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\n\tBefore TheARTI$t knew exactly what she wanted her artist name to be, she was already practicing becoming one. Born Erica McCauley, the rising R&B artist has been a dancer, a preschool teacher and a basketball player, past lives that might seem disconnected from music at first glance, but each left lessons that she now carries onto the stage, into the studio and her everyday life. Dancing taught her precision. Teaching nurtured her creativity. Basketball taught her persistence: no matter how tired or exhausted she was, she refused to leave the gym until she made her last shot.<\/p>\n
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\n\tWhen her 2023 single \u201cSober\u201d went viral on TikTok, TheARTI$t began to understand the power of allowing listeners into parts of her private life. Now, with her latest project DND<\/em>, a growing presence in the next generation of R&B and a supporting role on the road with Kehlani, she\u2019s entering a new chapter, one defined by showing everyone who she truly is, on and off the stage.<\/p>\n \n\tTheARTI$t\u2019s newfound evolution extends far beyond music. Her recent collaboration with footwear brand Marc Nolan on the IRIS. loafer reflects an interest in fashion and design that has been part of her identity since childhood, while the shoe\u2019s themes of love, devotion and connection mirror the values she wants to carry into everything she creates.<\/p>\n \n\tIf there\u2019s one thing TheARTI$t wants people to understand about where she is in 2026, it\u2019s that this is only the beginning. \u201cI\u2019m literally just scratching the surface in everything,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019m so far from finished.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tIn our conversation, Billboard<\/em>\u2019s August 2026 R&B Up-and-Comer TheARTI$t gets candid about the experiences that shaped her, learning to embrace vulnerability, finding community through her music and stepping into a new era of her artistry.<\/p>\n Before music became the path, you were a dancer and preschool teacher and even considered basketball. What do you think those different versions of yourself taught you about the artist you are today?<\/strong><\/p>\n Dancing comes with a lot of practice and precision as well, and I feel like I carry that with me in my performance. Even in moments like these, just being precise in talking to the press and having interviews, even meeting people in the public eye, I just feel like it\u2019s important to carry myself a certain way. And it\u2019s kind of the same thing when it comes to dancing.<\/p>\n As far as being a teacher, working with the younger age, like two, three year olds, the creativity that they have at such a young age truly is just inspiring. It can come down to anything, something as small as coloring to the way they put the blocks together. It just brings out the child in me, honestly.<\/p>\n When I played basketball, I wouldn\u2019t leave the gym until I made a shot. No matter if I just had a game, if I just had a two-hour practice, I\u2019m exhausted, if I have an injury, I do not leave the gym without shooting and making it.<\/p>\n And I feel like that\u2019s the same thing in the studio and on stage. I feel like when I go into the booth, I don\u2019t wanna leave the studio session if I\u2019m like, \u201cI didn\u2019t accomplish anything.\u201d<\/p>\n You were born Erica McCauley, but you perform as TheARTI$t. What does that name represent to you, and where does Erica end and TheARTI$t begin?<\/strong><\/p>\n I feel like \u201cTheARTI$t\u201d represents everything that is me. I feel like everything in this world is art. You walk outside, look at the trees, it\u2019s art. The cars driving, that\u2019s art. And I feel like me as a whole, I\u2019m so many things, but when it all comes down to it, I\u2019m just an artist, truly, in my heart of hearts. And I feel like that\u2019s how I wanna be represented. That\u2019s how I want to represent myself.<\/p>\n \n\tI\u2019m just an artist. I\u2019m full of art. And I feel like Erica, it\u2019s never-ending because this is truly who I am. When I get off the stage, I don\u2019t turn off anything. I\u2019m just the same person on the stage, off the stage, in the studio, out of the studio.<\/p>\n \n\tI\u2019ve been learning lately, though, to have moments where I do kind of separate the two because I feel like it\u2019s also important for me to nurture Erica still in order for TheARTI$t to be who TheARTI$t has to be.<\/p>\n Your music is rooted in vulnerability, but vulnerability can be uncomfortable. Has there ever been a song where you questioned whether you were sharing too much?<\/strong><\/p>\n Yeah, a few songs. I feel like \u201cSober\u201d was one of them, but I was so in my zone as far as getting that off my chest because I made that song years after I went through that experience. But I realized in that moment, in that session, that, yo, this is what\u2019s been holding me back, the fact that I\u2019m holding on to this. So I felt like I was just throwing it out there, and I\u2019m like, \u201cDamn, what if the person hears it?\u201d But then it came to a point where I\u2019m like, it doesn\u2019t matter.<\/p>\n \n\tBecause once the feedback I got was like, \u201cMe too,\u201d that\u2019s when I knew that my purpose was bigger than what I believed it to be at that time. \u2019Cause I was very, very early in my career, and it\u2019s like, yo, it\u2019s so much bigger than me. And I truly felt like that was when I realized, yo, this is my purpose.<\/p>\n \u201cSober\u201d took off on TikTok in 2023 and really accelerated your visibility. When you look back at that moment now, what do you think changed for you?<\/strong><\/p>\n I believe my ability to express changed, just even in my personal life outside of being an artist. I feel like I don\u2019t really talk much about the things that I go through. I don\u2019t want people to feel like they have to treat me differently or feel sorry.