Artist Stacie Orrico

Hit Pop/R&B Artist Stacie Orrico Returns With New CD Beautiful Awakening, After Taking A Two-Year Break

By Dale Kawashima

Stacie Orrico

Stacie Orrico is only 20, but she has been a prominent music artist since she was 14, when she broke through with her Christian/pop hit “Don’t Look At Me.” Then in 2003, she had two mainstream pop hits, “Stuck” and “There’s Gotta Be (More To Life)” (from her album Stacie Orrico on Virgin Records) which led to her selling 3.4 million albums worldwide. For most of her teenage years, Orrico was constantly on the road, doing promotion and playing concerts throughout the U.S., Asia, Europe and Australia.

However, the non-stop traveling and performing eventually took it’s toll, so in 2004 Orrico decided to take an extended break from her music career. She joined her family for a lengthy stay at their Seattle home, and returned to normal, everyday activities. In Seattle, Orrico had time to attend her sister’s dance recital and her brother’s football games, and she even got a job with her best friend as a waitress in a fish & chips restaurant, making $7.50 per hour. It wasn’t until later in 2005 that she moved to Los Angeles and began writing songs for her new album, Beautiful Awakening.

In a new interview, Orrico talked about her hiatus away from the music business, and her subsequent return. She also discussed her songwriting, and how she actually co-wrote and recorded 55 songs with different writer/producers for her new album. In addition, Orrico explained how her new Beautiful Awakening album is more acoustic and organic-sounding, while still remaining in the pop/R&B genre. And lastly, when asked, she gives advice to young artists who are trying to break into the music business.

“I was kind of out of things for a couple years,” Orrico explained. “I woke up one day and started to realize, that because I entered the music biz at such a young age (signing a label deal when she was 12), my whole life was dominated by my music career. I realized it wasn’t a healthy place for me to be in. My whole perspective was based on music, and I had to build a foundation outside of that. I knew that I needed something more solid. I went home and lived a normal life, and re-invested my time. It was the most wonderful thing.”

Ultimately, taking this time off gave Orrico a chance to rebuild her personal life, which in turn renewed her energy to pursue music again. “I finally started to realize that music is what I love – it’s what I’m passionate about,” she said. “For me, it’s more than just making records, it’s a form of communication - telling stories and sharing experiences. When I was too exhausted and detached from myself to make that personal connection with people, that’s when I lost my enthusiasm for it.”

Stacie Orrico

With her newfound energy and focus, Orrico soon returned to her writing and recording. She began collaborating with an array of hit writer/producers, including Dallas Austin, Kaygee, Dwayne Bastiany, Anthony Dent, Shekspear, and the Track & Field production duo. “I worked with some unbelievable people to write for the album,” she said.  “I really enjoyed the writing process. For my lyrics, I keep a journal of ideas and lyric lines that I’ve written. All of the lyrics come directly from my journal.”

Orrico discussed the more acoustic style of the album’s material. “It’s definitely a peaceful record. I wanted to make an album that you would want to put on while you’re sitting in your bedroom after a long day. I wanted it to have songs that I could sing accompanied by just an acoustic guitar.”

As a result, most of the songs on Beautiful Awakening are more understated and organic, in the musical vein of Alicia Keys and India.Arie. Throughout the album, Orrico sings beautifully, and with a strong sense of purpose. The album’s first single is “I’m Not Missing You,” which starts out with a subtle, acoustic arrangement, then gradually builds to a very hooky, rhythmic chorus with appealing harmonies. Other key songs are the uptempo cuts “So Simple” and “Baby Girl,” the breezy midtempo song “Take Me Away,” and the ballads “Wait” and “Easy To Love You.”

Beautiful Awakening will be released on Virgin Records in the U.S. this January (2007). The album has already been released in several countries overseas, and in Japan the album has quickly been certified gold.

Lastly, when asked what advice she would give to young artists who are trying to break into the music business, Orrico said: “People want to be famous, but they don’t understand what it takes to be an artist. Celebrities pop up for no reason, yet they’re still lumped into the same category as great musicians like Alicia Keys or Beyoncé. I had to learn what my (personal) story is, and what I want to express musically. It’s important to keep your integrity of your music and art. Know what you’re communicating with your music…know what your story is. Also, having a sense of vulnerability in your writing is so important in your music. People need to hear something which is vulnerable and honest. That’s when you can connect with people. And share so much of your story and your life.”