Speaker 1: We can talk about Fifth Harmony and so, but I
Speaker 1: really want to speak to you as a woman. I
Speaker 1: want to get to know Ali as the woman behind
Speaker 1: the artist.
Speaker 2: My parents, when they were growing up, they got in
Speaker 2: trouble for speaking Spanish. Now the world is different, but
Speaker 2: that's something that I struggled with growing up, feeling like,
Speaker 2: am I Latina enough? Am I accepted?
Speaker 1: Is there like a chance of a Fifth Harmony reunion?
Speaker 3: Is that true? We'll see Ola get that.
Speaker 1: Welcome to another episode of your favorite podcast, Cheeky's and Chill.
Speaker 1: I hope you're all having a beautiful day and are thriving.
Speaker 1: Today we have a very special guest on the podcast.
Speaker 1: She's a member of one of the best selling girl
Speaker 1: groups of all time. I'm excited to learn more about
Speaker 1: the woman behind the artists. So let's get started. This
Speaker 1: is Cheeky's and Chill here with me right now is
Speaker 1: the one and only Ali Brooke. You probably know her
Speaker 1: as a member of the multipe platinum selling girl group
Speaker 1: Fifth Harmony, but today we're going to learn about her
Speaker 1: as an individual, and we're gonna find out what she's
Speaker 1: been up to since the group has taken a break.
Speaker 3: Ali, how are you. I am so excited to have
Speaker 3: you on the podcast. I know, I see you.
Speaker 1: I've seen you at award shows and we're always like
Speaker 1: we say hello, You're always so sweet. So it's like,
Speaker 1: finally I get to talk to her.
Speaker 2: Yes, I know, I'm so good. Thanks are you?
Speaker 3: I'm good. I'm good. I'm having a good day today. Honestly,
Speaker 3: things have been a little crazy here and there, but like,
Speaker 3: if I sit down and think about it, I'm like,
Speaker 3: you know what, I feel good today. So look, I
Speaker 3: know who you are.
Speaker 1: Obviously we can talk about Fifth Harmony and stuff, but
Speaker 1: I really want to speak to you as a woman.
Speaker 1: I want to get to know Ali as the woman
Speaker 1: behind the artist. And because I've heard a lot of
Speaker 1: things and I noticed one of the main things was
Speaker 1: that you are not as active or you have decided
Speaker 1: to take a break from social media, and I kind
Speaker 1: of wanted to talk to you about that. I wanted
Speaker 1: to start with that because that, to me was very
Speaker 1: interesting because I've done that before, so I want to
Speaker 1: know what made you make that decision.
Speaker 2: Yeah, so I was on social media for so long
Speaker 2: I kind of just saw a lot that would be
Speaker 2: triggering to me. Just a lot of different like just
Speaker 2: comparison and some just like mean things. So I, you know,
Speaker 2: for my mental health, I just want to take a
Speaker 2: break and even just just scrolling, you know, like over
Speaker 2: my life in a way, you know, just like being
Speaker 2: on it all the times. And I wanted to be
Speaker 2: more present, mainly because I think just like I was
Speaker 2: being overwhelmed and it was comparison, Like I feel like
Speaker 2: that was triggering to me.
Speaker 1: Absolutely, and I totally totally get that. I did that
Speaker 1: in twenty eighteen for like three months, and I can't
Speaker 1: even tell you how good I felt. Obviously when I
Speaker 1: started getting the pressure of like you got to promote this,
Speaker 1: you gotta do that, but it was so hard to
Speaker 1: get back into it, but I felt so good. And
Speaker 1: even now I still take breaks where I'm like, you
Speaker 1: know what, I'm going to stay off the entire weekend.
Speaker 1: I just need, like you said, I need to be
Speaker 1: present because it will. Social media could be a great place,
Speaker 1: but it can also be very toxic. So I commend
Speaker 1: you for that things.
Speaker 2: I'm inspin in going back to it, but I feel
Speaker 2: like now I can do it in a healthier way.
Speaker 1: You know, Yes, so you step back and you were
Speaker 1: able to see it and say okay, And that's what
Speaker 1: I did, That's what helped me. I'm like, sometimes I
Speaker 1: just post and when I find myself I would pick
Speaker 1: up my phone before and it's like I would go
Speaker 1: straight to Instagram and I start scrolling. I'm like, I
Speaker 1: didn't even realize what I was doing. It was like
Speaker 1: the craziest thing. Where I'm now, I'm like intentional about stop.
