SevvTheArtist and Donika Whitsett| Photo courtesy of the artist
SevvTheArtist, an emerging R&B singer, is Jill Scott with a hint of Erykah Badu. Her influences range from gospel to classic and alternative R&B, and her songs circumnavigate the complexities of love and romance. Through them, she celebrates both the joy that healthy love can bring, as well as the toxicity that unhealthy love can create.
Born Charlotte Jackson, the Greensboro native has achieved impressive accomplishments in just a short amount of time. Her debut EP, Pre-K, released in 2020, demonstrates her diligent commitment to making music her career. (Even the title is a nod to being a student in the music game.) Since then, Sevv has released two critically acclaimed singles, “Show Me” (2021), a collaborative love track with fellow Greensboro artist Knotty Zah, and the summer romance “Sunshine” (2021).
The latter track has been featured on BET Soul, SiriusXM, Music Choice R&B Soul, and TIDAL’S Rising R&B playlist.
The Black queer songstress, who is careful not to place limitations on her blooming career, describes her music as authentic. Through her artistry, she wants to remind others to “be themselves,” meaning they shouldn’t feel that they have to place themselves in a box based on what society says they have to be.
“You know, it’s all about what you want to do,” she says over the phone, “and as long as you do that, it’s authentic—these are the principles SevvTheArtist believe in.”
This perspective is reflected in her music: at the beginning of each song, via her producer Axthentic’s producer tag, listeners are reminded, “If it ain’t authentic, I don’t want it.” In high school, Sevv participated in both the jazz and marching bands. There, she learned the tenets of live instrumentation and was able to hone in on different sounds and tones that she now incorporates into her music.
Her single “Sunshine” is positioned like a love letter, as Sevv declares the deep love she has for her partner. In the video, Sevv prioritizes all forms of Black love and plays Cupid. Sevv knows a thing or two about love, too: She’s been in a seven-year partnership with her girlfriend and manager, Donika Whitsett.
“I wanted to create a new view of what Black love could be,” she says. “I really wanted to just let it be known that Black love is positive. That was super important to me."
The music industry has made some progress in representing and supporting LGBTQ artists. Within the past two years, Lil Nas X has embraced his Black queer sexuality and shaken up the hip-hop and pop industry in a revolutionary way.
The same goes for Frank Ocean, who is often touted as the “queer icon of the decade.” The day before the release of his debut album, Channel Orange, in 2012, Ocean published an open letter that revealed that his first love was a man. Since then, Ocean has achieved critical success and has become well known for protecting his spirit by remaining low-key; many would say that Ocean paved the way for a host of other queer artists. In an article about the “Black Queer music revolution,” Variety writer Jeremy Helligar points out that “a number of Black and biracial female performers—Janelle Monáe, Halsey, Kehlani, Azealia Banks, Syd from the Internet, Tayla Parx and Young M.A. among them—have since emerged as visible members of the LGBTQ community.”
Still, the music industry has a long way to go, especially when it comes to making space for masculine-presenting queer artists.
“If you think about Young M.A., she is probably one of my favorite female rappers. But if you look at how she is portrayed in the media … I feel like she should be a lot further in her career than she is right now,” Sevv says, adding that the industry hasn’t figured out how to market Black LGBTQ artists like Young M.A., thus excluding them from the conversation.
“I just feel like in media nowadays, there’s little room to be yourself,” Sevv says, citing Texan R&B singer Kaash Paige as an example. Paige, who is signed to Def Jam, is openly bisexual. “When she first came out, she was, like, a tomboy,” Sevv says. “I was like, wow, this is crazy! She’s getting all of these mainstream views. She’s going viral. And then as soon as she reached her peak, I feel like her image started shifting a little bit.”
Sevv, though, is not interested in changing her image. She says she wants to be a role model so that others can be inspired by her commitment. As an emerging artist, she’s not chasing money or fame. Her goal is simple: to build a solid fan base that supports her music and shows. She defines success as being able to do what makes her happy and to no longer question if she’s on the right path.
“I want people to look at me and be like, ‘Hey, you know, I feel that! I want to look like that too,’ and not feel that it’s a problem with being free or how they choose to present themselves,” she says.
Currently, the artist is wrapping up her newest project, Blu, set to be released by the end of the winter.
“A lot of people get caught up in the money, the glitz, the glamour, the jewels, the cars,” Sevv says. “If my music can touch the person next to me or a young girl who is struggling with finding out who she is, that’s success to me, you know—I’ve lived out my purpose on earth.”
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