GoGo Morrow Dropped her latest single, “Don’t Stop,” featuring Yung Bleu

Girl Cult

Dec 21, 2023 @ 11:00 am By Shirley Reynozo

Written and Edited by: Shirley Reynozo @moyamusic_

Step into the electrifying world of GoGo Morrow, an extraordinary artist whose multifaceted talents have been making waves in the music industry. The Philly native is one full of risk-taking, hard work and purposeful alignment. With a track record of touring for years as a backup singer for artists like Lady Gaga, Wiz Khalifa and Kanye West’s Sunday Service Choir, GoGo slowly came to realize that her calling was to be a solo artist. As a versatile singer, songwriter, and performer, Gogo Morrow has crafted a dynamic career that stands out with every beat. Her journey began on the stages of notable events, where she showcased her incredible prowess. Her musical journey hit new heights with the release of her latest single, “Don’t Stop,” featuring Yung Bleu, which dropped on 11/15/2023. Here at Galore we are most excited to highlight her latest single release.

In 2022, GoGo Morrow embarked on a tour alongside the sensational Flo Milli, leaving an indelible mark on audiences across the nation. The BET Awards’ Amplified Stage and Howard University’s spirited homecoming were just a glimpse of her captivating live performances. Beyond the stage, GoGo Morrow made her presence felt in the world of television, making a memorable appearance on the popular series “Grownish.”

The music scene felt her seismic impact as she shared stages with industry heavyweights like Symba, Joyner Lucas, and Eric Bellinger. Venturing into the cinematic realm, the track “Comfortable” from her EP “Ready” found a home in the movie “You People” in 2023, showcasing her versatile artistry. The rhythmic beats of “Don’t Stop” from the same EP echoed across Instagram for an impressive six months, demonstrating the undeniable buzz surrounding her music. GoGo Morrow’s journey is a testament to her dedication and passion for the craft. With over 200 million streams across various platforms, her EP “Ready” has become a sonic force, solidifying her position as a trailblazer in the music industry.

Here at Galore we had the honor to interview GoGo. She reflects on pivotal moments that ignited her passion for music, such as her audition for Kelly Rowland’s backup singer, which unexpectedly led to a life-changing opportunity on Lady Gaga’s world tour. As GoGo delves into her influences, she pays homage to icons like Michael Jackson, Prince, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Pharrell, and Kanye. Her desire to embrace various creative roles, from directing videos to stage design, sets her on a path to carve her unique niche in the industry.

The discussion takes an insightful turn as GoGo reflects on the state of R&B, expressing the need for more platforms to support emerging artists authentically. She delves into her recent collaboration with Young Bleu on “Don’t Stop,” GoGo shares the organic nature of the collaboration and the artist’s generosity in supporting emerging talents. She also unveils her latest release, a soulful rendition of the Christmas classic “Silent Night.”

The conversation concludes with a sneak peek into 2024, where GoGo promises a new project filled with her favorite songs and exciting visuals, inviting audiences to witness the next evolution of her artistry. The interview provides a glimpse into the multifaceted world of GoGo Morrow, an artist on a relentless pursuit of her dreams. As she continues to carve her path to stardom, Gogo Morrow remains an unstoppable force, captivating audiences worldwide with her compelling performances and chart-topping releases. Get ready to be immersed in the sonic universe of this gracious icon on the rise!

FEATURE INTERVIEW

Interview Conducted & Transcribed by: JaJuan Malachi

To kick things off, when did you discover you wanted to pursue music full time?

GoGo: I’m glad you said full-time because I was able to say, I don’t really remember when I discovered I wanted to do music. I kind of always known I wanted to do music since I can remember. But to do it full time, I think it was my senior year of college. I started interning at Def Jam, so I would go back and forth on the Chinatown bus everyday because I’m from Philly and still lived there at the time. The first part of my internship I used to sit in this broom closet. Literally, a closet with a computer.

Wow! What year was this?