Speaker 1: So we're not going to scroll. I'm going to get
Speaker 1: out of social media. There's no need for me to
Speaker 1: just be sitting there because you get lost in it
Speaker 1: for a little bit. So how long have you have
Speaker 1: you been doing this?
Speaker 3: Practicing this for about a year now? Oh wow?
Speaker 2: And I have someone who manage my account. I'm the
Speaker 2: one who like approves captions and I'm the one who
Speaker 2: writes back to like my fans. But as far as posting,
Speaker 2: my team will help me post.
Speaker 3: Okay, see that that's awesome. Okay.
Speaker 1: And talking a little bit about like you know, touching
Speaker 1: on on fifth Harmony and everything, you guys have been
Speaker 1: on hiatus, like you guys press pause for what?
Speaker 3: How how many years has.
Speaker 2: Been since twenty eighteen?
Speaker 3: Ah, since twenty eighteen? And what have you been doing?
Speaker 3: What did you do after? Like in these five years.
Speaker 2: So I've been working on my own solo music. I
Speaker 2: had a record with Taiga, and then I've just been
Speaker 2: releasing releasing music. But actually the past year I took
Speaker 2: off in a way for my mental health. And now
Speaker 2: like literally within the past few weeks, I've been back
Speaker 2: in the studio. I just released a new single called
Speaker 2: gone to Bed and I'm back.
Speaker 1: That's awesome. I'm so happy to hear that. Yeah, because
Speaker 1: I did see. I was like, you know what, she's
Speaker 1: she's doing good, She's doing her thing. Like after it's like,
Speaker 1: and I know that can be very difficult because you're
Speaker 1: coming from like a huge girl group that was so successful,
Speaker 1: But I really admire the fact that you were like
Speaker 1: I'm not stopping, I'm doing this and I would. I'm like, dang,
Speaker 1: this is amazing. And I'm glad that you also step
Speaker 1: back and you took this year off because that also helps.
Speaker 1: Like that's kind of how I feel right now where
Speaker 1: I'm like, Okay, I just I need a couple months
Speaker 1: just to gather my thoughts and get my creativity back,
Speaker 1: because there's all as a woman and coming from this
Speaker 1: big group, and for me, it's like coming like as
Speaker 1: the daughter of it feels like a lot of pressure,
Speaker 1: a lot of comparison. So I get that, you know,
Speaker 1: and you need that. So on this year this year off,
Speaker 1: did you like do therapy? Have you been like just working,
Speaker 1: you know, doing a lot of inner work.
Speaker 2: I've done a lot of inner work, like you said,
Speaker 2: a lot of therapy just to help fine tune who
Speaker 2: I am and to bring forth what I want to
Speaker 2: bring forth in the world of myself.
Speaker 1: Absolutely, And if you don't mind me asking, is there
Speaker 1: something in particular that caused or triggered that where you're saying,
Speaker 1: you're like, I need to take this time off.
Speaker 2: There was There was something that I was kind of
Speaker 2: going through and battling that I haven't been open yet about.
Speaker 2: I was struggling with something and that kind of led
Speaker 2: to my break, I guess my breaking point, and I
Speaker 2: had to just pause things and I had to kind
Speaker 2: of just reset who I was and really search for
Speaker 2: what I wanted and kind of find my new power.
Speaker 2: That's what I was looking for.
Speaker 3: I love that.
Speaker 1: I It's not easy to do, and I think that
Speaker 1: a lot of people forget that.
Speaker 3: At the end of the day.
Speaker 1: We're human, and we also go through so many things,
Speaker 1: and we struggle with so many things. I think, whenever
Speaker 1: you're ready to talk about it, if you're ever gonna
Speaker 1: be ready to talk about it, and don't ever feel pressured.
Speaker 1: I feel like, don't ever let anyone pressure you into
Speaker 1: speaking about it. And I was just asking because I
Speaker 1: honestly didn't know.
Speaker 3: I was wondering.
Speaker 1: So I totally respect that you don't want to talk
Speaker 1: about it, but I just I think it's so important
Speaker 1: that people understand that we're human and that we go
Speaker 1: through so much as well, and that we're giving so
Speaker 1: much of ourselves. I know that you're going to be
Speaker 1: a part or you are a part of a reality
Speaker 1: show Surreal Life.
Speaker 3: Is that right?
Speaker 2: Oh my god? So I just filmed it. I just
Speaker 2: filmed two weeks and it was amazing. Like it's basically
Speaker 2: a total of eight celebrities in one compound and they
Speaker 2: just you see them do activities and you see them
Speaker 2: bond and I was part of that for two weeks
Speaker 2: and it was so amazing. It was such a blast.
