Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Enjelique White. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Enjelique , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

So for me, my musical purpose came as a knowing that was as natural as learning my name. I honestly don’t remember a time when I didn’t know that music was going to be my whole life. I hopped on a piano at 4 years old, and then I remember watching musicals like Cats and shows choreographed by Fosse at a very young age. I used to watch Yanni, Beyonce, and Janet Jackson on literal repeat. To this day I can probably tell you every note, every move, and every song that was done. Those concerts transported me to another world. A world that took theatre and music and created a show. I think that’s where I developed my love of cinematic/theatrical music since live versions of songs were always way more dramatic and exciting than the recordings. But I remember walking around the house yelling “I’m going to be a rock star!!!”, not fully understanding what that meant.

What’s interesting about knowing who you were meant to be at such a young age, is that it can actually be quite crippling. See in my head, I saw the adult Enjelique: a seasoned musician who was in touch with her masculine power yet feminine sexual energy… who can produce compositions and turn them into pop songs, and rip up a keytar solo. Now imagine that in a 12-year-old’s head. I tried so desperately to be that, and express that vision. It was especially tough to explain that to my parents, who had invested so much time into my classical training. Imagine a little 13 year saying “yeah… I want to quit my track to Julliard and become a pop star!”

But it all paid off in the end. I had to grow into the shoes, and stay determined the entire time. Now I’m here and finally stepping into my light.

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As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Hello everyone. My name is Enjelique, originally from Miami, FL. I am a singer-songwriter, classically trained pianist and keytarist, producer, and entertainer. My music is what I coin as “Epic Pop”: pop/soul, and rock with a twist of cinematic. I have been playing the piano since I was 5 years old, songwriting since I was 8, producing since I was 13 and playing the keytar since I was 16. My music’s purpose is to be the expression for the outcasts and the freaks, the broken-hearted and the geeks (the rhyming is yes, intentional).

I grew up bi-cultural – I was too black for the white kids and too white for the black kids. I was the only black girl, or sometimes, person in a majority of my classes. I was a gifted student with an IQ in the 98th percentile, a classical pianist, all A’s all year, all while rocking braces and glasses. I was always very vocal about my love for music, and theatre. Being so bold isolated me. I was bullied in highschool for my race, and told that I couldn’t sing, which caused deep self-consciousness in my singing for many many years. I received a scholarship to Berklee College of Music, but instead of attending, I went to New York for some potential music industry opportunities. Long story short, since the age of 18 I’ve been bouncing from NY, LA, Atlanta, and now Miami, back to my roots, find my place in the industry. But the whole time, all I needed to do was to trust and believe in my own music instead of constantly taking criticism and immediately applying it. So now finally, I am working on my first-ever album, writing, and producing all of my music with no outside influence.

I’m known for my poetic lyrics, production craftmanship and my high energy electrifying performances. The keytar has added a whole new level of freedom I didn’t know was possible – I was scared as a piano player I’d be stuck behind the piano for the rest of my life! There’s no one else I’ve seen in the industry that can do everything I can do, along with my backstory. My story and gift have allowed me to cross racial and cultural lines. My music has already pulled people out of depression, and even when I was younger, I was able to pull a woman out of her coma for a few minutes (true story).

I am a classic “pop” star. I give you the full energy of Janet or Britney, with the musicianship like Prince, all while looking like Alicia Keys. I am most proud of the fact that my story and who I am is allowing me to be a real role model for little black girls who look just like me. I want my new audience to know that they are being heard, no matter what you look like or where you’ve come from. Every since I was little my #1 priority was to make sure EVERYONE was included, and that’s what I hope to accomplish – a sense of true belonging when you listen to my music or come to my concerts.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to unlearn taking musical advice. Now I’ve learned: listen to my heart. But anything your gut tells you is funky and write, don’t touch it.

So during COVID I was working with a family friend to write and build material to pitch to music executives. I wanted to create darker, more dramatic, type of pop music. But I was told that I needed: a generic pop song, a hip hop song, reggae song. I even created songs that I really liked, but they were criticized. I definitely think a songwriter should create the core of the song without a lot of influence and start learning how to listen to their gut.

After that experience I was left with very few songs that actually fit me and my sound. I almost quit music last year, and it was actually a huge blessing for me. I began to make music truly not caring about what people thought and just about what I liked, which in turn helped me tap back into my creative compass. Now I am able to write music that not only I absolutely love, but can be appealing to a large audience.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

In the year of 2021, I had “broken up” with music. I had been trying to be successful in the music industry since I was 18 years old; so I felt like I was starting to waste my time. I felt like I had as much as I had when I first started, which was basically nothing. I wasn’t popular on social media, I had no music out, and all of my industry connects all wanted something different from me where it was paralyzing. I was also trying to make money from the arts the whole time, so I wasn’t financially where I wanted to be.

So I made a decision: I’m breaking up with music. I call it a breakup because at the time it felt more like a toxic relationship – the push and pull, the intense love and the worst heartbreaks. I also up to that point didn’t know life beyond music. When people would ask me what I would do if I wasn’t a musician, I would always draw up a blank. So I also wanted to see if I could still be happy without music.

I did find that answer in a lucrative and executive digital marketing position. And I’m very grateful that I did it. Once I “quit” music, it was on my shoulder the whole way, nagging at me. Even though no one was expecting anything from me anymore, it called to me. So when I spent some time on the west with my friends, they encouraged me to do an open mic. I hadn’t performed in 2 years. But that performance reignited everything. I hadn’t even rehearsed and it was like I had been prepared for that show for weeks. In that moment I knew, that my dream was no fluke, my purpose was a true and real purpose and that music was always going to be a part of me.

2022 I gained the confidence to say “I am a music artist” again. And now it’s coming from the purest place, because it’s just flowing out of me with no restrictions or expectations. I make music because I have to, I perform because I have to, I entertain because I literally have to. So yes I “quit”, but then I came right back and got a promotion.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.enjelique.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_enjelique/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/enjeliquemusic/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKW8E9tpU-Y5hKcu8kpfYPg