Meet Fousheé, the alt-soul singer going viral on TikTok

Fousheé is an alt-soul singer and songwriter who, after going viral on TikTok, is garnering some serious attention around the world with her genre-bending sound and unique, effortless musical vibe and style.  

“I can’t even describe this last year,” Fousheé says of her newfound fame. “Obviously COVID and quarantine… global pandemic… obviously devastating in that aspect, but also the biggest year of my life.” 

For Fousheé, it all started with a sample track. 

After an uncredited sample that Fousheé had recorded was making the rounds on TikTok, Fousheé posted her own video, proving that she was the voice behind the popular track. 

“So many people were using the sample pack at the time, that I didn’t catch wind of it until like a month in,” Fousheé tells “Making It,” a co-production between In The Know and Complex. “And no one knew who was singing it for a long time.” 

Once Fousheé posted her TikTok, the clip went viral with over 6 million views, launching the singer/songwriter into overnight Internet stardom. This led to Fousheé receiving representation, and jump started her journey into the mainstream music world

“Everything that came in line with that was things that I wanted with my career anyway for a long time,” Fousheé says. “I always wanted to get signed, because I was an independent artist for so long and just wanted the help.” 

One major opportunity that Fousheé has gotten early in her career, was providing the hook on the Vince Staples track, “TAKE ME HOME”. 

“I think the Vince Staples song came about with his team reaching out to me. Pretty laid back. His team just presented the song and was like, ‘Can you try a hook?’ And I did. And he loved it,” Fousheé says.  

Fousheé becoming a household name is a recent development, but the talented singer has been creating music for as long as she can remember.  

“My musical journey was lifelong. My mom was a drummer and a singer. Before I was born, she was in this band in Jamaica. My mom’s music taste had a big influence on me,” says Fousheé. Some of Fousheé’s earliest musical inspirations include Ella Fitzgerald, Etta James, and Lauryn Hill. “Just like these strong Black women who made a big impact on the world and did something that kind of shifted the culture,” she explains. 

While Fousheé is embracing her stardom, she’s shy and reserved at heart, and prefers to let her music do most of the talking.  

“I was always like, very shy but very creative. A really important aspect of my life was music. I just didn’t feel comfortable in other areas in my life,” explains Fousheé. “Just being an introvert and being shy and overcoming certain things in my personal life that I feel like was holding me back.”  

Fousheé is ready to take the plunge into stardom, but wants to ensure that her success doesn’t alter the essence of what makes her herself. 

“I don’t know if I’ll ever not be an introvert. I don’t think I can change that. But I hope I’ll just be a better version of myself,” says Fousheé. “Just like, more elevated in making art that will shift the culture. I want to be that artist that makes that sort of impact and is like, so genuinely themselves.”

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