Cmagic5 is a phenomenal singer, songwriter, and musician based out of Toronto, Canada. She is far from a newbie in the music and recording industry. Cmagic5 has been performing in front of audiences since the age of five, continuing her articulation into an empowered, outspoken female, role model, and anti-bullying advocate. Cmagic5’s personal evolution is apparent when listening to her music. She manages to effortlessly fuse her pop niche with other genres like afrobeat, rock, and trap. The genre-bending textures shine through on her much anticipated debut album “Ready to Run,” which explores self intimacy and love, or the lack thereof. Jejune is excited to talk to Cmagic5 about her unapologetic journey in finding self-respect and her new song “Love Me If You Can,” which hones in on personal experiences of letting someone go and focusing on yourself.

Where are you based?
Hey there! Thank you for having me. I am an independent singer/songwriter and musician from Toronto, Canada.

You are a very talented triple threat. As a singer, songwriter, and actress, how did you know a career in the creative arts was your passion?
I believe the creative arts chose me. My passion for singing and acting manifested itself when I was very little with me performing to a living room audience at the age of five. I am grateful to my parents who supported my passion and provided me with a strong foundation in the creative arts including dance, drama, and music as a child. I was able to harness and develop my acting skills further and played lead roles in yearly Summer Broadway performances.

The inspiration for writing songs was all around me and I had already started writing melodies at the age of six and began performing to a larger audience. I captured anything around me that inspired me at that age such as colors and animals and put it into a song. By the age of 10, my articulation developed as my thoughts and emotions matured, and I had written and composed my very first original song along with an EP in just a few days titled “Destiny’s Calling.” The lyrics were very raw, pure, and straight from the heart. My elementary school years were a challenging time for me, due to being bullied. It was during this time, music became my sole companion and opened up a plethora of avenues. I grabbed my acoustic guitar and dived deep into songwriting. This was the defining moment in my life when I knew that I wanted to pursue music for the rest of my life. Most importantly, I wanted to give back by inspiring others to feel the same magic that I experience through music. “Destiny’s Calling” was a basement recording that led to my future professional studio recordings. There has been no looking back ever since... And here I am with my Debut Album “Ready to Run” created and released all through these trying times in history (the pandemic).

Can you tell us about music within your childhood? What did music symbolize to you then, and has it changed since?
Great question! Music was all around me as a child. Although no one in my family could sing or play music, it was still something that helped us all get through difficult and challenging times, and brought everyone together for any occasion. For me, music is something I have a deep and personal relationship with. In that sense, music and I have only become closer over the years. As a child and even today, music has always been my greatest form of expression and induces that electrifying feeling as if the whole world stops just to listen. Whether I am listening to music or performing it myself, it is always such a satisfying feeling because I learn new things about myself through every song. Music has been the greatest and most important thing in my life, aside from my family. As cheesy as it may sound, I truly mean it when I say ‘Music is my life.’ Music has taught me confidence, self-love, self-respect, and so much more. These are all the same themes I write about in my music that I hope others can be inspired by as well.

How did you get your name “Cmagic5” and what is the meaning?
It’s my vivid imagination and original ideas that made me want to think of something novel and different that led to the creation of Cmagic5. Spilling the tea here, as they say. The “C” corresponds to the initial of my first name, which I may choose to reveal sometime in the future… sshhhh. The number 5 is my lucky number, being born on the 5th day of the 5th month. Ever since I was little, I always hoped people would experience “magic” through the power of music.

You believe music is a spiritual and magical experience, when and why did you come to this realization?
Yes, that is true. It is like magic! Music itself is a universal language. Whenever I get into the studio, I always feel a rush of adrenaline that I think is personal to every artist. Being able to express all of my ideas, let my creativity flow, and bring those ideas to life, is a feeling and experience I am so grateful for. My writing style is vivid and direct to my listeners, conveying that the sweetest revenge is to smile, succeed, and prioritize yourself. Sincere and entirely relatable, my music communicates feelings of truth, freedom, and empowerment driven by emotional vocals. It encourages people to live their life to their fullest potential by singing along and expressing themselves through dance.

Does your music appeal to a certain genre?
While the genre of my music is pop, the uniqueness of my sound is created by fusing other sub-genres into my songs, such as pop/afrobeat/trap like “Just Wanna,” or pop/orchestral/rock like “Outta My Head.” Since I grew up listening to mainly rock music, that genre holds a special place in my heart. My earlier songs have geared towards a more Pop/Rock vibe, and moving forward you’ll be hearing a lot more of a Pop/Rock style from me.