Speaker 2: I will just say it's going to be very entertaining.
Speaker 1: Oh my gosh, I cannot wait. And were you a
Speaker 1: little nervous to start reality, Yes.
Speaker 2: I really wanted to just go and be open to
Speaker 2: a new experience. That's why I did it. But of
Speaker 2: course I was like, who's going to be there, We're
Speaker 2: all gonna get along, like what's going to happen? But
Speaker 2: I ended up having the time of my life.
Speaker 3: That is so cool. I can't wait to watch it.
Speaker 1: That's I think reality television gives you also the opportunity
Speaker 1: to meet the person and see them in a different light.
Speaker 1: You know, it really humanizes you, I feel. So that's
Speaker 1: I think that's great because now with new music talking
Speaker 1: about music, like you have a new single coming, you
Speaker 1: have all this stuff happening with your music, so it
Speaker 1: just shows a different side of Ali, which is cool
Speaker 1: and I can't wait to see that.
Speaker 3: So I'm excited for you. So talking about music, how
Speaker 3: old were you when you started singing?
Speaker 2: I was nine?
Speaker 3: Oh wow? Oh? And did you always know you wanted
Speaker 3: to sing since you were little?
Speaker 2: Yes?
Speaker 1: I did.
Speaker 2: I just loved it, and my parents were so supportive
Speaker 2: of me and of my dreams, and that's like, that's
Speaker 2: why I am here is because of them.
Speaker 1: That's freaking awesome. Honestly, shout out to your parents, to
Speaker 1: those parents that really support their children's dreams and look
Speaker 1: at you, like how far you've come and you should
Speaker 1: be proud. And I know they're definitely proud. And I know,
Speaker 1: like when you start so young, it could be you know,
Speaker 1: it gets moments where it gets very difficult because that's
Speaker 1: all you've done and you've known for all of your life.
Speaker 1: But the good thing is you're very smart. I can
Speaker 1: tell that you're like, wait, the fact that you said, hey,
Speaker 1: I need to take some time, because so many people
Speaker 1: get lost in the limelight that they're like, no, I'm
Speaker 1: going to push through it, and then they really lose themselves.
Speaker 3: So that's awesome. You've been doing this since you were
Speaker 3: nine years old, girl, That's that's awesome.
Speaker 2: Thanks.
Speaker 3: So tell us about your new music.
Speaker 2: Oh my god, So I'm so excited. It's my first
Speaker 2: single that I've had in over a year. It's called
Speaker 2: Gone to Bed and it's basically about you know, you
Speaker 2: have two lovers and they can't stay away from each other,
Speaker 2: but you're kind of like, I want to see you,
Speaker 2: but I don't. I don't know if I should. And
Speaker 2: then you see that person and you're like oh I
Speaker 2: should have gone to bed.
Speaker 1: I love that because I've been in that situation where
Speaker 1: it's like, Oh, I'm so addicted to you, but you're
Speaker 1: not necessarily good for me.
Speaker 3: You're kind of toxic. Nice. I love it. So you
Speaker 3: already did the video for it and everything.
Speaker 2: It's a lyrics video, but you can see me in
Speaker 2: it too.
Speaker 3: Oh cool.
Speaker 1: Okay, Oh my gosh, Okay. I gotta definitely check that out.
Speaker 1: So another thing that I know about you is that
Speaker 1: you are pretty big on faith, and I feel like
Speaker 1: that's we have that in common. Is that like a
Speaker 1: huge pillar in your life. It's like your faith, Yeah.
Speaker 2: One hundred percent. I mean I believe in Jesus and
Speaker 2: He's like why I am, where I am, and who
Speaker 2: I am. He really just saved me and changed my life.
Speaker 2: And even though sometimes we don't get why things happen,
Speaker 2: he has a plan that's so much better than ours.
Speaker 2: So that's that's how I feel.
Speaker 3: Absolutely. So do you go to church and stuff?
Speaker 2: You know, I haven't been in a minute, but I
Speaker 2: have to find a church. I really want to.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I know.
Speaker 1: I before it was I had told myself in the
Speaker 1: beginning of this year, I was like I'm gonna make
Speaker 1: sure that I go to church at least once a week,
Speaker 1: once a month, and I haven't for whatever reason. And
Speaker 1: I feel like it's good to be in the presence.
Speaker 1: But that's good. I mean, I also listen to worship music.
Speaker 1: I'll put it all around my house or like healing music,
Speaker 1: meditation music.
Speaker 3: It's like I need to make church in my house,
Speaker 3: you know. So yeah, so talk to us about your EP.