<\/p>\n \n\tI\u2019m a giver, a natural caretaker. So I feel like ever since making that song, it truly opened up a door for me to just be able to be vulnerable, period, and make music in my life and have conversations with a stranger. You know what I mean? I feel like it\u2019s so necessary. It is so necessary to be expressive, honestly.<\/p>\n What did the experience of watching people connect with \u201cSober\u201d teach you about what your audience is looking for from you?<\/strong><\/p>\n It taught me that I believe they\u2019re looking for someone who understands. There are so many people that feel unheard and unseen. It\u2019s like, \u201cYo, we\u2019re in this together. We damn near going through the same exact thing. I got you, you got me, we got each other.\u201d I feel like they\u2019re just looking for community, and I\u2019m happy to provide that.<\/p>\n You described DND<\/em> as living \u201cbetween presence and disappearance.\u201d What does that space mean to you personally?<\/strong><\/p>\n It means exactly what it\u2019s saying, man. I don\u2019t always have to know what I\u2019m doing or who I\u2019m doing it with. But honestly, it meant a lot to me when making it because, in the career that I\u2019m in, it almost feels like we have to explain ourselves and show a certain side in order to get things in return, I guess.<\/p>\n \n\tBut I feel like there comes a point where sometimes I go on DND, just like my phone does. And most times when we put our phones on DND, it\u2019s either we don\u2019t wanna be bothered, we\u2019re doing something that we don\u2019t really want people to know that we\u2019re doing, or we simply just wanna be within ourselves.<\/p>\n \n\tSo I feel like it definitely allowed me to live more in that DND space in my actual life too, outside of just the creative life. <\/p>\n Was DND<\/em> created from a place of wanting to disappear from the world, or was it more about creating space to find yourself?<\/strong> What did you learn about yourself while making DND<\/em> that you didn\u2019t know when you started?<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tWell, I have a problem with taking a compliment, so put that out there. But I realized that sometimes I put myself in situations that I didn\u2019t know I could put myself in. Being a lover, being a giver, a carer, sometimes you just overextend too much, and in the long run, it just fires back at you. And I also feel like I have to be cautious of just how giving I am because sometimes it can come off a certain way, and it\u2019s like, \u201cWell, I wasn\u2019t thinking that.\u201d But when I go back and read what I said, it\u2019s almost like I can understand why they took it that way.<\/p>\n If DND<\/em> is the most honest representation of where you are right now, what does it tell us about TheARTI$t in 2026?<\/strong><\/p>\n I feel like it should tell you guys that I am in a space of maturing, of learning, of being teachable through and through. I\u2019m literally just scratching the surface in everything.<\/p>\n I feel like being here is such a great project. It\u2019s not possibly reaching the heights that I know it can reach yet. God\u2019s timing on everything. But I believe it tells you guys that I\u2019m not done. I\u2019m so far from finished.<\/p>\n You\u2019re currently on the road with Kehlani. What has this tour taught you about yourself as a performer that you couldn\u2019t have learned anywhere else?<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tNo excuses. Although I feel like that\u2019s something that we carry as people every day. I feel like seeing her and her team in the flesh, yo, there\u2019s no excuses for anything, man. You get up and you give your all. Whether it\u2019s five people in the crowd or 5,000, you go and you give everything you got because it is a blessing to do what we do.<\/p>\n Like, we\u2019re doing something for the people. They\u2019re not doing something for us, and that\u2019s how I see it. And I\u2019ve also learned that, despite the horror stories you might hear when it comes to what we do, the familial aspect of it is so important. This circle is so important. I really honor the relationships I see amongst her and her peers, the relationships we\u2019re building, and the relationships her peers and my peers are building. I honor it so much. And it makes sense why God put all of us together \u2014 myself, Kehlani, Duran, Dixon. It makes so much sense.<\/p>\n You\u2019re sharing the stage with Kehlani, Durand Bernarr, Isaia Huron and WASEEL. What has it been like being surrounded by so many different expressions of R&B every night?<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tIt is honoring and inspiring. I have so much more work to do and at the same time, I feel like these guys around me can help me achieve everything that I\u2019m after. It\u2019s such a blessing. They\u2019re so welcoming. They\u2019re so ready. I can say, \u201cYo, can you teach me this run?\u201d I don\u2019t even stop.<\/p>\n \n\tI don\u2019t feel like I\u2019m just in support of the tour. I feel like I\u2019m a part of the tour. Do you know what I mean? There\u2019s such a distinct difference. They make me feel like they love me, and I love them, honestly.<\/p>\n R&B feels like it\u2019s having another major moment right now. What do you think is driving this resurgence?<\/strong><\/p>\n I believe everyone is just being who they are. No one is trying to outdo the next person. No one is trying to take a sound from the next person. I feel like that\u2019s what it\u2019s all about. And honestly, I\u2019ve been seeing a lot more collabs in the R&B space too, which is not something we see often. And I feel like we in this together.<\/p>\n \n\tCommunity at the end of the day, man. One hand washes the other, and I just feel like that\u2019s what\u2019s really pushing the resurgence. Whether it\u2019s touring together, whether it\u2019s songwriting together, whether it\u2019s being a feature on a record, we\u2019re building a community. And I feel like that is why it\u2019s where it is now, honestly.