Lady Sovereign Aims For More Fans -- Beyond Jay-Z, Missy -- With Tour
Lady Sovereign is getting much more love than hate these days.
The British rap/pop singer has hit it big with her latest U.S. single, "Love Me or Hate Me," and in the process is gaining fans with her combination of bratty attitude and genre-splintering tracks. That includes Missy Elliott, who remixed Sov's hit single, and Verizon, which selected the song for its latest cell-phone ads.
Sovereign, signed to Def Jam by Jay-Z, will be showcasing her snarky approach in all its glory on Public Warning, due October 31. But she says people shouldn't be surprised by the release's eclectic mix.
"Nothing sounds the same on my album," she said. "It's not a consistent album. Everything is different. And everything sounds weird and funky-fresh. If you've been following who I am, you'll realize you should buy my album because [of that]. It's real."
Aside from the "Love Me" remix, Sovereign did away with guest features on Public Warning. She felt they weren't particularly necessary for the LP. "There's no vocal collaborations on the album -- it's just me, me, me," she stated emphatically. "The way it should be."
Sovereign will also be hitting the road by herself to promote Public Warning. The North American tour kicks off later this week and wraps up December 1 in Atlanta. In the meantime, Sovereign has recorded a cover of the Sex Pistols' "Pretty Vacant" for OC Mix 6: Covering Our Tracks, the December 5 installment in the series devoted to "The O.C." And she's set to make appearances soon on "Late Show With David Letterman" and "Jimmy Kimmel Live."
With things going so well for Sovereign, the pint-size Londoner isn't worried about the Brit backlash. "Things are blowing up already, as far as I'm concerned," she said. "I'm just excited, because I love America. ... They're feeling me more [in the U.S.] than the U.K right now. That's why I'm here.
"People [just] need to stop mistaking me for that little white chick in Missy's videos that dances about," she added. " 'Cause that ain't me."
Well, maybe everyone isn't exactly loving her.
Lady Sovereign tour dates, according to her Web site:
- 10/23 - Montreal, QC @ Club Soda