Speaker 3: What is it called?
Speaker 1: To tell us anything and everything that you can, you know,
Speaker 1: share with us.
Speaker 2: Yeah. So it's called under the Tree, and I'm so excited.
Speaker 2: It's my holiday EP. And it has three records and
Speaker 2: then one original record called under the Treaty. So I'm
Speaker 2: so excited. And I hope people love it. I mean,
Speaker 2: I just love it. I think it's amazing, and I
Speaker 2: hope people did too, And especially under the Tree. I
Speaker 2: hope people like love it and dance to it and
Speaker 2: like rap like their presence to it.
Speaker 3: I love that, dude. I've always wanted to do.
Speaker 1: I have one holiday song, but I've always wanted to
Speaker 1: do like, you know, like.
Speaker 3: This is cool. It just it brings so much joy
Speaker 3: to like your soul and to other people. So that's awesome.
Speaker 2: I'm so excited.
Speaker 1: I'm excited. I'm excited for you, and I wish you
Speaker 1: all the best with it. I'm definitely going to listen
Speaker 1: to it. Everyone, make sure that you check out. Okay,
Speaker 1: November tenth, under the Tree. Okay, that's her EP because
Speaker 1: I'm all about like music and sharing that and especially
Speaker 1: holiday music.
Speaker 3: Oh my goodness, I love it.
Speaker 1: So has it been a little bit now that we're
Speaker 1: talking about like your EP and stuff like that. Has
Speaker 1: has it been a little bit difficult? Or was it
Speaker 1: because it's been I mean, you've done you know, you've
Speaker 1: had your music out after Harmony. Was that a difficult
Speaker 1: transition for you? Or is it something that you're like,
Speaker 1: I know, this is what I want to do.
Speaker 3: I'm ready for it.
Speaker 2: Initially it was hard finding my team, my like record
Speaker 2: label and all that, but as far as like being
Speaker 2: an artist, know, it was so freeing. It was so liberating.
Speaker 2: It was so like easy for me because that's what
Speaker 2: I wanted to do since I was little. I'm just
Speaker 2: so like filled with gratitude towards them, and you know,
Speaker 2: I'm just empowered, like that's what I am now.
Speaker 1: Yeah, And I would think so because you know, without
Speaker 1: taking away anything from like the success that you guys
Speaker 1: had together, I feel like that's a lot of different
Speaker 1: like different personalities to deal with, and this way, I think,
Speaker 1: like you said, it was liberating. I would imagine that
Speaker 1: it's like I could do whatever I want.
Speaker 3: I can. This is me. It's all about me.
Speaker 1: And yeah, so that that's good and it's been and
Speaker 1: you've been doing really well. So I'm happy and I'm excited,
Speaker 1: like I said, to see what's to come. And I
Speaker 1: did hear that you also have an unreleased Spanish album.
Speaker 2: Yes, so that isn't the vault. I wanted to release
Speaker 2: the album, but I don't think the label could. But
Speaker 2: hopefully someday, you know.
Speaker 3: So you wait, you grew up not speaking Spanish, right.
Speaker 2: So my it's really crazy. So my parents when they
Speaker 2: were growing up in Texas, they got in trouble for
Speaker 2: speaking Spanish. They literally would get hit for speaking Spanish
Speaker 2: in their classrooms. Well, now the world is different and
Speaker 2: it's good to speak, you know, many languages. But that's
Speaker 2: something that I struggled with growing up, you know, feeling
Speaker 2: like am I Latina enough? You know? Am I accepted?
Speaker 2: I have been really supported by my community, and a
Speaker 2: lot of people do get why I don't speak Spanish,
Speaker 2: but you know, there has been judgment, but there's a reason,
Speaker 2: not just ignorance. It's there's a real reason behind it, you.
Speaker 3: Know, absolutely, and that it's happened a lot. For sure.
Speaker 1: It wasn't Honestly, it wasn't cool growing up. It wasn't like, oh,
Speaker 1: you speak Spanish or you're Latina.
Speaker 3: Like it cool.
Speaker 1: Now it is, and I think it's awesome. But I
Speaker 1: totally get what you're saying because a lot of people
Speaker 1: were in a way even a shame for a while,
Speaker 1: because again, it wasn't cool. It wasn't like something that
Speaker 1: you should do. It should be English, and you're living
Speaker 1: in the United States, that's the language, you know, so
Speaker 1: I get that. But I love the fact that you
Speaker 1: are willing to sing in Spanish. You have an album
Speaker 1: in the vault, you know, I can't wait to listen
Speaker 1: to it. That's awesome. I think that's that's beautiful.