GoGo: It had to be 2011 or something like that. So I was talking to one of my friends and they were like what are you doing? Why are you in a closet? You’re not doing anything. You should be in the studio. I was like “I know but I think I’m just gonna be an A&R or whatever. And then I eventually moved to a department where I was doing a lot. I was doing like expense reports and all this other stuff and I was like “Ok, this is cool but it’s not exciting.” Then I graduated and then I got fired because they didn’t have any use for a 17-year-old or whatever. So I graduated, got fired and then I took a job at Drexel because I was gonna go back to school and start law school. A month into the job, I was like “girl, you are not happy. This is not what you want to do. You know you want to sing and I’ve been singing my whole life. I’ve been singing in church. I grew up doing musical theater. My whole family is musical, so I’ve been doing it forever. I was telling another friend about it and he was like “well, why don’t you come to NYC. I got an extra room you can stay in and go on some auditions.” So I was like “ok cool, I’ll take you up on that offer.” We never set a date or a time for me to do that. Literally two days after we had that conversation, he had sent me an audition. It was like Kelly Rowland was having an audition. He was like “oh, you should come up for this” and I was “I can’t, I’ve gotta work.” He said “what did you just tell me. You said you didn’t wanna do that so just come.” I was like “you right.” So I dropped everything, I called out from work. I didn’t tell my mom or my sisters or my dad where I was going. I got on a bus to NYC and I went to audition to be Kelly Rowland’s back up singer. It was like an all-day process. They had a long period before I got called back. I came back and then I auditioned again and they didn’t tell me anything. So I get back to Philly at like 3 AM and I’m like I hope I got it. Two weeks go by and I never heard anything and I’m used to that because I’ve been doing auditions since I was a kid. Then one day, I just got a random call and they were like oh this is xyz from the Kelly Rowland audition. I just wanted to let you know that you did not make it. And I’m just like “ok, so what did they call me for?” And she proceeded to say but I have something else I think you may be interested in and he said they were looking for an alto for Lady Gaga’s world tour.

WOW! That’s so surreal!

GoGo: And this was like at the height of her career. The super super duper duper height of her career. He was like “I think she would really like you.” You’re vibrant. You can sing. You can dance. And that’s what we’re looking for. But you’ll be gone for a long time. I was like I don’t have to think about it. Three days from that phone call I was in L.A. by myself for the first time in rehearsals with Laurieann Gibson and I had my first show at the Staples Center with Lady Gaga. That was the show. That very first show is when I knew. I’m doing this for the rest of my life. I’ve gotta get to this on my own. I wanna be a solo artist. I wanna be at all of the places and sell out arenas. I think taking that Lady Gaga job is like the first thing that made me wanna do music full-time.

WOW! Shoutout to your friend.

GoGo: His name is Vladimir. We’re still cool till this day. Anything that Vladimir is tied to ends up being a very important decision in my life. I’m just waiting for him to call me now with something else.

That’s amazing! That was like divine intervention. You kind of pivoted from more of the traditional route and followed your heart and won. I commend you for doing that.

GoGo: Thank you! I’m still following my heart. Everyday, it’s a journey.

Yup! Yup! So who would you say are some of your biggest inspirations in music?

GoGo: Ah man, I have so many and I have different reasons but Michael Jackson for sure. Prince, Beyoncé of course, Rihanna, Pharrell, Kanye. I have different reasons. I love Michael Jackson’s hard work. Him and Beyoncé I can put into that box. Really, I’m sure I can put all of them in that category. People that have branded themselves as being hard workers to me that stand out to me are Michael Jackson and Beyoncé. I just felt like they have maximized every gift that they have down to directing themselves, writing for themselves and that’s definitely something I believe I’m capable of and that I would love the opportunity to do. Because I do everything. I have such a clear vision. I wanna do my own stage design. I wanna direct my own videos. I look at those two as examples. And then when I look at Rihanna, I think about how she made herself a brand and a mogul. I also plan to do that. I have so many inventions in my head, and also, I just love fashion and beauty. I identify with her with that. With Kanye, I love how he took his merch and made it into a whole movement. A lot of people have done that after him like the Travis Scotts of the world. They’ve turned their merch into something that’s like a HypeBeast thing. I don’t see a lot of women do that but I would love to tap into that. I have a bunch of different reasons and people that I look up to.

