Savannah Ré’s music is deeply personal to her. For the Scarborough-born R&B singer, music has always been a place to process, preserve, and push through. Five years after her debut single, Savannah returns with her latest project, FORMED. An exploration of her life in the last five years. She sat down with GU to discuss her project, process, and the power of finding strength through her vulnerability.
GU: For those just getting to know you, how do you describe Savannah Ré, the artist and the woman?
Ré: I think for those getting to know me, I’m a Black, unapologetic, and honest woman. Sonically speaking, I would say I have smooth melodies and hard-hitting production. Generally, as a writer, I’m always speaking about my reality and my journey in all of those things in my music.
GU: What does R&B mean to you personally, and how do you hope your music contributes to its evolution?
Ré: R&B is everything to me. It’s what I was raised on—the soundtrack to my life before I ever made my own music. When you think about rhythm and blues, it’s our stories—Black stories—told in a way that resonates with everyone. Even if people don’t realize they’re listening to R&B, there’s usually a song from the genre that scored a meaningful moment in their life. It’s the foundation of so much of today’s music. I’m just grateful to be part of the new wave of R&B artists. There’s so much talent right now. I hope my music reminds people it’s okay to be flawed, imperfect, and still take up space. I’m carving out my own lane and showing others they can too.
GU: Take us back a little—what originally pulled you into music, and when did you realize it was more than just a passion?
Ré: I was surrounded by music from day one. My parents are Jamaican—my dad was a DJ and my mom sang around the house. But it was my older sister who got me into R&B. She was obsessed—she had every tape, CD, and poster. I thought she was the coolest, and still do. Because of her, I thought R&B was the coolest thing ever. The passion didn’t develop until a lot later. I was always into music, but a lot of people don’t know that I was a dancer at first before I was a singer. That was how I first connected to music through movement. The moment it hit me was during one summer that I tried to tackle a song, and that was Beyoncé’s “Dangerously in Love.” It was at that point I just kind of fell in love with it—fell in love with singing and trying to sing. I didn’t start trying to pursue it until I was like 17 or 18.
GU: Toronto has such a rich music scene. How has the city shaped you as an artist?
Ré: Well, Toronto’s everything to me. Scarborough specifically, which is a borough in Toronto that I’m from. I don’t know if it’s the cold winters or constantly having to explain to the rest of the world that we really are on to something, but it has created such a fire within me and my peers. We’re just hungry, you know? And I wouldn’t want to be from anywhere else. If you can get out of here, you can get out of anywhere. Toronto is just beaming with talent; you can go anywhere in the city and find someone incredible.
GU: You’ve been steadily rising for nearly a decade and have earned co-signs from heavy hitters like Drake, Babyface, SZA, and Jessie Reyez. What has that journey been like, from open mics to global recognition?
Ré: I feel like I’m just getting started. You know, I’ve been making music from the bedroom for over a decade, but I’ve only been releasing music since 2020. I released sporadic singles before that, but my first body of work was in 2020. So I’m about five years in now, which feels insane to even say.
All those artists—Jessie, Babyface, Boi-1da—they’ve either mentored me or invested their time in me. Coming from where I come from, without handouts, their belief changed everything. It’s only been five years, and that includes a pandemic, so time feels different. I still have so much more to show. Everyone who gave me a shot has played a part in why I’m here.
GU: You’ve won three JUNO Awards! How has that kind of national recognition impacted your path or your confidence?
Ré: I try not to think about it too much, if that makes sense. A JUNO is like our Canadian Grammy, you know? So, coming up in Canada, that is the highest accolade you can get here. So it’s not lost on me how huge of an accomplishment it is. I’m still in shock. It was very affirming for me as an artist. It means that the JUNOs as a company, all the people that vote, and everybody in the industry connected to something or saw something within me or my music that was worth it. I’m deeply honored, and I just want to keep getting better and continue growing.
GU: Your new project, FORMED, recently dropped and is rooted in the verse “No weapon formed against you shall prosper.” What inspired you to build a project around that idea?
Ré: Honestly, it’s just something that my mom always said growing up. She would always say it at different phases in my life, regardless of the situation—be it a heartbreak, a friendship breakup, a job that didn’t come through, and I’m super stressed out. It was just such a one-size-fits-all affirmation. It always offered me such peace that I knew going into my second project, which was No Weapons, I wanted to create a two-part or three-part body of work to encompass what all of that meant to me. At the time, it was supposed to come right after No Weapons, but then so much in my life changed, which again circles back to the same scripture. You know, it is so connected journey-wise, and Formed, in a very serendipitous way, kind of formed into its own full project because it became its own full journey.
