BY CHELSEY JOHNSTONE
PHOTO COURTESY OF MAHOGANY LOX
Multi-talented singer-songwriter and DJ Mahogany LOX combines sass and confidence with the release of her newest single, “SIKE”. The former Vine star, who’s song “Take Your Man” reached over 8 million streams on TikTok and over 14 million streams on Spotify, is continuing to release tracks with vulnerable, yet self-empowering lyrics that aim to encourage independence within her listeners. LOX talks about her entertainment history, viral track, and overall music evolution with us.
Personally, where do you believe your journey began in the world of music and the arts & entertainment industry?
Mahogany: “The day I was born! I’ve always wanted to entertain people! Just ask my parents about all the shows I put on in the kitchen! [laughs]”
Can you tell me about your experience at Magcon 2014? How did it feel to have such a large fan base on different social media platforms such as Vine and YouTube?
M: “Magcon was such an amazing time for me, it was a huge learning experience and I got to meet so many LOXSmiths! Growing a fanbase from Magcon was incredible, I’m so grateful for everybody who saw me there and followed me on all my platforms. They’re so special to me.”
What inspired you to begin DJing your own music?
M: “My brother 8ky has always been a huge inspiration to me and he has definitely helped mold me into who I am today.”
Did you expect such a large, popular reaction when your hit song “Boom” went viral in 2015?
M: “No! I hoped people would love it though, and I’m so happy people are still listening to it today!”
How has your sound, performance, and overall personality evolved from 2014 to the present? How is that displayed in your music?
M: “I’m a lot more confident now on stage than I was in 2014… since I’ve gotten to be on stage a lot more! I am also showing more sides of me in my music now and I love it!”
Do you remember the moment you realized your song “Take Your Man” was going viral via TikTok? How did you react?
M: “I remember!! I couldn’t believe how many videos were made to it then all of a sudden, we hit 1 million streams on Spotify and from there it’s been such an incredible ride.”
Walk me through the process of writing and producing your newest single, “SIKE”. How did you begin to form this track into what we hear it to be now?
M: “Writing ‘SIKE’ was so much fun! Before going into the studio, I talked to my producer about the type of sound. Once I got to the studio, I came up with the concept, the story and a general idea where I wanted the song to go. After that... we got to writing! For ‘SIKE,’ It was a fast process actually! It only took about three hours!”
Did the production of “SIKE” offer any specific challenges your other music didn’t? If so, what were they and how did you work through them?
M: “Yes, ‘SIKE’ was a unique challenge for me with the crying verses when I recorded it. This was really different for me because I’ve never done that on a song before!”
Were there any memorable moments in the production of “SIKE”? Tell me about them.
M: “Writing with my team is always full of memorable moments! To name one… making the transition from my crying verses (my vulnerable self) to my rap verses (my confident self) was very memorable. We all felt the transition! It was really powerful!”
What do you hope to share with your fan base through the track “SIKE”?
M: “I wrote ‘SIKE’, so the person who’s singing it can sing it to themselves and feel confident! I wanted to be able to help anyone that struggles with confidence and let them know it’s ok to feel emotions but know they’re amazing and not to let any negative comments bring you down.”
Was there ever a time you doubted yourself as a performance DJ?
M: “Yeah! Sometimes you don’t know if your set is going to work with the crowd, so sometimes you can feel that doubt. The key for me is feeling the crowd’s energy and being completely prepared to adapt my set to excite the crowd and win them over. This is a lot of fun and very rewarding!”
PHOTO COURTESY OF MAHOGANY LOX
What inspires you to keep chasing after your dreams and pursuing your passions?
M: “My LOXSmiths inspire me to follow my dreams and pursue my passions, without them none of this would be possible.”
Is there anything else you wish to share about yourself and your music? If your fans should know one thing about you, what would it be?
M: “I’m just really ready to release more music so we can all dance and sing to them together!!”
What should we look forward to seeing from you in the near future?
M: “LOTS of music, DJing and hopefully some touring.”