That’s fire! I can see a little bit of every artist you mentioned in your package as in an artist.

GoGo: That’s a huge compliment. Thank you!

It’s very palpable. I don’t really have to sift through too much to find it. I feel like it’s all in your DNA.

GoGo: It’s definitely in my DNA. I’ve been studying these people since I was a little girl, so any influence that comes out in my art is definitely organic and stems from me studying those people.

That’s definitely super dope! For my next question, how impactful has the TIDAL RISING program been for you over the last year?

GoGo: So I actually didn’t know what it was going to entail. And the week I saw you, they had did like a summit for rising artists. They were like here’s your flight, come hang out, so I didn’t know what I was walking into but it was such a refreshing experience. Like not only did they take the time out to educate us on things we may not have known but I learned a lot. I learned about the legal aspects of stuff. I went to school for it, so I know some stuff but there is stuff that you don’t know until you experience it. That also gave us an insight on that. They had a financial adviser come in and help us, just make sure our finances are in order and it’s real easy to lose track of that when you’re an artist because really all we wanna do is sing and be creative, we don’t really wanna do the business part. All of that was super useful but the thing I took away from it was how I got to build with my peers and we don’t get to do that a lot. Unless you were already friends with somebody, it’s really not an easy thing to try and befriend people because you don’t know what people’s motives are and a lot of us feel like we’re in competition with each other, so there’s not really a lot of safe spaces for artists to really bond. The TIDAL Summit really just allowed us to do that with no inhibitions, and we were able to make genuine friends and ultimately just find out that you’re not alone in your journey. That’s been the biggest thing but they’ve also been a big support. Like they supported me on my tour that I did with Young Bleu. They had contributed some things for that, so the TIDAL RISING program has been a huge blessing for me for sure.

That sounds phenomenal. Shoutout to TIDAL. I’m a huge proponent myself.

GoGo: Yup! You were at the TIDAL party, that’s how we met.

Yup! Yup! It was great. So how was it collaborating with Young Bleu to produce “Don’t Stop”?

GoGo: That was such an organic thing too. We were looking for a tour to join and his name came up or whatever, so when my producer Harmony was inquiring about getting on a tour. He was like “can we have GoGo open for you on tour”? Then, I think Young Bleu went and did his research. He was like “oh, she’s fire.” He was like “oh, if there’s a record you want me to get on, let me know.” And we were like “hell yeah, we want you on the one that’s going viral.” He was so gracious. He agreed to do the video too, which is not out yet. But yeah, that was like a whole thing. He hopped on my record and we did a whole video together. I love Bleu for that because he really does reach back. There’s not a lot of artists that are willing to do that, so that was really fire.

Nah, that’s dope! Shoutout to Young Bleu for that.

GoGo: Shoutout to him.

So I know you just dropped “Silent Night,” which is a really dope, classic rendition of that world famous Christmas song.

GoGo: That’s my favorite Christmas song. It’s always been my favorite Christmas song. I’ve sang it a million times since I was a kid. I sang it in Church. My producer Harmony said “I want us to do a Christmas cover.” He was tryna get me to do “Let It Snow.” I was like “yeah, I love “Let It Snow” but “Silent Night” is my song. I sang it since I was a kid.

Imma huge Christmas music head too. I felt like “ Let It Snow” would have been dope but I feel like you genuinely killed “Silent Night.” It’s actually flurrying over here for the first time in New York.

GoGo: Oh, that’s so perfect. I’m gonna listen to it more when I get on the East Coast for Christmas.

What is some music that you’re currently listening to? What is on GoGo’s playlist right now?

GoGo: Great question. I just said the other day that I don’t know what to listen to. I’ve been listening to that new H.E.R. and Foo Fighters song that just came out last Friday. I do like that song. It’s called “The Glass.”

