Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Najj Andrea. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Najj, so happy to have you with us today. You are such a creative person, but have you ever head any sort of creativity block along the way? If so, can you talk to us about how you overcame or beat it?
To be truthful, I haven’t. As a writer it comes and goes and sometimes we have so much to say it’s hard to put it into words. Also because my music is from the heart sometimes it’s almost too painful or too much to share or even bare. There are times where I want to give up when I get stuck in writing because it’s frustrating when you cant even get your own thoughts together to write what makes sense. Thats why melodies always came easier for me. You have to have fun with it before you have to do all the hard work like rhyme. Most of the time I come up with and structure all the melodies and harmonies in a song before I even come up with the words. I learned it works best for me. In this industry and in art in general there is no wrong way it’s just about what works best for you. Do not let anybody tell you there is a wrong way to express yourself.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
My name is Najj Andrea, I am a singer/songwriter from Pittsburgh, PA. I have been singing and performing since I was about 6, professionally since 15. I feel like my music is a mix between R&B, Neo-Soul, & Jazz. I write from my heart and from my mind. Sometimes I write what I think others minds will think but wont say. My music is not just about the words but also about the melodies that draw you in and make you want more. One of my goals as an artists in Pittsburgh is to shine the light on other local r&b artists that I know deserve to be seen as well. As we all know it GOOD r&b is slowly coming back and taking over.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Patience, faith, and mistakes. I do not think that I would have made it this far without these three things. Patience because nothing comes fast or easy, I had to work hard for every show, every listener, every song and I had to be patient and understand that it may not work out the way I want or how fast I want it to. Faith because when all failed me God did not. He picked me up when I felt like I would never get up again. He pushed me to keep going no matter how much it hurt. Lastly, mistakes because if I never messed up how would I know what didn’t work. How would I know what not to do? Everything happens for a reason and everything has a lesson in it, it’s just about what you take from it. All of these things got me through and continue to get me through and I do not regret a single thing.
What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?
Honestly, just getting back to me. I took a 2 year hiatus due to my mental health, trying to get my life together, and transitioning into adulthood. I’ve been doing music for years and it was supposed to be my outlet and something I loved but as I got older it started to feel like a job and I started to resent it. That’s when I knew I had to take a step back and just figure it all out before I just kept drowning in my hopes and dreams. Now I am healing my inner child and finding better ways the deal with it all while still finding that love for the music again.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @Najj_andrea
- Facebook: Najj Andrea Music
- Twitter: @AndreaNajj
- Youtube: Najj Andrea
- SoundCloud: Najj Andrea