What emotions or feelings do you wish to evoke in your audience?
I am always super excited to get my singles out into the world because it overflows with an assertive and unapologetic swag and brings about empowerment. I think one of the greatest things about music is that it enables you to feel so many things at once and that feeling is unique to everyone else’s. There is certainly no right or wrong when it comes to what you feel after or during listening to a song. I sincerely hope that my listeners are able to personally relate to my music and feel empowered through it. For the 3-min duration of my song, I hope they can get in touch with their deeper self, so they can continue to radiate that positive energy afterward.

Your much-anticipated debut album “Ready to Run”, explores themes of self-intimacy and love, if you are open to sharing, what was the hardest experience of love you have had to endure, and what lesson has it taught you moving forward?
Yes, my Debut pop album “Ready To Run”, explores themes of self-empowerment and love. I want to share my journey and artistic opportunity to douse listeners with positivity, encouraging them to discover their own distinctive inner strengths. Personally, the hardest experience of love is when I realized I needed to let someone go in order to protect my energy and prioritize my self-respect. Moving on from people who are energy drainers in my life has always been difficult for me because I’m always inclined to giving people more and more chances until I completely let myself down. Slowly but surely, I am learning to focus more on my own needs and read the signs of a toxic person, sooner rather than later. I always try to incorporate some of these hints in my music, to help listeners out in their own journey of love and life.

“Love Me If You Can'' is a song of self-love and empowerment that features breathtaking tropical influences. Can you describe the process of making this song? Either technically or emotionally.
Sure, absolutely. I would love to share the process. “Love Me If You Can” takes us on a soaring journey through love and self-respect. The new track is exciting and emboldens the audience to love and to be loved in this game of life. Speaking to the single, throughout the entirety of the song, the beat gives off an empowering and edgy vibe, to encourage listeners to be themselves unapologetically. What starts off as a slow and calm melody quickly escalates to a dramatic beat. This beat allows listeners to sink into the song, leaving you buzzing with energy for hours afterward.

The song was inspired by the feeling of loving someone deep enough to change yourself. Narrating a tempestuous relationship, it is a captivating yet heartwarming track, exploring a young mind’s dilemma by choosing to either lose yourself and become someone else to suit a lover’s expectation or to choose to love yourself more and remain unchanged and just walk away. This emotional turmoil unravels itself through compelling lyricism “Love me if you can” with deep moving bass lines, splicing together emotional elements with effervescence and confidence.

The lyrics “You want someone I can’t be” demonstrate that there is no need to pretend to be someone else just to save a love relationship. The centerpiece of the song is undoubtedly the bridge as it totally contrasts both musically and lyrically, hoping to give you goosebumps all over. While the interlude-like bridge is slow and dramatic, the lyrics “I’ll never change for you, it hurts too much to measure up” are filled with melodrama, reassuring and accepting people just the way they are.

Your music pulls from various influences such as reggaeton, R&B, classical beats. Do you consider your music experimental on some level?
While the genre of my music is pop/rock, the uniqueness of my sound is created by fusing other sub-genres into my songs. Each and every song in this album is self-written and self-composed, reflective of the four seasons which we can all relate with and feel inspired with as we go through the ups and downs in our own lives. Being a lover of many genres of music, each song has its own creative journey and tells a different story exploring diverse song writing styles. When it comes to my original music, I like to give every song a different vibe with its own identity through my vocal delivery and song-writing style. I always want there to me an element of surprise when it comes to my music, but also want it to be easily recognizable. As I love pushing the boundaries when it comes to music, I do believe there is an element of experimentalism in my music. My writing style is vivid and direct to my listeners, conveying a positive message to smile, succeed, and prioritize yourself. I try to make my lyrics as sincere as possible and universally relatable. Once I start writing, it just flows. Somehow the most honest work comes when you aren’t trying to push for something and you allow your creativity to flow.

How do you Incorporate your life experiences into your music?
Through the hard way, I have learnt that self-care and self-love are not only important but crucial for your own mental health and this is the core message I also convey through my music. At the end of the day, you are on your own team. This is a realization that has always struck me in every situation. I believe the arts can weather any storms and music is my go-to. For as long as I can remember, music has always been a part of my life. Right from an early age, I knew my passion. Taking inspiration from life experiences, toxic friendships, negative people, bullying, etc. I began writing and there has been no looking back since.

I try to represent my artist brand in a way that takes the uplifting and empowering messages from my music and channeling that energy through a vibrant and exuberant visual style. This is reflected in my personality as well.

You are an advocate and ambassador for mental health awareness, why is this important to you? Can you tell us a little bit about your own journey?
Yes, I am a strong believer that mental well-being is as important as our physical well-being. Especially in this day and age, where the future is so uncertain, and where the world is adversely impacted, economically, socially, and emotionally, each one of us has a responsibility even if it means playing a small role. It is important to keep our minds fit and strong. Kindness, being humble, and smiles go a long way in spreading positivity.

