Our Interview with Michigan Bred Singer, Sam Watson
Behind every singer lies a story too deep to put into words; a story that the world is waiting to hear. For 19-year-old Sam Watson, his is just beginning—and there’s a lot more of him that needs to be heard.
Born and raised in Muskeegon, Michigan, Sam Watson is an upcoming singer/songwriter who uses his angelic voice to convey nothing less than authenticity through his art. Watson was exposed to the world of music at an early age, but it wasn’t until the age of sixteen where he decided to take it seriously.
With comparisons to a list of prominent R&B singers in the game, Watson’s sound is often times described as reminding listeners of the good ole’ “Motown” days—giving off a refreshing vibe of sensual R&B.
Over the course of three years, the singer has made many great achievements, including his 2014 mixtape, The Motion—which gained him tons of popularity. He then went on to embark on his first promotional campaign tour, traveling to major markets.
Now, he’s back at it again. This time, with something bigger and better. After recently releasing his debut album, Truth OverRated, Sam Watson has proven once again that he is indeed what this generation needs. The 10-track album is a compilation of songs speaking on the walks of life and love, as Sam Watson tells us just what the truth is all about.
Check out our exclusive interview with the singer below!
Parlé Mag: At what age did you discover your love for music?
Sam Watson: I was about sixteen. That’s when I decided to take the music seriously. I didn’t think I would start at sixteen because I wanted to do it at an earlier age.
Parlé Mag: What made you wait longer?
Sam Watson: I mean, it was just a process of me trying to figure out what I really wanted to do. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be a singer or anything. I was really unsure, then next thing you know, my friend plays me this song and I was like, ‘That is dope!’ It made me just want to do something to it. Ever since then, I was like, ‘Yes! That’s what I want to do.’ So, I took advantage of it.
Parlé Mag: I see. How would you describe your sound?
Sam Watson: I ask a lot of people how they would describe my sound and a lot of people compare it to other artists. Really, I just say it’s something new. I really can’t put it into words. Just something new!
Parlé Mag: As a young and upcoming artist, what do you think sets you apart from the rest?
Sam Watson: I say hard work and potential. How much effort you put into your own self because there’s a lot of artists, that I know, that don’t put as much effort as most people do. I just see myself being committed and drawn to; you know what I’m saying? Staying focused and trying not to be a cocky dude. I don’t want to be that dude.
Parlé Mag: Newer artists are often times underestimated. What motivates you to keep going?
Sam Watson: Just all of the negativity that comes towards me. I take the negatives and turn it into possibilities, instead of just taking it down and saying, ‘Yeah, y’all might be right.'”
Parlé Mag: Who would you say is your biggest support system?
Sam Watson: Family wise, a lot of my family are my biggest support system. Also, one of my best friends. She’s the biggest supporter of them all. If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing right now.
Parlé Mag: Right!
Sam Watson: So, it’s pretty cool. It’s nice to have people with you all the way.
Parlé Mag: Who are some of your musical influences?
Sam Watson: Uhh, Tank—he’s one of my biggest influences. I love his voice; I love his sound: I love his style of music. Jamie Foxx is one of my second favorites because he’s just funny for one, and for two, he sings his butt off every time he gets on that mic and plays the piano. It’s a lot of other artists, but those are the main two I follow.
Parlé Mag: Who would you like to work with in the future?
Sam Watson: Tank, of course [laughs], and Jamie Foxx. It’s other artists, like Chris Brown, Jazmine Sullivan, Sevyn Streeter. It would be nice if I did one with SWV. One good time! One good time!
Parlé Mag: Let’s talk about your latest project, Truth OverRated. What was the inspiration behind the name of it?
Sam Watson: It was just all the stuff that was happening around me. I was going through a lot of phases and a lot of people were saying it’s the truth. Whenever I would complain to them about something, their advice was, ‘It’s the truth.’ Also, all of the extra stuff that’s happening around the world—Mike Brown, Trayvon Martin. The truth is right in front of you and it’s proof on the video, but they don’t accept it. They just switch stuff up and saying, ‘Yeah, okay. Maybe the truth is overrated. Maybe the lies are more of the truth than the truth.’ You know what I’m saying? So, I just stuck with Truth OverRated. That’s really how I came up with it. It took me about three weeks to really just brainstorm on that.
Parlé Mag: Which song on the album did you have the most fun recording and writing on the album?
Sam Watson: The song I had the most fun? I had fun doing–it was two songs, “Monica”—which is a real person I was talking about, and “F.W.M.” That’s one of my personal favorites. It was just something that happened in general and I saw it happen; it was funny. Those are the two fun songs that I did on that project.
Parlé Mag: In what way do you feel that this project differs from your previous projects?
Sam Watson: Well, it’s more me. Almost every beat on that album is made by me. I got a little help here and there, but it’s just coming from my perspective of what I’ve seen over the last three months. That was the process; the whole three months. The last project before was personal, but it wasn’t as personal as I wanted it to be. I couldn’t arrange it how I wanted to. It was a lot of stuff already going on. So, the fact that I got the opportunity to do something on my own, do it how I like, make sure everything is A1 on my side, I took advantage of that. I’m glad that I got the opportunity to do so. It was crazy.
Parlé Mag: What do you want fans to gain from this body of work?
Sam Watson: Knowledge and definitely I want people to relate to it. I write songs off of experience and other people’s experiences are inspirational. Also, any other things I see. With this project, it was basically my experiences and other people’s experiences. So, it’s all about connecting with my fans. I just want people to know that I understand what they’re going through. It’s a process, but we’ll get through it. No matter what it is. It’s just something that I have to put forward.
Parlé Mag: Five to ten years down the line, where do you hope to see your career?
Sam Watson: Just as successful as Chris Brown because he’s almost been in the game for ten years. He got discovered at a young age as well. So, I’m just hoping that I don’t make any foolish mistakes. It’s just all about being smart about the decisions you make because it just takes one decision. One fatal mistake to mess up everything and you have to start from plan A again.
Parlé Mag: I definitely agree. Any new and upcoming exciting things we can look forward to?
Sam Watson: Well, the new single from the project is, “F.W.M.” That’s the new single. There’s about to be a promo tour around colleges—Michigan and Ohio. It’s going to be another promo tour that’s going to be in Phoenix, Arizona—which I know it’s really hot down there, and then, L.A. for the third time. L.A. is a nice place. It’s just a lot of promoting and a lot of gigs, trying to get my music out there. A lot of international stuff. It’s all about branching out.
Keep up with Sam on social media:
Twitter: @youngsamwatson
Instagram: @youngsamwatson
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/youngsamwatson
Website: https://samwatsonofficial.com