GU: You’ve described FORMED as a diary that is deeply personal, but still universal. What kinds of emotions or moments were you writing from?
Ré: Formed is definitely personal. I was writing from the last five years of my life or prior. You know, I think a lot of people think because I’m happily married now that I haven’t been through my share of things. That’s kind of what “Nine Lives” is about. It’s like, yeah, it might be good now, but I had to kiss a lot of frogs to get my Prince Charming. “Bodies/Sweet” is about being like, ‘Wait a minute, I’m tired. I’m tired of playing in the background or staying in the shadows.’ It’s about confidence as a woman and self-assurance. So to me, it encompasses what I would be putting down in a diary or any woman would be going through in these phases of life.
GU: Can you talk about “Nine Lives,” “Glory,” and what roles those singles play in the overall story of the project?
Ré: Both are pivotal parts of the project. I think “Glory” was technically the first song that I was like, ‘Okay, this is the theme of the project.’ It’s like an ode to my husband, and some people listen to it and think it’s gospel. It’s not necessarily, but to me it’s my gospel. I am speaking about my husband, and at the same time romanticizing marriage and unity. On the contrary, we have “Nine Lives,” which is like the polar opposite. I was like, ‘Is this too crazy to release right after Glory?’ But that’s life. “Nine Lives” was my first time speaking so plainly on a song like, ‘Hey, this is what it is. This is what I’ve been through. You know, this is my strength.’ Although the two songs are quite different as far as delivery, they’re from the same journey and the same woman.
GU: Do you have a typical songwriting process, or does it shift with each project or emotion you’re working through?
Ré: I really don’t have a songwriting process or a traditional songwriting process. I genuinely feel like I’m a vessel. So it’s whatever and whichever way it’s going to come to me, depending on the session, depending on the song—it’s never really the same. Sometimes I could be having a conversation, and somebody says a word, and that word will trigger a whole song for me. Or it’s an emotion I’m feeling, and I have to dig through to figure out what it is. Sometimes, I already have a melody that just hasn’t been leaving my head for whatever reason. I think it’s really sort of like whatever the song calls for at the time. I can be very nitpicky as an artist. I definitely will take my time with songs and go back in and edit multiple times. Other songs take me an hour, and I’m done with it. I don’t have a sort of “one size fits all” approach to songwriting.
GU: FORMED is your first release as a fully independent artist. What has that freedom unlocked for you creatively?
Ré: It’s everything. It’s almost scary how few rules there are when you’re on your own. You make all of your own rules. So I have been trying to immerse myself in freedom. Like, what do I want to do? No one’s telling me yes or no. This is up to me now. So it deeply empowered me to make the type of music that I want to make, period. I think that shows through on Formed with how sonically diverse it came out.
GU: In today’s fast-paced industry, the idea of long-term artist development can feel rare. Why has that slow burn been important to your career and growth?
Ré: I think the slow burn has been important because it’s fostered actual community and connection. I was at open mics, jumping around my city doing different activations with Jessie Reyez. I was doing these little pop-ups and doing everything. It created such a deep foundation and appreciation for the work that I do. I would never change my journey. You know, although it would be cute to have popped on year two, would I even have the tools to know what to do? Would I even be mentally and spiritually sound enough to navigate such a big, crazy industry? I think the slow burn has created a sense of foundation and community, as well as a safety net for me, where I know that I have people riding for me and in my corner since the beginning.
GU: What do you hope first-time listeners feel when they hear FORMED?
Ré: I hope first-time listeners feel seen. I hope they feel like, “She went through that, but she came out on the other side, so I can too.” I want there to be something for every mood. Whether you need a pep talk or you’re just getting ready with your girls, I want the music to meet you where you are. Most of all, I hope people walk away with a stronger sense of self.
GU: What’s something you’ve learned about yourself through making this project?
Ré: I have learned that I’m stronger than I think. I feel like my whole life blew up during the process of making this project. I buckled in and was like, “All right, I guess we’re on this ride.” What came out was something that my team and I are super proud of.
GU: Finally, if someone were to walk away from this interview and listen to one Savannah Ré song to truly understand you, what would you want it to be, and why?
Ré: Probably the song “Opia,” and I think it’s because it delves so deep and peels those layers back. For something that’s not as depressing, I’d probably say “Nine Lives.” It’s raw, it’s hard-hitting, and it has a message. The wordplay reflects who I am now as a woman and a writer, and an ode to becoming the woman that I am now.
FORMED by Savannah Ré is out now on all streaming platforms.