When he was only 12 years old, Sammie reached superstar status thanks to his breakout single, “I Like It.” This track was from his debut album, From The Bottom To The Top, and once it released, his life quickly changed.
For the years that followed, the singer would be loved by millions of adoring fans because of his amazing voice. Now 30 years old, Sammie is readying his comeback into the industry with his brand new project, Coming Of Age. The album consists of 13 songs. Plus, there are only two special features: Rick Ross and Eric Bellinger.
To promote his new LP, Sammie has also been touring with R&B vet Tank on “The Savage Tour,” which kicked off in early September in Nashville, Tennessee. So, are you ready to hear the singer’s new body of work because we definitely are!
iHeartRadio spoke to Sammie about his album, his thoughts on today’s R&B, how the music industry has changed since he first entered it and much more. Check out our interview with the star below! Buy Coming Of Age here.
Can you describe the mood of Coming Of Age?
It's the most honest project I've ever done in my life. I just wanted to be an open book. I've been kind of gone for a while from a mainstream standpoint. So, I felt like it was just the perfect time to be vulnerable and transparent and talk about the good of myself, as well as the bad.
It's just pretty much about being a walking contradiction. I'm 30 now, so a part of me wants to slow down and find a companion [to] build with. Then, the other half is [that] I'm so used to just partying and having fun and being detached emotionally. It's just that conflict of really deciding if you wanna be in a committed relationship or you just wanna be wild the rest of your life. So, I think a lot of men can relate to it. I know a lot of women have dealt with a guy that had that same mindset.
So, it's sort of like a passageway, basically.
For sure, I've been blessed to be in the business for 14 years now and every time the world has seen me from a mainstream standpoint, it was a different me. I was a child, then I was a teenager and now I'm a man. So, it's that growing pain that I went through. I'm expressing that.
Why did you pick only Eric Bellinger and Rick Ross to be featured on your album?
I was raised in Miami for six years and I stayed in Cal City for three. That's where Rick Ross is from. I have a big respect for him just from my Miami roots. Eric Bellinger is somebody that I feel is underrated on the artist side, but of course he writes for everybody. He's a humble king and we just had a natural chemistry. We did a few sold out shows together. We built this relationship to where I had a record and I had an idea and I called him and he hopped on it and made it happen.
Were you scared to show your vulnerability on Coming Of Album?
No, I'm pretty transparent on social media. That's what makes my fans engage with me most and relate to me most. Letting them know that I'm not always okay, letting them know that I'm not always aligned... and they appreciate it. But, what better way to express that than the gift of song? So, I have no fear in being open for real because I feel I should be the most vulnerable in my music.
Exactly how has the industry changed, since you first came into it?
There [are] no more cassette tapes (laughs). It's so internet driven now. Back when I first came in the business, there was MTV, BET, 106 & Park, The Box. We don't have those outlets anymore. But, if you have the internet, if you have a smartphone, that's where the industry is… And I think it’s social media and the internet that brought me back to the forefront.
What are your thoughts on the current state of R&B?
It's too hip hop oriented and too auto tune driven. So, I made sure on the project [that] I strayed away from that. There's no auto tune. It's just me and my vocals [and] passion. I tell people all the time -- and it's no shade to anybody that's doing auto tune. It's just so oversaturated. If you listen to the radio, it's like one long song now.
It's kind of lifeless. But, robots don't have feelings, [so] that's why. So, it's an automated sound that everyone can use and you don't feel pain. You don't feel the sexy. You don't feel the happy. You don't feel the love. But, if you use your natural-born gift, you can feel that. And that's kind of what I think I executed efficiently on the album. It's just giving my raw talent.
If there's one thing that you would want your fans to learn about the new, mature Sammie when they hear Coming Of Age, what would that be?
I wrote every record. I vocal ranged myself. I want people to know that I've become like a machine, as far as the craft is concerned. I respect music so much that I pay attention to every detail... They might not even hear all the harmonies and the things that I've done. But, I want it to be there because I feel like it brings warmth to the record. I believe that it's just certain elements that have been missing in R&B, at least traditional R&B for over a decade. So, I want them to hear that.
Photo: Rachel Kaplan for iHeartRadio