Check out our interview with Brooklyn-based indie soul artist Raegan Sealy who just released her new single “Make ‘em Jealous” today! This upbeat and lifefull track is set to have listeners feeling good, even after a difficult and toxic relationship. With the help of an all-female chorus, The Gang of Angels, “Make ‘em Jealous” is the perfect heartbreak anthem to make your day – featuring the warmth of soul and rock melodies alongside a lively, quintessential pop atmosphere.
Follow Raegan @RaeganSealy
Hi Raegan, please tell us a little about you.
Hi! I’m a singer-songwriter from the UK, based in Brooklyn. I’ve lived here for eight years now. I’m also a teaching artist, coach, and advocate. I love helping people tell their stories, develop their creative pursuits, and be their best selves. And that’s exactly what I’m doing with the release of this music!
Describe yourself in 3 words.
Dramatic British Redhead.
We’re sure you have been asked this a million times, but how did you get into the industry?
I started singing in pubs and at weddings and parties when I was 15. I always wanted to write songs, but didn’t know how to read or write music, or play an instrument. So I got into performance poetry. Poetry took me all the way to New York City on a Fulbright scholarship in 2015, where I furthered my study of teaching poetry, rap and music in traumatized communities. I found a good amount of success as a performance poet, teaching artist and public speaker, launching a non-profit in 2017 that was supported by Lady Gaga’s Born This Way foundation, and giving a TED Talk in 2019 entirely in rhyming verse. I was still always singing on the side–and when COVID hit and all my talks and workshops stopped, I finally thought: I write poetry and I sing, why am I not writing songs!? So I started. “Make ‘em Jealous” is my debut single.
How has this changed your life?
Well, I wouldn’t be living in Brooklyn. Performing has taken me to amazing places. I’ve sung in football arenas, at glitzy galas, and on stages around the world. I’ve supported Ice-T, Kae Tempest, Judah and the Lion and Shane Koyczan. I don’t know if I would say that performing has changed my life–rather that it is my life! I feel most alive and my most authentic self on stage.
Describe your sound in 3 words.
Cheeky, soulful, velvet.
Who influenced you and why did you choose to make music?
I’m going to give that annoying answer of “I have so many influences,” but it’s true. I grew up listening to awesome music, from Tina Turner and ABBA to Outkast and Joni Mitchell. My taste is eclectic, to say the least. My great uncle is in Dire Straits, who I love. There was something special going on in music in the UK in the 80s. Their sound and Knopfler’s lyrics are just like nothing else. They really have something unique and transcendent. A hard bar to beat!
Do you play any instruments?
I do now! Piano mainly. Also a bit of guitar. But my main instrument is my voice.
Do you ever get nervous?
Of course! Being nervous is a sign that you care about what you’re doing. It’s a good thing. It’s energy and you can channel it.
Tell us about your new single “Make ‘em Jealous?”
Make ‘em Jealous is a big, soul-pop, feel-good, break-up, anti-anthem. It’s about that habit so many of us have of staying in relationships that aren’t good for us. But it’s not shameful. It’s a sarcastic, satirical, celebratory reclamation of the second and third chance giver. Of empathy and love and healing. It’s a fun song about being cheated on.
It also features the Gang of Angels (G.O.A.) Choir–an amazing group of singers based in Nottingham, UK led by powerhouse Honey Williams. In the track, the choir are supposed to represent all of your girlfriends that help you through these situations. And they literally are my girlfriends! All of them are phenomenal individuals. Together they’re an overwhelming concentration of awesomeness, and the sound they make is so uniquely beautiful and empowering.
What’s the story behind the song?
It’s about a relationship I had some years ago and based upon a real belief I held at the time. I felt ashamed of that belief, and of staying for so long, for a long time afterward. But I realized that the shame in that situation didn’t belong to me. So I wrote “Make ‘em Jealous.”
What is the most rewarding part of your work?
When someone connects with a song or performance. That’s why we create anything–to connect. To see and be seen. Teaching has a similar reward–it’s not about imparting knowledge to another individual. It’s about helping someone see things for themselves, in a way that only they can.
What book should every entrepreneur read?
Entrepreneurship is something that looks different for everybody. No single book is going to teach you how to become the version of yourself you want to be. Read memoirs by people you admire–you’ll realize how different everyone’s path is. Read what inspires you. Read poetry, read stories, read fantasy, philosophy, psychology. Learn as much as you can about everything–real and imaginary. (Having said all that, I think everyone should read Eckhart Tolle’s The Power of Now!)
What would you say are the greatest lessons you learned so far?
Nobody actually cares that much what you do, so go ahead and try whatever you want. You will always regret never having tried more than having tried and failed.
Create art and music that you love, not that you think other people will love. The “tortured artist” is a fallacy. When you are healthy, happy and prosperous, your creativity will prosper too.
What advice would you give to your younger self and why?
To put myself out there more. I lacked confidence for a long time and I used to hide away. You’re awesome. Get out there!
How would your best friend describe you?
She’d probably say that I have to do everything differently–but it always seems to work out.
If you were a book, what would be the title of the book and why?
The Hair.
What’s next for Raegan Sealy in 2023?
New music, and shows! I have new music coming out all year, and I will be back on stage in the Spring.
What is your favorite healthy food?
Arugula. So boujee.
And your favorite cheat food?
Croissants from this amazing French bakery run by a Puerto Rican guy named Fernando near my apartment.
How would you explain your fashion style?
Goddess ready to kick-ass at a moment’s notice.
What is your own definition of happiness?
Fulfillment, connection, freedom.
What would be the dream holiday, and who would you go with?
I love to travel! The next place on my list is Turkey. I’m a history and prehistory buff and want to check out Troy, Gobekli Tepe, and Cappadocia.
Do you support any charity?
The Women’s Prison Association (WPA), who support women exiting incarceration, and God’s Love We Deliver, who deliver homemade, nutritious meals to thousands of people too unwell to cook for themselves. Both in NYC!
Where do you see yourself and your career 5 years from now?
More everything. I’d like to be making more music, performing more, traveling more, collaborating more. More, more, more!
What do you think of Social Media?
I think it’s a great way to share your work, and keep up with your friends and favorite artists, and discover new things. I also think it’s a hugely deceptive and dangerous hall of mirrors. Everything in moderation!
Where we can follow you?
IG: @RaeganSealy
Twitter: @RaeganSealy
