Soleil Talks "Heart Strings," Upcoming Projects, and More

Soleil is a singer-songwriter, DJ, and vocal producer known for soulful storytelling, powerful vocals, and genre-blending performances that bridge the stage and the dance floor. Originally from New York and now based in Miami, she creates immersive musical experiences inspired by soul, R&B, blues, disco house, deep house, amapiano, afrobeats, baile funk, and dance music.

As both a live performer and DJ, Soleil is recognized for reading the room, connecting with audiences, and creating spaces where people can move, feel, and celebrate together. Whether performing her original music or curating a DJ set, she brings warmth, authenticity, and an infectious energy to every performance. She has appeared on stages nationally and internationally, including Carnegie Hall, the Miami Beach Bandshell, Hard Rock Live, Hard Rock Guitar Hotel, The Underline Miami, and Sofar Sounds, and has performed at events including Art Basel activations, FedEx's Formula One corporate event, Funky Buddha Festival, and Spirit Airlines' #Music4Miles concert series. She also DJs regularly throughout Miami and has performed internationally, including an official Miami Music Week set for Lady of the House and Labelworx.

Her music and artistry have been featured by Grammy.com, Billboard Argentina, Dancing Astronaut, EDM Sauce, Rolling Stone India, EARMILK, We Rave You, ELEVATOR, The Hype Magazine, and 102.7 FM The Beach Miami, and she has received recognition from Sony, Music.com, SoundCloud, and ReverbNation.

Beyond performing, Soleil is a voting member of The Recording Academy and serves on the Florida Chapter's Songwriters & Composers Committee, and mentors emerging artists through Grammy U, Women in Music, and Symphonic Distro. She is also an active member of Next Generation Music Foundation, where she helps guide youth in foster care through music education and mentorship. Through every performance, collaboration, and song, Soleil is passionate about using music to inspire connection, creativity, and self-expression.

Hi Soleil! Let’s start with how did you choose your artist name?

My artist name was given to me by a band leader that I had many years ago - in short, he was mispronouncing my social media handles and calling me Soleil instead of my actual name. Soleil means "sun" in French and I loved it, so it stuck!

What city are you from, and where are you based now?

I’m from Yonkers, New York and I’m now living in Miami, Florida. I love NY and Miami equally!

At what point in your life did you decide to pursue a career in music? How did you get started?

I knew I wanted to be a singer since childhood - I sang "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" for my family at 5 years old. At that point, I was put in piano lessons, and at 8 years old into vocal lessons. The vocal lessons stuck, the piano lessons eventually faded after 8 years because voice was my preference (I did not enjoy practicing piano!). I sang and played instruments throughout my schooling, and went to college where I joined several choirs but didn’t pursue a music degree. At some point, I was ready to drop out because all I wanted to do was sing. My college advisor told me that finishing with a sociology degree was the quickest way out of school - so I completed 10 classes in two semesters, and was then recruited to a graduate program for sociology. I completed the program, and was deciding on whether to go to law school or pursue a music career. What made me choose music was seeing a video on social media about an elderly person in their last days, talking about what they regretted…I decided right then that I would regret not pursuing music.

How has your upbringing played a role in shaping who you are and defining your sound?

Growing up in NY around a mixture of cultures and people in the days where radio stations and music video TV shows were the go-to’s for music completely shaped me and helped develop my sound. I was listening to artists like Christina Aguilera, Destiny’s Child, Lauryn Hill, Alicia Keys, Daddy Yankee, 50 Cent, Ashanti, 3LW. Luckily, my parents also had great music taste - they played lots of motown and soul (Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Janis Joplin) and reggae (Bob Marley) during my childhood. During my highschool years, I started to develop and discover my sound which led to discovering more jazz and neo-soul artists like Amy Winehouse, Erkyah Badu, D’Angelo, Adele, and various jazz greats.

How would you describe your sound?

I have two sides of my sound - classic soulful, jazzy, r&b, bluesy sound; and house/dance sound. What connects them are powerful, polished vocals to tell tales with a soulful, bluesy, and rhythmic delivery.

Do you have any hobbies outside of music? What do you do to stay creative?

I love to travel and go on adventures! I’ve been to 36 countries so far. Learning about other cultures, ways of life, hearing world music and how other languages sound, and seeing all the beauty this world has to offer keeps me inspired and creative. I also enjoy learning about AI and how to use generative AI programs. Health and wellness are a must - staying healthy and moving my body fuels me! I also love to try new creative things (I’ve done rug making, painting, etc.).

