The talented, Rachel Panay, is back to clubland and we still believe she's got it going on!
Perry Twins: Congratulations on the success of your new single "Repeat Performance". How did you go about writing your latest hit? Is it from your own personal experience?
Rachel Panay: Haha! Its so funny because with this particular song, that seems to be the burning question! lol! But jokes aside, frankly, yes! I met someone who was about to move overseas so we had this really short window of time to "enjoy getting to know each other" so to speak. So as the 1st verse goes, "Tonight when I see you know know I'm gonna need you to do what you did to me last night." I wrote the song as I was getting ready to go out with him that very night. Literally I came out of the shower & I had some instrumental music playing, & the words and melody of the 1st verse just came to me. Then as I started writing the hook/chorus "repeat performance, a one man show" came to mind & I knew I had a cool concept that would enable me to use the analogy of the stage and an amazing performance that is so good the audience demands one more! In the chorus I say, "Its a repeat performance, by popular demand, but it was only meant to be a one night stand". And its true isn't it, that there are one night stands that remain just that one night. And THEN there are one night stands that turn into affairs that continue for a long while or even relationships! In my personal case though I would have to call it an affair NOT a relationship!
PT: "Repeat Performance" just became a breakout on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play Chart and Donna Summer's new single also just debuted on the chart. Is this the first time that you've been climbing the charts at the same time as one of your biggest musical influences?
RP: Oh, good question! Yes, I am VERY "vocal" about the fact that I adore & admire Donna Summer's sound above all other vocalists in this Dance genre. And in fact we all know we wouldn't be here were it not for her & her team of amazing writers & producers back in the day that made those incredible records! And now she continues today to write & sing amazing records! As I recall, my singles "Back to Love" which was #2 on Billboard back in 2004 and "The Real Thing" which was #6 in 2007, were on charting during the time when Ms. Summer also had a single on the chart. And really that is an interesting phenomena of the Billboard Club Play chart.....that our songs at any given time are sitting on the chart in the company of major label artists like her, or Madonna, or Seal, or Beyonce!
PT: Your album "Back To Love" is one of the best albums from the past year and in addition to "Repeat Performance", it features your singles "The Real Thing", "It's Got To Be Love", "I Still Believe", "The Walk Of Shame", "Back To Love" and many more. Which are your favorite songs from the album to sing in your sassy live performances?
RP: Aw, thank you for calling my performances "sassy"! haha! I love it! You know what? Since "Repeat Performance" has become a part of my live repertoire, its my new & favored baby, the one I enjoy the most for now. HOWEVER recently, at a show in my hometown of DC, the DJ accidentally played "The Real Thing" instead of "Repeat Performance" as planned & I considered stopping the track & making him play the correct one BUT I found so many people in the audience singing it & really getting into it so I just felt it was the right thing to go with the flow & I had so MUCH fun with it. But I think that really one of the most powerful & poignant songs of the ones you mentioned is "I Still Believe" because its about hope that never dies & that's an emotion or character quality that goes WAY beyond romance & is about us always as people who have the will to go on living even after experiencing heartbreak, never losing hope that after the rain falls, the sun will come out eventually. So I notice when the song begins in the very first second, that something suddenly comes over the faces of the audience. I see this sweetness light up their expressions & by the end of the song everyone's singing along and feeling this great sense of optimism. With that energy, how can it not be one of my favorites to perform live?!
PT: You always put on excellent live shows and we can't wait to see you perform again. Where are some of your upcoming shows and are you working on any other new projects that we can look forward to?
RP: Oh, thank you so much! That means a lot coming from you guys! : ) You may or may not know that I have started something for my jazz/acoustic side called The Rachel Panay Project! Its comprised of live piano, acoustic bass, & drums. So that's something I am investing a lot of time and energy into launching. Most immediately though I have Dance music shows coming in my new hometown of NYC, my original hometown of DC & Memphis where I am so excited to see Graceland during my two day stay for their Pride festival. I also have a TON of new writing & recording projects that are keeping me extremely busy working long distance with producers spanning from Boston to LA to France to Scotland! As you know, writing is as much a passion of mine as the performing & I have been fortunate to be approached with co-writing projects from some amazingly talented guys & its just exciting to have a lot of different sounds to work with. You know, for each track I am sent, I feel an opportunity to explore another character, like an actress trying on different roles that are all facets of her own being. Its a chance to excavate parts of my own being with each new writing project. That's an amazing thing about Dance music....that there are so few strict rules in place that you would find in Top 40 formula's. I love that we can do whatever we feel inspired to do. To me Dance music is the Jazz of our generation!
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