03/08/2023
CELEBRATING INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY WITH THE QUEEN OF HOUSE MUSIC: CRYSTAL WATERS
TAKING OVER SIRIUSXM’S UTOPIA https://www.siriusxm.com/channels/utopia WITH EXCLUSIVE GUEST MIX
MARCH 15 AT 3PM ET
"Waters has spent decades delivering a consistent stream of undeniable dance music" - BET
Crystal Waters is one of the most iconic figures in dance music, remaining utterly relevant for three decades with timeless hits that have rocked clubs all around the world, including “Gypsy Woman (She’s Homeless)”, “100% Pure Love” and more recently “2B LUV” with David Anthony. In celebration of International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, Crystal will be taking over the airwaves at SiriusXM’s Utopia Channel for an exclusive guest mix airing on March 15 at 3PM ET and will also re-air at 8PM ET and remain on the app for two weeks.
“I love that Utopia plays some of the older hits but also makes way for new songs from the same artists. You can expect to hear some of my favorite House tracks on this mix and lucky for me, some of them are my friends. There's a lot of upbeat songs that I'm sure everyone can sing along to.” - Crystal Waters
These two pivotal holidays celebrating women all over the world and their accomplishments are especially meaningful to Crystal: “To me, these mean standing up for equality for everyone. It means no more stereotypes. It means I can do anything while also giving recognition to those who have been examples of this and inspiration to others.” When it comes to women who have made a lasting impact in her own life, Crystal credits “my grandmother, my mother, my aunts and my sister. These are women who, besides the odds, raised children, made sure they were educated and stood with high morals.”
Widely regarded as the Queen of House Music, Crystal has paved the way for black and female artists since her start, being one of the first artists who helped “bring house music to the masses”. She’s earned 13 BB #1’s since 1991 and continues to be one of the most sampled and covered artists (see Coldplay’s cover here). Offering her thoughts on what’s contributed to her longevity, Crystal says, “I think staying productive and being willing to try new things has helped, while still being ok with making lots of mistakes. I’ve made a lot, but they were very valuable in my learning process. Learn the business, network, always give a little more than they ask for. Surround yourself with positive people and always be nice!
Speaking about female artists who are currently inspiring her, Crystal shares “I love singer/songwriters. The first ones that come to mind is Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Tems, and Sade. I've always loved Madonna too because she's never been afraid to break the rules.”
Crystal’s legacy and influence continues to permeate today’s culture. Complex, Oprah Daily, and Refinery29 are just a few of the publications who have pointed to Crystal’s music and career as helping keep house music alive, as well as a primary influence behind the sounds of Beyonce’s Grammy Award winning album, ‘Renaissance’. She’s also been busy highlighting various artists within house music through her I Am House podcast on SiriusXM. The monthly podcast is also named after her own label which aims to further this goal in addition to being home to her own music.