Who are some of your main musical influences?

Amy Winehouse, Lauryn Hill, D’Angelo, Erykah Badu, Raye, Brent Faiyaz, Adele, Dennis Ferrer, Raye. I’ve also been listening to Jessie Reyez lately - she has really punchy lyrics that I love.

Who would be a dream to collaborate with?

Robert Glasper; Dennis Ferrer.

What’s one of the proudest moments of your music career so far?

Singing a solo to a sold out audience at Carnegie Hall in NYC with Miami Sound Choir!

What would you say are the greatest lessons that you’ve learned so far?

Releasing music is a vulnerable thing because everyone gets a look inside your mind...but it is also a very beautiful and freeing act. Growth comes from experience, both good and bad, and to share that via song is helpful for me.

Being authentic is so powerful. When I first got started in music, I spent a lot of time wondering how I should sound or what people wanted to hear. I've realized that the songs people connect with most are the ones that come from a real place.

Sometimes being in the music industry can be frustrating because of how often and quickly it changes, but consistency and resilience are key. If you keep going, growing, learning, networking, improving, making a name for yourself, eventually you will find success. And success in music (and life) is defined differently for everyone. There are both seasons of momentum and motion, and seasons of waiting, and both are equally as important.

Now onto your release, “Heart Strings.” What inspired this song? What is “Heart Strings” about?

I was sent a few instrumentals to write to and wrote the lyrics to "Heart Strings" in a short session on my own, sitting on my blue couch in my living room. There was a specific situation that inspired it. The song explores the phases of a less than ideal relationship. The lyrics move from questioning the past to embracing personal growth. "Heart Strings" captures the bittersweet process of letting go while reclaiming the parts of yourself that someone else never gave you.

What was the inspiration behind the cover artwork for “Heart Strings?”

"Heart Strings" has a timeless, classic feel to it, and I wanted the video and cover art to emulate that too. Standing alone in a room with a microphone wearing a beautiful dress just singing my heart out reminds me of timeless music.

What was the creative process like when making “Heart Strings?”

I was sent a few instrumentals to write to and wrote the lyrics to Heart Strings in a short session on my own, sitting on my blue couch in my living room. The lyrics to this song came to me easily because the track had such a timeless, bluesy feel. When I sent it back to the producer there were no lyrical or production changes made, only some background vocals added (which is rare in my experience, normally there are a few rounds of changes before anything final). When I decided I wanted to release it with a live sound, I called up some of the most talented musicians I know, and we did 3 takes of the song and chose the best version. I recorded the vocals separately.

How long did it take to complete “Heart Strings?”

I finished writing the lyrics in maybe 2 hours. I recorded a demo shortly after. This was maybe 4 years ago. I recorded the version being released 2 years ago, and the video this year…so it took forever and a day.

How did the music video for “Heart Strings” come about? What was your vision for the video?

I wanted something timeless, elegant, classy, classic, and beautiful, like a film. Something that was simple yet dynamic and helps represent the version of Soleil I am now. I spoke with my videographer about a performance video idea and we came up with what you see today.

What is your favorite lyric in “Heart Strings” and why?

“I want you to know I’m thankful, Cause everything you never did for me I did on my own” is my favorite lyric because it shows appreciation for the growth and lessons I received even though the relationship failed and he wasn’t the right person for me. It is also a little punchy - like, you didn’t do all these things for me, but I "one-upped" you and did everything anyway! The lack of care from him showed me my power and my ability to do it on my own.

What do you hope fans take away from “Heart Strings” and your music in general?

I hope listeners enjoy the focus on the live sound and the imperfections that come with it. It contributes back to that feeling of timelessness and classics. I hope they sing loud along with the music because they just feel it and can relate to it! I also hope listeners feel empowered and inspired to always put themselves first and not stick around in anything or with anyone that is not aligned with them.

What’s next for you? Are you working on any upcoming projects, or do you have any upcoming shows that we should be on the lookout for?

I have another song and music video releasing this summer called "Rubbish." I’m also working on two new projects - one more similar to this timeless soulful sound, and one that is soulful house/dance and UK garage inspired!

Where can we follow you on social media?

https://www.instagram.com/solefulsoul

https://www.facebook.com/soleilshines

https://x.com/solefulsoul

https://www.threads.com/@solefulsoul

https://www.tiktok.com/@solefulsoul

Thank you for the great interview; wish you much continued success!