Melanie Iglesias

The twenty-one year old New York City native stands no taller than 5’7”, weighs no more than 115 lbs, yet her words are timeless, eloquent and emphatically powerful. She continues, “What I figured out is if you really want something you can’t try to be a jack-of-all-trades, you have to master your craft. [My music] is Today’s Woman. We [women] are more independent than ever. My songs are motivational, they denote a struggle in an up-lifting way; they are songs to make women feel better, to empower us.” Raised in Brooklyn and Long Island, along with seven other siblings, Melanie’s childhood was beset with the friction of her parents’ divorce and the struggles of maintaining stability while constantly moving. New homes meant new schools, and it was her high school music teacher Joanne Nolemi who initially recognized Melanie’s inherent talent and ambition. “I always had a vision and [Nolemi] embraced it and encouraged me to utilize it. I was soon putting together shows- music, blocking and even costumes for more than sixty people. Imagine that.” Iglesias chose to remain in NY with her father rather than move to Florida with her mother and the other siblings. “New York was where my career had to be whether or not my dad thought music was the best choice. I don’t need to prove anything, though. I just want to help. I want to improve situations.” Witnessing her mother maintain the family as a single parent further instilled the essence Iglesias aims to propagate. Currently Miss Iglesias’ days consist of working full-time and spending most every other waking moment writing music or recording in the studio. “I’ve had major people interested in this project and interested in me. I turned them down because they had their own vision and it wasn’t matching mine. There is a way this is going to work for me without changing who I am, without changing any part of me. My current manager, Kenzir Brice, he just gets it, he gets me.” Melanie, looking stunning despite the reported lack of sleep, shifts on her makeshift stool and stuffs another French fry in her mouth. “What I do wish, though, is that I could be the spokes model for Double-Stuffed Oreos. I love those things.” With fervor and zeal Iglesias pursued Brice and proposed the partnership- ultimately winning him over. “I finished telling him my plans and goals and he just looked at me and said, ‘I see it. You’re going to have an empire.’ It was such a powerful moment,” Melanie recollects. Iglesias especially reveres superstar moguls Jay Z and Janet Jackson. “When Kenzir told me someday I could be like Janet I said, ‘Leave Janet out of this! No one can touch Janet.’ It doesn’t mean I’m not aiming for that, though.” Alongside Brice, Iglesias plans to finish her album in the upcoming year and secure a distribution deal. As for fears for the future, the petite beauty answers with resolution, “I am fearless! People should be afraid of my team. We aim to come forth with genuine intentions and change how people view this industry.” Although the journey has been slow-going, Melanie is appreciative for all the disappointments and set-backs to date. “I’ve been there, I’ve done that, I’ve seen people for who they are and no one can pull the wool over my eyes now.” After tears and giggles- and with a veritable passion for life and her art, Mel concludes with, “I believe in the law of attraction. If you think positively, good things will come your way. A closed mouth doesn’t get fed; if you don’t say what you want you’ll never get it.