<\/p>\n As someone coming up during this new wave of R&B, what do you think separates this generation from the artists who came before you?<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tI feel like we\u2019ve been paying homage to the generation before us, with the sampling and honoring the ones that laid every brick they could lay before us. And I feel like what separates us is just our experiences. They had their experiences in their era, and we have our experiences in ours. So I feel like we\u2019re able to speak to our experiences, just as they were back then as well. I feel like that\u2019s what separates us, honestly. Just the world we live in right now is very different.<\/p>\n Who are some R&B artists you think deserve more attention right now?<\/strong><\/p>\n My dog Remy. Remy\u2019s crazy. Everybody knows Ambr\u00e9, right? Her last album she just dropped, disgusting. It\u2019s insane. Dylan Sinclair! I feel like we all know everybody, but it\u2019s just like, \u201cYo, y\u2019all should know more.\u201d I feel like everyone just deserves their moment, and we\u2019re all gonna have our moment, literally. All of us.<\/p>\n You\u2019re not just expressing yourself through music anymore, you now have a footwear collaboration with Marc Nolan. Where did that interest in fashion and design come from?<\/strong><\/p>\n I feel like I\u2019ve always had a passion for fashion. My mom introduced me to thrifting at a very young age, and I always aspired to be different when I was in school, and we didn\u2019t have uniforms. So I feel like it was always within me. I just needed the opportunity to express that. And Mark Nolen, gratefully, was the first to provide the opportunity with this shoe collab. I love shoes. I love a loafer. I remember one time somebody asked me, \u201cYou don\u2019t wear sneakers?\u201d I\u2019m like, the loafer is me. I love fashion, and I look forward to excelling in that world too.<\/p>\n The IRIS. loafer is inspired by the iris flower and its symbolism of devotion and connection. Why was that symbolism important to you?<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tLove is important and we\u2019ve been deprived of that, whether it\u2019s showing up for someone, answering a call, just checking in on a friend you haven\u2019t talked to in a while, or maybe it\u2019s an old person who used to be helped across the street, anything.<\/p>\n My life is all about love. I can\u2019t deny it if I wanted to. I feel like I wanted to express that with this shoe. Love should be in every step that we take. That\u2019s why I decided to make that a part of the rollout when it came to the shoe, it\u2019s so important. Everywhere you look, whether we\u2019re saying our goodbyes to someone forever, or it\u2019s a country being beaten down, broken down to their bottom. We\u2019re watching parents and children lose their lives.<\/p>\n The least we can do is give the love back, at least the love we know how to give. I just want to implement that in everything that I do. So that\u2019s why we went with the iris flower and connection. Love is so broad that\u2019s why I decided on purple. Purple is a color we don\u2019t see often, but it\u2019s such a special color.<\/p>\n How involved were you in turning the concept into the final shoe?<\/strong><\/p>\n They literally just provided the production, I did it all.<\/p>\n Do you see fashion becoming a bigger part of your artistry moving forward?<\/strong><\/p>\n Oh, absolutely. I look forward to being a model, I look forward to my own brand, I look forward to collaborating with everyone, I look forward to the Met Gala. I look forward to truly just letting the music and fashion come together as one.<\/p>\n You said <\/strong>DND<\/em><\/strong> is about \u201cwhat we choose to silence, and who that silence allows us to become.\u201d What are you choosing to silence in this chapter of your life?<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tI\u2019m choosing to silence the thoughts that come into my mind that try to put self-doubt on me. I\u2019m choosing to silence the things that feel like they\u2019re getting in my way, and I\u2019m choosing to silence people who simply don\u2019t believe.<\/p>\n I believe I\u2019m done with trying to prove myself, and I\u2019m walking more into being exactly who God made me to be.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n [analyse_source url=”https:\/\/www.billboard.com\/music\/rb-hip-hop\/theartist-new-album-kehlani-tour-up-and-coming-rb-artist-1236327462\/”]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" [analyse_image type=”featured” src=”https:\/\/www.billboard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/TheARTIt.png?w=1024″] Trending on Billboard Before TheARTI$t knew exactly what she wanted her artist name to be, she was already practicing becoming one. Born Erica McCauley, the rising R&B artist has been a dancer, a preschool teacher and a basketball player, past lives that might seem disconnected from music at first glance, but each […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[48,226],"class_list":["post-2116998","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-billboard-com","tag-crawlmanager"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2116998","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2116998"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2116998\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2116998"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2116998"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2116998"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
<\/strong>I would say half and half. I truly just come from a space of having to explain myself all the time, and sometimes I just don\u2019t want to. But at the same time, taking that space for myself was also necessary in creating that project too, one thousand percent. I needed to be alone to tap back into the things that I experienced in order to tell the stories we talked about.<\/p>\n