Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Luciana Zogbi

Brazilian-Lebanese singer-songwriter Luciana Zogbi shot to fame after her cover of John Legend’s “All of Me” went viral on YouTube, garnering over 83 million views worldwide—yes, you read that correctly: 83 million views. That was the spark that made Luciana realize pursuing a career in music was possible. Since then, she’s continued to leave her unique stamp on the industry, releasing original music that hits you at your emotional core. Pop Culturalist caught up with Luciana to learn more about her new single, “Where We Belong”, the biggest lesson she’s learned being a part of this industry, and the important message she hopes fans take away from listening to her music.

PC: How did you discover your passion for music?
Luciana: My father is a very musical person and always played guitar around the house. He encouraged me to play and sing when I was a kid, so that’s how I developed a passion for music!

PC: When did you realize you wanted to pursue music as a career?
Luciana: Music was always a hobby for me. It wasn’t until my YouTube channel started growing that I realized pursuing a music career was possible.

PC: What is the biggest lesson that you’ve learned being a part of this industry?
Luciana: To stop comparing myself to other people, especially other artists. We all have different paths. If we keep looking sideways, we lose sight of the goal in front of us.

PC: When you released your cover of John Legend’s “All of Me”, did you ever imagine it would have had the reception that it has?
Luciana: It was a huge surprise. I never dreamed that the video would go viral. That was when I realized how amazing the Internet truly is. It allows me to perform to millions of people around the world, and reach communities I would otherwise never reach, transcending all forms of geographical borders.

PC: Tell us about your new single, “Where We Belong”. What was the inspiration behind the song?
Luciana: “Where We Belong” is a song about questioning your place in society and breaking free from the shackles of social expectations that try to put us all into boxes depending on our age, social class, gender, etc. We’ve been sold this lie that we have free will, but we don’t realize how much of our life path is decided for us, sometimes even before we are born. We have much less agency than we think we do and this is a song about that realization.

I wrote this song in Bahia, Brazil, where I spent a lot of my childhood. It’s close to a fishing village where many of the residents have African origins, hence the ethnic drums in the pre-chorus. The lyrics are based on a true story of a friend and me: two inseparable wild children that boarded their respective “trains of life” that took us far from where we imagined our lives would be.

PC: As we look ahead to 2019, what are some of the major goals you hope to accomplish?
Luciana: I hope to continue making music, continue growing as an artist and a person, and lastly, to continue sharing my message with the world.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Luciana: Smallville

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Luciana: Indiana Jones

PC: Favorite book?
Luciana: Too many to list…

PC: First album you bought?
Luciana: Shepherd Moons by Enya

PC: First concert you attended?
Luciana: Avril Lavigne

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Luciana: I love Nickelback.

PC: A band or artist that you’d like to collaborate with in the future?
Luciana: Ed Sheeran, U2, Coldplay, and Adele

PC: Hidden talent?
Luciana: No one can beat me at Mario Kart.

Make sure to follow Luciana on Twitter and Instagram, and pick up “Where We Belong” on iTunes or Amazon Music.