For the last decade, Santi White has worn many hats in the music industry: talent scout, songwriter for hire, producer. But ever since the release of her debut album four years ago, the singer known as Santigold has enjoyed the spotlight as an artist.
White says her time spent in other areas of the music industry helped her form her own sound.
"I think that the pop writing that I've done gives me a really solid structure," White says. "Also, the sensibility of making a hook that really is going to be something that's going to stay in your head, something that's accessible. But in my own music, within that structure, I really play around."
Santigold's music has pop leanings, but it doesn't exactly fit into current conventions for Top 40 radio; she's even been called a "pop icon in waiting." This poses a challenge for the singer, who says that expanding the pop canon is a priority in her music.
"I think it's a really strange time for music right now, because I feel like the lane has become so narrow for what we consider pop music, and what's playable on the radio and Top 40," White says. "I'm hoping to knock down the walls and broaden the lane a little bit more for music that's pop music at the heart of it. Because it's a lot more work and there are a lot less avenues, and you have to find creative ways to get your music heard."
Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.