Hm, I haven’t heard that one out yet.

GoGo: Yeah, no it’s fire. And then I also toured with Flo Milli at the end of last year. I love her. She’s so sweet but she just dropped a record called “Never Lose Me.” I’ve been listening to that. The beat is so fire for that song. I kind of go back to older albums. I was just listening to the “Love Below,” when André 3000 dropped his flute album. I was listening to that for like two days straight.

I love that song “She Lives In My Lap.” You know that one?

GoGo: Honestly, that whole album. Just play it! It won’t stop. You don’t skip it but yeah, I love “She Lives In My Lap” and I went to see the Beyoncé movie. I’m so upset because I never got a chance to go to the tour because I was on tour. I feel like I’m the only one in the whole world who didn’t get to go to the show, so I was really really excited to see the movie. It wasn’t quite like being there but it gave me the experience somewhat, so I’ve also been listening to the Renaissance since I went to see the movie too.

Gotchu! That’s amazing! It sounds like you have a nice, little rolodex. I’m a music head. I listen to pretty much everything. I love Tame Impala too. I’ll go and listen to one of their albums if I don’t have anything else to listen to. That’s like a go-to.

GoGo: I heard it. I’m such a huge Lucky Daye fan. I know him. He’s super cool and so talented especially the end where he’s going crazy. Amazing!

Yeah, I’m looking forward to the project. Whatever he comes out with that contends with that.

GoGo: I think we all feel that way. All Lucky Daye fans feel that way.

Fasho! So if you could collab with anyone, who would it be and why?

GoGo: All these questions. I always have such a long list. I would definitely collab with Beyoncé of course. Who wouldn’t wanna collab with her. Rihanna. Kendrick Lamar. J. Cole, I would love to collab with Pharrell. I think I need a Pharrell song for sure. I need a Kanye West song regardless of what’s going on with him. And the list can go on and on. That’s my list for today.

Ok awesome! I feel like that’s a solid list. Very eclectic for sure. So I noticed you have a penchant for interpolating songs from the 90s and early 2000s. Do you feel like R&B will ever get to that point again? I actually did a video about it not too long ago. About there being this unspoken R&B Renaissance taking place. When you think about the Cleo Sol’s and the GoGo Morrow’s of course.

GoGo: *laughs*

The Kenyon Dixons. The Kyle Dions . Leon Thomas. Masego. There’s so many people I can think of.

GoGo: So many.

For a while, people were attempting to undermine the impact of R&B. Attempting to overlook the power of the genre. With this being said, do you think R&B is gonna reach that pinnacle again? You know, how it used to be when Aaliyah was alive?

GoGo: I think it could. I don’t think we are there but I think it could. Like when Diddy came out and said “R&B is dead,” I didn’t completely disagree. I disagreed with the fact that he was saying the art was dead. I didn’t disagree in a sense that we don’t have nearly the amount of platforms we had in the 90s. The gatekeepers that are affording people opportunities. The motive is different. A lot of artists are very similar. I feel like in the 90s. There were so many girls but all of them had their own identities. You had Brandy. You had Aaliyah. You had Monica. Um, Deborah Cox. You had all these different women, who could shine at the same time but they were all very different. They all had their own separate fan bases. Because we don’t have as many platforms. We don’t have a 106 & Park. We don’t have Oprah to break Alicia Keys anymore. We don’t have TRL. We don’t have the places for R&B to live anymore. We don’t even have a station where people can watch videos anymore. If you wanna watch a video, you’ve gotta go on YouTube or go to that person’s channel. Just like there are artists making music, I think there has to be out there creating the platforms for us to exist. Like for example, you giving me this platform to speak about who I am and my music in Galore. There’s not a lot of opportunities to do that. And to keep it real, a lot of the ones that do exist are “pay for play.” It’s not motivated by “oh, I really found this artist,” “I love this artist.” It’s really “the label sent so and so this amount of money, so we’re going to promote this artist.” So I feel like we’ve gotta get back to the love of the art and breaking people that we genuinely love and deserve it and not just measuring everything with numbers and you know, those things. The talent is there. The product is there for sure. Like you said, you named all the different talented people that are dominating this space. We just need a place to shine. I definitely would agree.

