your start in dance. What’s been the biggest lesson you’ve learned through that art form that you’ve been able to apply to your music career?
ALONZO: I love that question. That’s a really good one. I used to run a dance crew named Fatally Unique. Fatally Unique was the crew that I took to the semi-finals on America’s Got Talent.

We used to have to fundraise to go to competitions. I was essentially running a business. I was managing dancers. Their parents were getting uniforms. I was choreographing. I was arranging travel. There were so many different elements of that that were stressful for me.

Right after that, in 2013, was my first China tour. I know that had I not managed that dance team for all those years, I wouldn’t have been ready to even put together my own tour. When I went on my first tour overseas, I was selling out. I was able to choreograph my own show, figure out the budget—all of that. I know that the team prepared me for that. It’s so crazy how life works like that. We’re always preparing for something and don’t even know it.

PC: You’re getting ready to drop a new single in February. Tell us about “Respect” and the inspiration behind it.
ALONZO: Initially, when I wrote “Respect”, I was feeling very overlooked by the industry. How many Instagram follows do you have? How many streams on Spotify do you have? I had a guy tell me that your Spotify streams are like your music industry credit score.

I don’t have the biggest following on Instagram; I have almost seventeen thousand, but in the grand scheme of things, it’s not one hundred thousand or a million. There have been so many opportunities that people have said that I don’t qualify for. It’s always been frustrating because I know that my talent qualifies me. Once upon a time in the industry, music executives and people would take a risk on talent. Now it’s more so, they want to predict the return on their investment. They want to see that you’re already selling. They want to see that you’re selling this many tickets. You’re getting this many streams. If we invest in you, we’re one hundred percent going to profit, because this is what you already have.

When I wrote “Respect”, it was more so about me affirming to myself that I was worthy. There are different lyrics in the song. There’s a lyric in the song that says, “I’m out here moving mountains.” For me, that means, “I’m making an impact without your approval.” There’s another lyric in the song that says, “I don’t need words, I can feel it, because I know what my worth is.” That was affirming. I’m not begging for anyone’s approval, and I’m not asking for anyone’s permission anymore. I know my worth. I’m going to go for this, with or without a label, and without a gazillion followers.

The funny thing is so much has opened up for me since I started tapping into that mindset. “Respect” is a testament to that. But the cool thing is, in today’s culture, there’s so much going on. I thought that it would be perfect to release this song at the top of Black History Month. As a Black man in America, at this point in time, to affirm the respect I deserve is powerful. That’s why I thought it would be really cool to release the song at the top of the month.

PC: You’re getting ready to drop your debut album. What can fans expect from the release? What do you hope to say as an artist?
ALONZO: I have so many messages on this album. This is the introduction to ALONZO. You get a bit of all my sounds; we have the rock, pop, and R&B vibes. There’s something for everyone on this project. We’ve been working hard on this for a while. There’s something for everyone, literally. The album is called Enough, and it’s affirming that I’m enough—that we are all enough. Our talent is enough. Our beauty is enough. There are so many different messages on the project. Everyone will be able to find at least one song they love. It’s coming out on my birthday. It’s a powerful day, because it’s March 3rd, the year of 21, which two plus one is three, and it’s my thirtieth birthday.

PC: You’ve been working on this project for years. What was the biggest takeaway you learned about yourself during that process?
ALONZO: To keep going. The reason why it took so long was because, as an independent artist, we’re funding this on our own. I can’t pay for the whole album all at once. I literally have to pay some money, record a song, go work, work some more, save up enough money to record another song. Then, I would do that a couple of months later. I always tell my students when I speak at places, that even when you’re making baby steps, you’re still moving forward.

For me, it’s all about putting one foot in front of the other. I knew that at some point, it would be finished. I actually had my last studio session a little bit ago.

Eric Zayne produced my whole album. When I was walking out of the studio, I looked at Eric and I was like, “Wait, that’s it?” It felt like the last day of school.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
ALONZO: I love Celine Dion. I love Toni Braxton. I love Tina Turner. If you were to look at my playlist, you would probably think I was a 50-year-old Black woman.

PC: First album you bought?
ALONZO: Beyoncé.

PC: First concert you attended?
ALONZO: Yo, the first concert was B2K!

PC: An album that changed your life and why?
ALONZO: I would say the first album Fantasia released after American Idol. I was a huge fan of hers on Idol. That was the first time ever that I called in and voted. When she released that first album, there was so much relief; you could hear her pain.

I think the reason why it changed my life is because it was a very good example of how you can use your music to release pain. She’s somebody that I’ve followed ever since. She could sing “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” and make you cry.

PC: A venue on your bucket list to perform at?
ALONZO: The BMO Center in Rockford, Illinois. Even though I was born in Chicago, I was raised in Rockford, Illinois, and I walked past that stadium my whole life growing up. And that’s the arena that I graduated in. I just remember sitting there thinking, “One day, I’m going to sell this place out. And the city will be here united for me. And we are all going to leave on the biggest high, because I am going to speak so much life and power into the city.”

PC: A must-have on the road?
ALONZO: A fan. Literally, I can’t sleep without a fan. When my mom used to drop us off at the babysitter, she would say to them, “All right, here’s their Nintendo, this will keep them busy. Here’s their fan, so they can sleep well.”

To keep up with ALONZO, follow him on Instagram and Spotify. Pick up or stream “Respect” today.