Speaker 2: How many songs, Oh my god, there's so many, but
Speaker 2: I believe there's about like at least like thirteen like
Speaker 2: tracks of that.
Speaker 3: Whoa, it's a whole album.
Speaker 1: Yeah, And I hope I mean, you know, we have
Speaker 1: to respect the record label and stuff, and the good
Speaker 1: thing is you have it there.
Speaker 3: So that's awesome. That's interesting to know. That makes me
Speaker 3: really happy.
Speaker 1: So I heard also me and these damn birdies around here. Okay,
Speaker 1: is there like a chance of a Fifth Harmony reunion?
Speaker 3: Is that? Is that true?
Speaker 2: We'll see. I recently put on a tweet that actually
Speaker 2: like blew up. It literally got like over a million impressions,
Speaker 2: which is exciting. I basically said, there's no official reunion,
Speaker 2: but there are some relationships that are being healed and
Speaker 2: you know, reuniting, So I guess we'll have.
Speaker 1: Yeah, you know what, I see like a lot of
Speaker 1: you know, people coming together, and I think it's necessary.
Speaker 1: I think also it's good that you guys took some
Speaker 1: time apart and everything is just everyone healed individually and
Speaker 1: now hopefully relationships can because you grow up and you
Speaker 1: mature and you're just like, okay, I made mistakes or
Speaker 1: I could have done that better or whatever, you know,
Speaker 1: So that would be awesome though to have, like imagine
Speaker 1: that a tour.
Speaker 3: RBD did it. You guys could do it. I mean,
Speaker 3: I don't know, while you're doing your own thing. You know,
Speaker 3: so I think that's cool.
Speaker 1: Oh yes, yeah, well Ali, I am so happy. I
Speaker 1: thank you so much again for taking the time to
Speaker 1: be on the podcast and for sharing so much with us.
Speaker 1: I wanted to get to know you when I'm here.
Speaker 1: If there's anything that I can ever do in any
Speaker 1: way that I can support, I can't wait to listen
Speaker 1: to all your new music and especially under the Tree
Speaker 1: and watch you on The Surreal Life.
Speaker 3: That's awesome.
Speaker 2: Yes, thanks for having me. I can't wait too.
Speaker 1: Thank you, thank you, thank you, and I hope we
Speaker 1: can like meet up since we live so close to
Speaker 1: each other, we should like meet up and have lunch.
Speaker 1: If there's anything any advice I can ever give you
Speaker 1: in any way that I can help, Honestly, from the
Speaker 1: bottom of my heart, I'm here, and before you go,
Speaker 1: can you tell us that when The Surreal Life airs,
Speaker 1: by any chance?
Speaker 2: Q one?
Speaker 3: Okay? Perfect? Perfect? So next year? Yes, awesome?
Speaker 1: All right, Well you guys you heard it. She has
Speaker 1: new music out and also her album, her EP will
Speaker 1: be coming out. Her EP will be coming out on
Speaker 1: November tenth. Under the Tree, you guys, so make sure
Speaker 1: that you check that out and oh, share your socials.
Speaker 1: I'm sure a lot of people follow you but still
Speaker 1: sit them.
Speaker 2: At Ali brook a L L Y b R okay
Speaker 2: across all perfect.
Speaker 1: You guys follow her, listen to her new music, and
Speaker 1: next year, you guys will be to see her on
Speaker 1: The Surreal Life.
Speaker 3: So that's awesome.
Speaker 1: And before we go, you guys know that I always
Speaker 1: leave you guys with the motivational quote, and since we're
Speaker 1: talking about girl power here, I thought this quote would
Speaker 1: be perfect. So the quote is the success of every
Speaker 1: woman should be an inspiration to another. We're strongest when
Speaker 1: we cheer each other on, and Ali, I'm cheering you
Speaker 1: on and I'm wishing you the absolute best bib everyone.
Speaker 1: Thank you for listening. Thank you so much, Ali kisses
Speaker 1: to everyone. Thank you for listening to Cheeks and Chill.
Speaker 1: Do you need advice on love, relationships, health emails? I'm
Speaker 1: so excited to share with you that my Cheekys and
Speaker 1: Chill podcast will have an extra episode drop each week.
Speaker 1: I'll be answering all your questions. Just leave me a
Speaker 1: voice message person a Monday. All you have to do
Speaker 1: is go to speak pipe dot com, slash Cheeky's and
Speaker 1: Chill podcasts and record your questions.
Speaker 3: I can't wait to hear from you.
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