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LUMIDEE: BACK IN THE GAME
Don’t feel too bad if you thought you’d seen the last of Lumidee Cedeno. She herself wouldn’t be overly surprised for you thinking it. After all, the Puerto Rican-Spanish Harlem singer/rapper pretty much faded into obscurity after the huge success of her 2003 debut hit 'Never Leave You (Uh Oooh, Uh Oooh)'.
With a remix featuring rappers Busta Rhymes and Fabolous, Lumidee had a hot summer smash, complete with that sure-to-get-stuck-in-you-head “uh- oh” chorus. But with the young artist disappearing off the music scene soon after the release of her debut album, ironically entitled 'Almost Famous'. Indeed, it did seem that Lumidee was on the verge of fame– and then she was gone. But now, she’s back.
Gearing up for the release of her new single 'Crazy', critics have already deemed the single as an impressive comeback– some have even suggested that the 23-year-old songstress may just be back to give superstar Beyoncé a run for her money. Her sophomore album, 'Unexpected', will drop soon after the single and she begins our tête-à-tête by revealing why she chose this particular album title.
“I think that me coming out with this album is pretty unexpected,” she laughs. “In 2004, I left the label I was with and I was pretty much out of the game for a while, so I knew that if I made a comeback– especially after a few years– it would probably catch people by surprise. I think a lot of people probably wrote me off and didn't really expect to ever see or hear from me again. A lot of things even caught me by surprise! There’s a song on the album called 'Like The Wind', and that was the lead single in the States. It enjoyed a lot of positive feedback and that really did surprise me, but pleasantly so. That’s why the title 'Unexpected' made sense.”
Clearly excited about the forthcoming release of the album, Lumidee feels that it offers “something for everyone” with its fusion of pop, Latin flavours, R’n’B, Caribbean beats and more. She’s equally excited to be in a “better place” in her career, having parted ways with her former record label.
“There were a lot of problems there, both business and personal," she reflects. "I think it was a case of ‘too much too soon’, for me and probably for them. Relations got very sour between us and it got to the point where there were just bad vibes every time I was around them. I’m definitely in a much better place now. I’m a lot more confident as well for having positive people around me.”
Always determined to reclaim her position in the music business, she certainly wasn’t sat twiddling her thumbs after the demise of her original deal.
“After we agreed to part company, I went shopping around for a new deal. I released a song called 'Dance', which featured on the FIFA World Cup soundtrack in 2005. I also featured on a single called 'Sientelo', which was one of the few Reggaeton singles to work overseas. It sold over a million copies. So I was keeping myself busy until I was in a position to release my own album and now, here I am.”
Back with new single 'Crazy' – a high-energy pop-Latin track featuring Cuban-American rapper Pitbull – Lumidee might just have a dancefloor hit on her hands.
“Yeah, I just wanted to come up with something that had dancefloor appeal and was fun– nothing too complicated. I wanted to come with a track that would make you move when you heard it in a club. As soon as I heard the beat, I was convinced it could easily become a chart record - I know it had 'hot' written all over it;' there's a lot of energy there.”
And what does she make of those comparisons to Ms. Knowles?
“Well, I don’t know about that,” she laughs, raising eyes to the ceiling. “That’s a great, great compliment, but in my book Beyonce's definitely in a league of her own. For one, I can’t do all those crazy dances she does! Nonetheless, I do take any comparisons as a compliment.”
'Crazy' is released on July 23 through TVT Records.
'Unexpected' is scheduled for a release in October.
Words Davina Morris
