Singer Angel Taylor talks Grammy-nominated gospel group Trin-i-tee 5:7, new music while making The Comeback

WJBF – Trin-i-tee 5:7 has made waves not just on the gospel scene but overall in the music industry when it came to their sound and their message.

Angel Taylor, one of the original members of the Grammy-nominated gospel group, takes a moment to chat with WJBF about the impact Trin-i-tee 5:7 has made on the world plus her new projects that she is now embarking on.

Thank you for joining us on Celebrating Black Excellence. So, how did you get started with music?

I was really little, and my uncle would come to the house. He would bring his keyboard, and he would play songs like “Natural Woman” by Aretha Franklin and “Endless Love” by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie. That’s kind of where I remember the love of music beginning, and it just kind of went from there. I sang everywhere, always in church or somebody’s wedding. I was really little doing that. So, probably around four or five.

So, let’s talk about Trin-i-tee 5:7. How did that group form?

Well, Chanel and I went to high school together, so we met in ninth grade, I believe. After we graduated, she asked me if I wanted to be a group; she said, “I already have a manager, and we already have a record label who wants to sign us. We just need to sing for them.” And I was like, “Of course,” and that is kind of just how it came about. It was very honestly kind of magical. I knew that I would be a recording artist. I had no idea how that was going to happen, and it just kind of happened for us. Then, we went on this wild ride that we never could have predicted, but it was definitely one of the most amazing experiences.

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How do you feel about the impact that you made with your music?

You know, it’s the greatest take away. I have awards, and we have accolades and accomplishments, but the greatest thing that you can ever receive is someone’s story where they tell you, “Oh, my God, your record blessed my life,” or “This song got me through college,” or “It helped me to make a hard decision,” or “I was going in the wrong direction, and it kind of helped me steer this way.” Those are the most amazing accomplishments in my book. So, I love when I go out and people tell me about what the music has done for them. I think that’s the greatest gift that God can allow us, which is to be able to go forth and actually bless people’s lives, even if it’s just a moment in their day. Whatever it is to be able to touch other people, and to have that responsibility is a huge thing.

Now, again, your group has done great things in the industry, but of course, there has been controversy with this type of music that you all presented which was like an urban, contemporary gospel sound. How did you guys deal with that?

I think what helped is, you know, when we got sort of the flack and the things like that, it was really who we were. It was very genuine, and it wasn’t something that was cooked up in a kitchen. It was… this is the music that we like, these are our influences, and we put it into a sound. Also, we kind of got criticized for the way we looked, but it was really cool. We were 19 when we signed our record deal. So, we looked like 19-year-old girls, and we were just a reflection of the time and our musical influences. So that helped. It helped that it was genuine, but we would just kind of go back to our room sometime and really talk about it and just has had to remind one another that we said in the beginning that we wanted our music to be for the unchurched and the people who didn’t necessarily know who God was. So, when we’re getting beat up by the church, that’s kind of not who we said we wanted our audience to be in the first place. So, we kind of had to just take it with a grain of salt and keep moving forward. Again, like when we would go out and sing, if somebody comes and tells us, “Hey, because of your record, I’m now celibate,” or “because of your song or this album, I’m now saved. I know who God is.” You just kind of had to hang on to those things as opposed to the criticism, and that was what reminded us that we were doing what we’re supposed to do and in line with our purpose.

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Now, let’s talk about your solo career. You have solo music out there. You had your first solo number one Billboard single in 2023 called “Speak.” Congratulations on that. What can you tell us about “Speak” for people who haven’t heard it? What inspired that song?

Absolutely. It’s a classic written by originally by Donnie McClurkin, and it’s definitely a song that I grew up singing with my church choir. When I first heard the track, I felt like, “Oh, my gosh, we have to put our spin on this.” And you know, for me, the lyrics is just that reminder that God is always speaking to us, but we have to be intentional about taking the time, making the space for Him, and actually asking the right questions, even the small things in our lives. You know what direction? Who do you want me to be around? What do you want me to do? So, I hope that that is the takeaway when other people hear it, but I’m also always interested in somebody else’s perspective because, you know, you can hear a lyric, and I can hear a lyric, and it may be completely different things to both of us.

So, what’s next for you, Angel?

Well, I have a new single due out really soon, and my EP will be out, and then the album will be out by the end of the year. So, I’m just extremely excited because I have so much music for people to hear, and I can’t wait for the responses. So, many people who have loved Trin-i-tee [5:7] for so many years, and I think you always kind of think they have an expectation. So, I’m just really excited about that. I was in a movie last year; hopefully there will be some more of that. The movie I was in was called The Comeback with Taye Diggs, and hopefully, I’ll get a little bit more into that. That was a really cool experience.

As you mentioned, you were in The Comeback starring Taye Diggs and Apryl Jones, which is streaming on Peacock right now. How was that experience for you being a part of a movie?

It was really great. It was my first time on a movie set by myself. Sometimes, first times can determine whether you’re going to do something again or not, and it was very warm. It felt like a big family. So, it was an amazing first experience for me; very comfortable. So, I hope I get to experience that some more.

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Who inspires you? What inspires you?

Gosh, so many, so many things. You know, I think my mom is one of my huge inspirations. She just is such a strong lady. I loved the way that she raised me and my brothers. If we went out into the world and failed, we would have had to try to fail. She set us up in such a way that we were so confident and, we knew who we were because she always told us, “You’re intelligent. You can do anything. God is with you. You got supernatural strength.” You know, all of those things. So, she is definitely one of my one of the people that I look at because I try to always walk in love and present that way. The way that she loves is just my example. I don’t have to go too far to even find it. I can call her up or just think about some of my experiences with her. So, I kind of have that to lean on, so that is definitely one. Then, of course, I have musical inspirations. Aretha [Franklin] was one of my favorites, my absolute favorites, but there’s so many amazing examples of love and Christian men and women in the world to kind of look up to. So, I have a whole lot I could go down a whole list for you. (Laughs)

If people want to reach out to you, or they want to follow your journey, how can they do so?

I am @LoveAngelTaylor across the board on all social media, and then, my website is loveangeltaylor.com.

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