Samara Joy’s debut has interesting origins. Finally, during high school, I joined the choir at my church, eventually becoming a worship leader, singing three services a week for nearly two years.

Through musicals in middle school, I loved exploring the range of my voice and applying the different colors to fit the characters I played. “I constantly heard my family singing inspirational music together, which instilled in me an appreciation for my musical lineage. “Your unique journey has its own strengths, mistakes, and detours. “Everybody's journey is unique, so if you try to copy someone step for step, you're only going to get a cheap version of it,” she says in an exclusive sit-down. One of the biggest lessons SJ has learned along the way is the importance of sticking to her dreams.

This family unit strengthens her focus and determination, while helping her navigate the ups and downs of touring and recording. Hailing from a family of musicians, McLendon credits her father for introducing her to everything from jazz greats Betty Carter, and Ella Fitzgerald to the Clark Sisters, Eric Crouch and Kirk Franklin, instilling musical depth at an early age.

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