She is one of our top two faves!!! In case you missed Simone Battle‘s X Factor audition, check it out (above)!
A future pop star before our eyes!!
Perez was very happy to catch up with the Los Angeles resident to talk about her secret (or not so secret) past, auditioning for X Factor, L.A. Reid and all the other things we wanted to know!
Check out our interview… after the jump!
Perez: First of all, Congrats! I love you! Why did you audition for X Factor?
Simone: Thank you! I love you more! Well I’ve been working really hard on my career since I was about 13 years old, and it has been a long journey. I’ve faced a lot of rejection, a lot of no’s. I auditioned out of frustration that I wasn’t making any progress in my career. I really believe in myself and figured that if enough people could see me, I could take my career to the next level.
Were you happy with your audition? Do you think you accurately represented yourself as an artist?
Well no. I think I was trying too hard. I‘ve been rejected a lot in the industry and over the years I’ve learned that if you don’t believe in yourself, you won’t be able to get others to believe in you. So, sometimes I tend to overcompensate and it comes off as disingenuous. As an artist, I think I showed pieces of me, but the songwriting, guitar-playing Simone has yet to be seen.
Would you have done anything differently?
Umm well honestly America and all the viewers didn’t get to see the whole thing. That audition was one of the highlights of my life. Having not impressed all the judges, I asked if I could sing an original song, and sang a song I wrote earlier this year called “He Likes Boys.” Once I finished the chorus I got an unbelievable response. It was a wake up call for me. At that point, I realized all I need to do is be Simone Battle.
Having watched the premiere episode, what do you think your chances of advancing and doing well on the show are?
I am really confident. I have a lot of great people supporting me. After the first episode, I have been overwhelmed by tweets & comments. Most of them are sweet, some of them are mean, but you know. If I want to keep advancing I can’t sing anymore PCD, no Beyonce, no Rihanna. I have to pick songs that are unexpected, and then make them my own.
How would you compare yourself to the other artists/describe yourself as a performer?
As a performer I have been working really hard over the years to distinguish myself. I started playing the guitar, writing my own songs, and developing a unique sound. I don’t think there’s a female artist in the market quite like me.
I searched some of your old videos and saw that you’ve been making music for a while. How long? What are some of the things you’ve done? You were in a girl group? You studied music?
I started doing girl groups when I was 15. One of my high school friends recruited me into it. There’s like a whole separate, underground world of girls groups out there. When I was 18, I auditioned for will.i.am’s girl group “Girls Girls Girls.” We went on a world tour with The Black Eyed Peas; it was unreal. After that was over, the group didn’t really progress, and that’s when I decided to go back to school. I’m currently a senior at USC majoring in Music Industry. I really want this. I’ve been hustling, doing gigs, writing songs, learning music theory, a lot of self-discovery and development. I think it’s finally starting to pay off.
And you play guitar and write songs too. You’re the real deal! What do you think will be your biggest obstacle on X Factor?
I think so far it’s being able to showcase all of that. I would really love to show the world I write my own music and play the guitar in addition to singing and dancing, but the rules are tricky. I guess the biggest obstacle I’m facing is learning how to make a cover song original.
Anything you’d like to tell L.A. Reid right now?
I want to thank LA Reid for giving me a challenge. It would have been easy for him to say yes and put me through. I love it when someone tells me no, because from that point on I will do everything in my power to change their mind. LA Reid definitely gave me some ammo to make myself a better artist.
Look forward to more from you!
Thank you – I’m so happy to be doing this interview.
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