“I really think my career changed dramatically when I changed the way I thought about myself and when I changed faith in myself,” says Demi Grace, a musician you need to know, “Whatever you do, you have to change everything about it. You can’t speak about it in a negative light, either. You’ll see how that will bring change.”
Demi Grace always saw music as her path and purpose, “even before people had the chance to say no,” she says. And this determination is the key to setting goals and then achieving them. Positive self-talk is a major part of her daily life, and it pays off.
“Every morning, I have a list of affirmations I read,” she says, “There’s a lot going on in the world every day and it’s important to remind yourself of who you are and who you worship and that you’re governed by that before you go out to the day.”
Having this sense of self-love and understanding is the basis for Demi Grace’s latest single, “The Dream.” Produced by Jay Karnell, who she met in NYC a few years ago, the song uses a heavy beat, positive talk and a fun bounce to deliver a message to listeners to know who they are — and to rep that hard. Forget stereotypes, preconceptions or anything else. Believe in yourself, your worth and know that you are the dream. It’s an excellent song to listen to when you’re getting ready in the morning or before that super important board meeting, but it bumps good enough to play during a night out, too.talk and a fun bounce to deliver a message to listeners to know who they are — and to rep that hard. Forget stereotypes, preconceptions or anything else. Believe in yourself, your worth and know that you are the dream. It’s an excellent song to listen to when you’re getting ready in the morning or before that super important board meeting, but it bumps good enough to play during a night out, too.
“I came up with it after listening to Missy Elliot,” she says, “Mainly, it pertains to believing in yourself.”
Missy is a clear influence as she’s another powerful woman in music with lyrics that aren’t afraid to sing the praises of herself and women just like her. And Elliot is an influence of Demi Grace, but she’s certainly not the only one.
“I love very extreme artists,” she says, “Grace Jones, Busta Rhymes when he was in his prime, “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See,” Pharrell, Gwen Stefani and Janet Jackson just to name a few.”
In the past couple of years, Demi Grace has been able to work with both Beyoncé (at the 2016 MTV VMAs) and Solange (at the Red Bull Music Academy), and she found inspiration in the energy that both of the powerful sisters share.
“I was looking for similarities or differences when I went into rehearsal for Solange,” she says, “Funny enough, they both have the same energy, just on opposite ends. It was really inspiring to see, it told me that it’s OK to be completely confident being very earthy, very natural and very non-commercial. It told me it’s OK to be yourself, and it’s better if you are. It can bring you extreme genuine success.”
Like Beyoncé and Solange, Demi Grace is very close with her family.
“It’s easy to make time for family because I live with my two older sisters,” she says. “Friends, however, it can get a little tricky because I’ve moved around a lot. Regardless of where my career path has taken me, I was born in London, lived in the Bay area and went to L.A. for college before moving to Atlanta, Nigeria and then New York. So friendships can be hard.”
But staying centered also means treating herself and practicing self-care.
“A lot of me treating myself has to do with the spiritual,” she says, “Whether it’s a day alone to myself away from social media to reset spiritually, I find that time very important and I try to do that at least once a week (Every Tuesday to be exact).”
And as a smaller pick-me-up, Demi Grace starts the day with one cup of coffee. And if she hits a mid-day slump and needs a refresh, reading and writing more affirmations throughout the day when she’s feeling “meh” can help her to flush out negative thoughts and bring on the positives.
Her approach to positivity and being true to self is evident not only in her daily routine, but in Demi Grace’s music. So listen to “The Dream” if you haven’t already — what are you waiting for? You’ll be playing it all week.
