Antavia Williams has already been blessed to enjoy a diverse musical career that others at her age may have only dreamed about so far. She recently celebrated her 30th birthday in a big way by marking the new decade with the release of her new EP simply yet aptly titled, 30. Describing her favorite music genres as Gospel & R&B she says, “her latest project is a mixture of many styles of music that offers a little something for everybody.”
Antavia also recently won big in a jingle writing contest for OneUnited Bank, as that has become one of her biggest passions & forms of creative expression. As if that is not already a big enough impressive resume, she has also sung background vocals for many musical legends in Gospel & Rhythm and Blues. She gained insight about her career & purpose from such greats as Pastor & Gospel great Travis Greene & R& B Star Tyrese to name a few. I was absolutely fascinated by this interview, and I just know you will be too.
Prior to winning the One United Bank Jingle Writing Contest did you have any experience with writing jingles?
Yes and no. I started writing & trying to pitch different jingles to different companies and retail stores that I like this past February.
Was this the first time you ever entered your work in any competition?
No. The first jingle competition I entered was for the Morgan & Morgan law firm a few months ago. Also, McCormick had a competition in September – I did not win that one but thankfully came in the top five. These are the only two competitions outside of OneUnited Bank, that I entered regarding jingles.
How did it feel to win a big cash prize in a jingle writing contest, specifically from a Black-owned bank?
For my jingle producer and me, it feels amazing to win a jingle writing contest with the nation’s largest Black-owned bank because we literally do this for fun. Also, winning the contest is confirmation that we are doing the right thing & we have catchy jingles. It means a lot to win $5,000, and even if it would have been $1,000, winning the contest is the reassurance that I need to know that someone is really listening, so I am very thankful.
Tell us more about your experiences singing background vocals for well-known artists in both the R&B & Gospel Genres.
When I sang background vocals, I filled in for different people. For instance, when I was singing with Tyrese & Howard Hewitt, those were great experiences that I was able to have & enjoy for the first time. I worked with very respectful teams, & of course, I am a fan of their music. Compared to the gospel genre, I filled in for the last leg of the Travis Greene tour in either 2016 or ’17. That was also amazing because it was another talented team and another family relationship that was displayed towards me and everyone else that was involved. I really learned a lot from both the secular & gospel genres, and thankfully I did not have any bad experiences at all. Everyone was very respectful and true to their craft & work. I enjoyed it for the small-time frame that I was able to have those opportunities.
In touring with both successful Gospel & R&B artists, how would you say your experiences are similar & how did they differ?
Both experiences were similar in terms of respect because I have heard of people that go on tour or be around celebrities that are mean, snobby, and act like they are above everybody. I got a lot of takeaways from my experiences in both genres -all the artists were professionals. The only difference was, of course, the genres. For me, in the secular genre, whatever we rehearsed is what we performed unless a song got taken out in the gospel genre, the Spirit can hit, and a song may come about that we did not necessarily rehearse, however, we are going another way because the atmosphere shifted. I would say this is the only difference between the secular & gospel realms.
What can you tell us about your current EP: 30?
Yes! My EP: 30 came out on my birthday September 25th. I had not done an EP or recorded anything since about 2016, and I wanted to get out of my comfort zone. Lately, my focus has not been on my own personal music outside of jingles, so my jingle producer really pushed me to record again, so I said, “Okay, I will do a four to five-song EP.” I love R&B and gospel, but I wanted to put out something that everyone could listen to. If you like Hip-Hop or Trap Music, I got something for that. If you like old-school R&B, I got something for that. Looking for a country feel I also have something for that as well,
You chose to release the project to coincide with your 30th birthday how significant was that for you?
It was just something I really wanted to do for my birthday and to make a statement about love, joy, & recovering from a bad situation such as a broken relationship, or if you think your relationship may be broken. I want to be encouraging and show people love because you never know what people are going through. My EP: 30 is bigger, and I really want anybody that listens to it to feel some type of inspiration or change & to enjoy what they are listening to as well as their lives.
If you could pick a song either yours or another artist that reflects your message to live by, what would it be & why?
I would say the song is. “It is Well with my Soul,” and I hope I don’t sound too churchy, but definitely because yes, I won the OneUnited Bank jingle contest, which I am truly thankful for, but I have also had some losses, and that is not just with jingles, it is with life period. Losing jobs and relationships, but at the end of the day I feel like not only myself but hopefully everyone knows no matter what I go through, and no matter what they may go through as individuals that all is well. “Try to keep your head up & move on.” My favorite words from the song are “When peace like a river attendeth my way.” To know where our help comes from & it really comes from God. Through whatever circumstance, trial, or tribulation, I always remind myself that “It is Well” because things could always be much worse. “Listen, I don’t care, things could be bad, but there is someone out there that has it way worse.” I am always grateful & thankful, and I know that God is always by our side & it is well.
Antavia has a very humble spirit, as should be clearly evidenced by this article by now. She has not let one piece of knowledge or experience go to waste but has instead implemented it & grown from it. She has kept her faith rooted in the Lord & she vows to do everything she does from this same place of humility & remaining grounded. For her, it is not all about financial gain & skyrocketing fame. She believes that having fun in everything she does while putting her heart into it will keep her focused & not allow what anyone says or does negatively affect her & steer her away from her purpose. She says “For Me, and in this chapter of my life, I am doing everything I want to, and I am not forced. She chooses to be led by joy. This chapter and significant milestone is all about Antavia as she puts it, & she is putting God, herself, & her destiny first at all costs. I for one am looking forward to seeing what is next for this extraordinarily talented Singer, Songwriter, & superb jingle writer. I believe these are just a few of her titles as we have merely just begun to scratch the surface of all of which she is capable.
Be sure to follow her on Instagram & click the link in her bio to download the new EP entitled 30.
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