In the pulsating heart of New York City’s vibrant music scene, a remarkable new voice is emerging, poised to take on the industry head on. With lyrical prowess that ignites the streets and beats that reverberate with the rhythm of NYC, this young artist has harnessed the essence of R&B and infused it with Jazz, Classical, and Pop to create her own electrifying energy. Her voice is nothing short of extraordinary, capturing the essence of her surroundings while pushing the boundaries of the genre. Ladies and gentlemen, allow us to introduce you to the future of R&B– the sensational New York phenomenon that is “Angel Chrisztina”
SFND MAG: Thank you for joining us, Angel Chrisztina. Your musical journey in the entertainment industry is truly dope. Let's dive into your experiences and upcoming projects. Can you tell us about what inspired you to become singer/songwriter at such a young age?
ANGEL CHRISZTINA: What inspired me to become a singer/songwriter at a young age was being around music for the majority of my life. Listening to so many different artists really inspired me to start singing, as well as spending time around my grandmother who really is a big part of why I started to sing.
SFND MAG: Graduating from the Professional Performing Arts High School in Manhattan is no small feat. How did your classical music education influence your approach to other genres of music like rock, R&B, pop, and jazz?
ANGEL CHRISZTINA: Honestly, at first I really didn’t like singing classical, because it was so difficult to sing such high notes and sing in a different language however, the more and more I sang classical I noticed that when I was singing R&B songs, and would have to sing higher notes, it was more of a breeze than it was before. It completely changed my sound for the better, because I had much better technique that I carried from classical music to R&B and Pop and Jazz.
SFND MAG: You've also studied at the prestigious Berklee Conservatory in Boston. How did this experience shape your musical style and career aspirations?
ANGEL CHRISZTINA: When I was there I had amazing opportunities from being in the Motown ensemble and the singer showcase. I was surrounded by so many amazing, talented singers, and just solely being around those singers it made me wanna be better. I worked so hard when I was there and when I came back from the program, I was just completely motivated and more passionate than I have ever been in my life. I discovered so many new artists when I was there, and definitely became more confident in what my sound was as a singer.
SFND MAG: Performing in bands since the age of nine is quite impressive. What do you think were some of the key takeaways from those early experiences that have stuck with you throughout your career?
ANGEL CHRISZTINA: Something that I’ve learned over time is that performing is crucial when you want to get better in general. I was performing almost every single weekend at the ages from 9 to15 and I think that’s one of the biggest reasons why I am the vocalist I am today. I got a chance to sing a bunch of music that I would have never even listened to on my own. I got to play with other musicians all the time and it made me be able to be prepared for opportunities that would come in my future.
SFND MAG: Not many artists can claim to perform in multiple genres. How do you manage to seamlessly switch between rock, R&B, pop, and jazz, and do you have a favorite genre to perform?
ANGEL CHRISZTINA: Honestly I don’t really have any way that I manage switching between genres. I just know that the feeling of the song is going to be different depending on the genre. I just go with that and really feel the groove of this song. My favorite genre to perform is probably a mix between R&B and jazz, but honestly singing Rock music is also very fun as well.
SFND MAG: You've been performing in NYC restaurants and bars since the age of 12. How has performing in your hometown shaped your artistry, and do you have any memorable experiences to share?
ANGEL CHRISZTINA: Performing in my hometown is always so much fun because you see a lot of familiar faces all the time and you just have tremendous support. I mean being from New York City is such a gift because there’s so many talented people here and also people who love to watch the arts and listen to music and go to plays. So I feel like being from a place where the arts is such a big staple, I got to learn from so many experiences. The workshops and master classes, and performing at places that legends have performed is also what I love about performing in New York City. One of my favorite experiences was performing at The Bitter End. I had my own night there a few years back, and it was just so amazing because that’s one of my favorite places to perform because of the history behind it and because of the status of the place. Every time I go on The Bitter End stage I just feel so welcomed and it’s always a great time.
SFND MAG: Enough about your past, let’s switch gears a bit. Your music is definitely creating some buzz with over 12.6 K monthly listeners on Spotify. Can you tell us about the inspiration behind your new EP “Things I’ve Observed” and the themes explored in your music?
ANGEL CHRISZTINA: R&B plays a big part in this EP as well as Pop. It’s a great mix between the two genres and the whole EP. Every single song has a message whether it’s relatable, whether it’s sad, or whether it’s overcoming. Each song has a theme and vocals that convey that message.
SFND MAG: You've recently released two singles, "Don't Mind Me" and "Better than I," both accompanied by music videos. What can you tell us about the creative process behind these songs and videos?
ANGEL CHRISZTINA: Both of these songs are so amazing because I had complete vocal freedom on both of them and I knew that I couldn’t do certain things on certain lines because I wanted the story to be clear. I didn’t want to be just wailing over a song about having fun. I think playful vocals are very underrated. You don’t have to completely blow everybody out of the park on every single song. “Better Than I” I felt needed a lot of strong, vocal presence, however, “Don’t Mind Me” is such a playful, fun song so I played with the vocals a little bit more and both of the videos were so fun to film. “Better Than I” was more of a storyline type of song so we treated it as a short film, but “Don’t Mind Me” was a music video that just had a very strong New York presence and I loved filming in Times Square and Central Park and places like that. So both of those songs were super cool to record and to film the videos for.
SFND MAG: In addition to your music career, you've also ventured into acting, starring in the 2017 biopic "The New Edition Story." How has your experience as an actor influenced your music and vice versa?
ANGEL CHRISZTINA: I mean I’m not that much of an actress. I’m not that great because I laughed too much filming that little one line in the New Edition Story. It was so nerve-racking, I almost had a heart attack like five times and I was only like ten. But, I feel like being on stage is a little bit of acting because I’m a very shy person in real life but on stage, I like to be present and show the emotions that I wouldn’t show in my normal life. However, I love acting, and I took acting classes when I was younger and I would like to see where that goes in the future. [LAUGHS]
SFND MAG: Can we look to see you in any other films in the near future?
ANGEL CHRISZTINA: Only time will tell. I would love to be in the show Big Mouth. It’s my favorite show. I don’t know why I love voice acting, but I also just love regular acting. I would love to be in a movie or TV show.
SFND MAG: With so much already accomplished by the age of 17, what are your goals and ambitions for the future, both in music and entertainment as a whole?
ANGEL CHRISZTINA: My biggest goals for the future are just to have a really solid fanbase and to get complete recognition for my songs and my vocals and the work and content that I put into my music. I would love to go on to win Grammys and awards like that, but the main goal is to have amazing fans around the world, and have people singing my songs all over the world.
SFND MAG: Before you go, could you name another artist that you think is So FN Dope and why?
ANGEL CHRISZTINA: I absolutely love love, love, love love love Amy Winehouse and Beyoncé. I honestly develop my sound by listening to them and trying to execute what they’ve done and figuring out what sounds good when I sing sounds like that. So I love both of those women so much.
SFND MAG: That’s what’s up! Well Thank you Angel once again for interviewing with us. We are rooting for you and wish you the best. Can’t wait to see you at the top.
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