Nah, I would agree. It’s definitely an honor to highlight you and what you do.

GoGo: I’m honored as well. Probably more so honored than you.

So do you feel like singing and dancing has become a lost art in contemporary R&B? When I think about the early 00s, I think about Ciara. I think Chris Brown, Ne-Yo. Dancing and singing were fixtures of what they bring to the table. Also, you and Victoria Monét are people that come to mind that have an affinity for incorporating dancing and singing, so what are your thoughts on that?

GoGo: By the way, I love Victoria. I think she’s amazing. I think it was a lost art. I think we’re making our way back to that kind of performance style. I think it’s a reflection of the music as well. Back in the day, there was way more rhythmic style and stuff you had to dance to. And now a lot of the stuff is kind of vibey and mellow. There’s no real need for a lot of the songs to have that. I feel like everything should have intention. If R&B has evolved into this mellow, kind of laid back music, then naturally you’re not going to dance as much. I think me and Victoria both make rhythmic music, so I can perform and it makes sense. I don’t think it’s a dead art. I just think where we are sonically is not so much rhythmic as it is vibey. Not speaking for me but just in general.

I definitely agree. I think that was an excellent response to a relatively tough question. So I know that you were on the R&B Money podcast. How was your experience? I’m a fan of the show. I watched the one with Bryan Michael Cox not too long ago. I didn’t understand how profound he was in the industry but I kept hearing his name for years. So how was your experience on the podcast?

GoGo: My experience was so great. You know, I’m still rising. I’m still new to a lot of people, so I wasn’t the guest. I was like the guest of the guest and the guest was Harmony Samuels, who is my producer. I’m so blessed. The platforms that do exist. You guys look out for me. They allowed me to come and introduce myself and just get their co-sign. It was a great experience. Tank and J Valentine are so so gracious. I love how they love R&B. They really care about it and they co-sign things that matter. They co-sign things that are great. Not just good. For me to sit there next to them. That was a huge honor for me.

Yeah, I definitely see the passion when I’m watching the show. And going back to what you were saying about the concept of providing a platform. That’s one of the blossoming platforms of this era. Shoutout to them for doing that because it’s definitely needed.

GoGo: It was such a needed space.

How do you strike that fine balance between uploading your artistic merit but still making music with the potential to go viral?

GoGo: I don’t think I ever made music with the potential to go viral. I think good music will always succeed in the end. Any of those moments that have happened for me has been strictly organic. It hasn’t been intentional, which is a blessing because it lets you know that good art will succeed in the end. I’ve never made anything with the intent to go viral.

So where do you envision GoGo Morrow? Let’s say five years from now. Give me your most optimistic, sort of utopian-like vision for your career?

GoGo: I see myself with several Grammys for sure. I see myself going on a sold out world tour. I see my brands being manifested. My fashion brand. My make-up brand. Some other ideas that I won’t tell on myself. I just see myself just still in pursuit of the next level. I don’t know what I’m going to do after these things I’ve named but I’m sure I’m going to be in pursuit of those.

Awesome! Well we’re gonna manifest that for sure.

GoGo: Amen!

So what can we expect from you in 2024? That you feel comfortable disclosing of course.

GoGo: I had so much music that we planned to release this year. I just had a lot of business stuff that hindered that. In 2024, we’re setting up to drop a new project. I’m really just excited. Some of my favorite songs are on the project. So I’m really excited for you guys to hear it and to see the visuals that are going to be attached and just to see the next level and tier of who I am as an artist.

Ok awesome! I’m looking forward to hearing that. What motivated your signature “blue hair” style?

GoGo: My hair is inspired by my favorite anime character from Dragon Ball, Bulma.