Musiq is about five songs into his third album, the follow-up to last year's platinum Juslisen, with plans to release the new set in September. The soul singer says that the only thing slowing down the album's progress is his habit of writing new material during the recording process.

"Conceptually, I thought I had all the songs," he says. "And musically I did have all the songs. But with each song that I do, I realize so many things are factoring in and it's changed my whole perspective of this record. I'm going to still try to reach the sound of how I intended the album to turn out. But it's been taking interesting curves and turns."

As with Juslisen, which found Musiq broadening the musical sounds found on his 2000 debut, Aijuswanaseing, he again plans some new directions that he hopes will challenge, rather than alienate, fans. "I want to introduce more interesting and alternative things in my music," he says, "but I don't wanna be cheesy about it. What I try to do is make songs that represent me artistically and at the same time, something where my label would like to invest in. It's a three-part thing: I'm definitely doing things that I can appreciate, my label can appreciate, and, most importantly, that my audience can appreciate."

Musiq took a break from the album to record a cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Are You Experienced," for an upcoming Hendrix tribute album being organized by the late guitarist's estate. "When I do remakes, I try to identify with the point the artist was trying to make instead of just doing the song over," he says. "Why did this person make this song? Why did they do it the way that they did? It's about the artist and paying homage, but after awhile it tries to go past the artist and get to what the artist was trying to get to. I had a whole lot of fun with it."

Earth, Wind and Fire and Chaka Khan are also contributing to the Hendrix project.

ANDREW DANSBY
(April 7, 2003)