With the medium of the arts, music enables me to deliver simple yet positive inspiring messages by reiterating self-worth through my own experiences of bullying during my early childhood. Music has the power to heal. By raising awareness, and being a mental health ambassador by collaborating with platforms and campaigns that also champion the cause, I want to enhance awareness and reduce the negative stigma that is so often associated with mental illness.

How has covid impacted your mental health?
If only a magic wand could erase this past year which has been torpedoed by the virus and has affected so many lives!!

With the pandemic gripping the world, no doubt, we are living in unprecedented times. At the start of quarantine, I was completely overwhelmed by the fact that I was not going to get a graduation or prom. In addition, I had no idea how things were going to work out for my music career due to a lack of resources. I decided to channel all of my emotions and anxieties into creativity and productivity.

Paradoxically, it has been a productive experience amidst turbulent times. I personally feel I have been able to set short-term goals and be a better version of myself having this extra time to do so. Covid has also taught me to be more patient and get to know myself more. Overall, I was thankful for the learning experience and opportunity for personal growth.

Do you have any coping mechanisms that helped you through your dark times? Any tips for our readers?
My elementary school years were some of the darkest moments of my life and when bullying reached its worst for me. Music was there for me when no one else was, and that was when I discovered my passion for songwriting. Writing songs was like keeping a diary of my innermost hidden emotions and aspirations. Through this process, I was able to learn so much more about myself and hone my craft as time went by.

Being a mental health advocate and vocal mentor for youth, I always try to encourage my listeners to embrace their uniqueness. Also, I would like to remind them that it’s okay not to be okay, and that it’s important to prioritize and take care of yourself. Especially in the current times, we are living in, it’s important to take some time off for yourself and eliminate any negativity in your life.

You have over 8 million streams and a growing fan base, how do you stay sane throughout all of that? Does that get stressful for you, and if you have a safe space? Mentally or literally.
Being so invested in this online world has helped me realize that as time goes by, the music industry becomes less focused on the actual music and art of the musician. There are times where I feel as artists, we get too caught up in the game of numbers that somehow seem to prove our worth, when in reality there is so much more to what makes an artist great. Especially as a female in this industry, I always feel pressured by unrealistic beauty standards. I wish quality would take precedence over quantity and objectivity. However, in this day and age, I am so glad that we are more transparent about many topics and there is greater awareness being raised on these issues. No doubt things do get stressful sometimes, however, I am grateful for my supportive parents who keep me grounded. Music itself is always my safe haven. No matter where I am or what I feel, music always heals and takes me to a place where anything is possible and I can experience total tranquility.

What do you love about aiding charities like the “Pink Shirt Day Charity” and the “Bullies Reality foundation” in the fight against bullying?
Both these charities support a great cause – fight against bullying especially for the youth.

Having experienced bullying as a child, I totally relate, and this cause is close to my heart. It is simple acts like listening to young people around us that makes a huge difference. By wearing a pink shirt, you can show support and solidarity and take a stand against bullying in any shape or form.

And that is one of the main reasons I am also a vocal mentor. I want to be able to encourage, motivate and support them through their creative journey and provide them a strong foundation to hone their craft. Music empowers you to grow not only as an artist but also as an individual and what better gift to give yourself than music education.

You are also a mental health ambassador for various non-profit organizations such as Star Stuff Charity. Can you tell us a little bit about your work with these organizations?
As a mental health ambassador for different charity organizations, my goal is to inspire and impact people positively. Star Stuff is dedicated to helping teens with any insecurities to build their self-confidence and self-esteem. As a qualified mentor in the arts, I am dedicated to helping the youth to amplify their voice in society and to develop and pursue their passion. By sharing my own story of bullying, I want to encourage teens to focus on their dreams and that essentially is the underlying theme of my debut album.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years musically?
During these unprecedented times, it’s kind of difficult to envision the world 5 years from now. However, I would love to see myself as an internationally recognized artist, impacting and inspiring a wider audience through my music. I hope to go on international tours and travel the world, hoping it would be safe enough to do so then.

What is your motto in life?
Dream your dream, keep the faith, work hard and stay humble!

Music to me is rewarding because of the support and feedback I receive from my followers. I am humbled, grateful and feel blessed by their love and appreciation for my work. Their support means the world to me and they are part of my extended family.

To stay tuned and connected with Cmagic5, please follow her on the below platforms:
Spotify - Cmagic5
Instagram - @Cmagic5
YouTube - Cmagic5
TikTok - @Cmagic5music
Website - Cmagic5.com

Experiencing Magic Through Music with Cmagic5