Sonyae Elise

Sonyae
Birth nameSonyae Elise
BornNewark, New Jersey, U.S.
GenresR&B, hip hop
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter
InstrumentVocals
Websitewww.sonyaeelise.com

Sonyae Elise is an American singer-songwriter based in Los Angeles who won the inaugural and only season of Platinum Hit,[1] a Bravo American television channel show about competing emerging songwriters.

Her prizes included $100,000 as a cash prize, an RCA/Jive Records contract and a publishing deal with The Writing Camp. According to her interview with Billboard Magazine, Elise does not read music nor can she play any instruments. "I have a lot of old stuff at my mother's house, notebooks and things with scripts and lyrics written in them. I did a lot of theater – 'Grease,' 'The Lion King' – and I wanted to write music for plays. Lyrics came naturally to me. I listened to a lot of pop music and KRS-One and MC Lyte and I saw (writing) as a way to express my thoughts."[2] For her winning song, she wrote "My Religion" which was released as a single after her victory.[3]

  1. ^ Hollywood Reporter: Sonyae Elise Crowned 'Platinum Hit' Champ
  2. ^ Billboard: 'Platinum Hit' Winner Sonyae Elise Sees Kara DioGuardi as a Mentor
  3. ^ "Sonyae Elise wins Platinum Hit | Idol Chatter & Voice Views". August 8, 2011.