Her revealing first record, Missunderstood, dropped in October.
Queen Naija titled her debut albumMissunderstoodbecause that’s how she felt most of her life.
“People just don’t understand me at all as a human being.”
Credit: Joelle Grace
1 on the U.S.
Adult R&B charts with her debut single, “Medicine.”
The commentary intensified after Naija delayed her first full-length album.
Joelle Grace
Now that it’s arrived, she’s excited for fans to hear the results of her hard work.
We spoke to Queen about makingMissunderstood, collaborating with her peers, and what she has planned next.
What do you want to say with your debut album?
I also want people to recognize my versatility and talent.
I’m really trying to make my mark here and let people know I really do this.
I’m not just no one-hit wonder.
You share a lot about yourself in your music.
Can you share how your life inspired some other tracks onMissunderstood?
Definitely, “Pretend” was one of those tracks that [was] really personal to me.
I have always been a super-nice girl, and I only want the same in return.
So that goes for any relationship: family, friend, or significant other.
It’s something I thought people could relate to that I’ve experienced throughout my life.
What was shooting the video like?
The song is already emotional for me.
When you ask how my experience was, it was good.
I didn’t have to do too much to tell a story.
One backdrop means that my heart has been in the same place this whole time, throughout my life.
I am the same person, I’m a girl who has gone through life in different phases.
How did the process of working onMissunderstoodcompare to your past singles and EP?
When I first got signed, I already had songs written.
The momentum was there, so I released the EP as soon as I could.
It went super-well, especially for my first project.
I had to step back and save myself from myself.
I’m trying to outdo myself, and at first I was trying to prove myself.
I made so many songs that I could probably have three albums.
While I was waiting on my features, I wrote more songs to make it cohesive.
The more I wrote, the better I got.
I was super-confident in the end.
I wanted to highlight “Butterflies Part 2.”
How does the new song relate to the first one from your EP?
How does your growth between the songs come through?
My confidence grew; it’s what happens when someone builds you instead of breaks you.
I’m willing to take the rest because I see the potential.
Two years later, I can’t get the song off my heart.
I wanted to take that same song and sample it to continue on my story.
We’re not perfect, but this man still brings me joy.
“Butterflies Part 2” is really like reassurance to my significant other and the whole world.
Everyone that loved the first one probably wants to know what’s going on now.
The collaborations on your album are really interesting.
What drew you to these artists specifically, and what was working with them like?
Russ sounds like he could be on “Without You.”
Sure enough, when he heard the song, he was down and thought it was a classic.
We meshed well together.
Me and Lucky Daye, we worked so well together in the studio, the chemistry was amazing.
Kiana Lede is underrated, and she’s incredible, her vocal ability is amazing.
She sings great live, makes great music, and she actually puts soul in her music.
It was a perfect blend, our voices together.
Even with the rapping features.
I was trying to get someone else on “Bitter.”
Mulatto hopped on last minute, and it was not meant for anyone else to be on it.
I was trying to knock it out at first, trying to get all the big names.
What’s next for you?
Definitely a deluxe album.
I would love to be consistent with singles and collabs with other artists in between creating my sophomore album.
I don’t want to leave you guys another two years.
I would like to drop an album every year.
I would like to create my studio and maybe one day have my own label.
