Photo by: Ana Azarov
Heather Jeanette Miley, otherwise known as MIZZI, released her debut album, SUGAR HIGH, in March 2022, and a brand new music video for her track “BOMB” just dropped last week. The 14-track electro-pop album and music video is fueled with infectious melodies and a bombastic attitude. Some tracks from SUGAR HIGH can be heard on Netflix’s Emily in Paris Season 2, Prime Video’s Making the Cut, HBO Max’s Take Out With Lisa Ling, ABC’s Queens, The End Game 2022 Superbowl promo, and more.
We recently spoke with MIZZI about her musical sound, influences and creative process. Check out our conversation below.
When people listen to your music, what are you hoping they get out of it?
I hope it brings out their confidence to take on their day, feel good about themselves and achieve their goals.
How would you describe the sound of your music?
Well MIZZI has two sides – The “Sugar” side which is fun, bubblegum pop and the “High” side which is attitude and full confidence to take on the world. The producers I work with each bring a unique style which I love. The album blends elements from pop, hip hop, rock, dance and more.
Who would you say are some of your musical influences?
I listen to so many different styles and artists but I would say some of the top influences for my music are Gwen Stefani, Beyonce, K Flay and Doja Cat.
Did you always know that music was something you wanted to pursue?
In middle school I wanted to pursue acting, but I started playing guitar and fell in love with writing my feelings through songs (although I don’t think any at that time were that great) haha but I kept working at it. Once I caught the music bug, there was no turning back. If I couldn’t make it work on the creative side, I was going to work on the business side.
What advice would you give to aspiring musicians?
Be confident and work at your craft. What looks like overnight success is actually years of hard work and effort. You’re going to hear a lot more “no” than “yes” but take every opportunity you can to make yourself better. The people you work with while hustling are the people who will be giving you work in the future, so don’t discredit anyone.
What is your favorite song to perform live?
Most of these songs were written during the pandemic, so I havent perfromed them live, but I think “Bomb” would be very fun to perform. It has just a fun energy and a bounce that I think the crowd would get into.
Can you describe your creative process when you’re writing new music?
I save a bunch of title ideas in my phone, so before I have a session I take a look at those. Usually the producer I’m working with will start playing a beat or guitar or something, and then I sort of mumble on the mic and figure out what the song is about. From there we try to come up with the best melodies possible that help the song flow and fill in the lyrics with a story.
What has been the best advice someone has given you about music?
It’s not about how many notes you can play or theory knowledge, it’s about making people feel something.
Which musician(s) would you like to collaborate with in the future?
I think it would be cool to collab with Pharell. We both are from the same hometown, Virginia Beach, VA and I think he always brings something original to his work with every artist.
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Stream SUGAR HIGH here.
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