Music

The first week of last November was bittersweet for funk instrumentalist and producer Alissia. On Sunday, Nov. 3, Quincy Jones passed away at age 91, and his life’s work of producing ingenious and timeless music made him one of Alissia’s biggest musical inspirations. But on Friday, Nov. 8, the Recording Academy announced the 2025 Grammy nominations, and Alissia became the ninth woman in the show’s 67-year history to be up for producer of the year, non-classical.  
She’s in great company: Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Sheryl Crow and Lauryn Hill are a handful of the other women who’ve been up for the honor, which has never been won by a woman before. And her competition this year includes fellow first-time nominees Mustard and Ian Fitchuk, while D’Mile is nominated for a third consecutive year and Daniel Nigro for a second. Alissia’s credits during this eligibility period include tracks by Rae Khalil, BJ the Chicago Kid, Jamila Woods and Lion Babe. She also worked on the Anderson .Paak and SiR-assisted “Do 2 Me” from Kaytranada’s Timeless album, which is nominated for best dance/electronic album, as well as “MoreOfIt” from NxWorries’ Why Lawd?, which is up for best progressive R&B album.

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“This nomination is so inspiring,” she tells Billboard. “I’ve been dedicating my whole life to music for 14 years. I’ve been working behind the scenes. Sometimes, it can be hard to keep going because this industry is not the easiest. You face a lot of challenges [like] stepping into rooms where I’m the only woman in that room. It took a long time for me to gain that respect.”

The Swiss-born, Italian-raised musician (real name Alissia Benveniste) has remained dedicated to reviving ‘70s funk for over a decade. She moved to the United States when she was 18 to study at Boston’s Berklee College of Music, and HuffPost touted the budding bassist as “the future face of funk music.” She fronted her own band, Alissia and the Funkateers, and dropped her 2016 EP Back to the Funkture, which she’s since removed from the internet to make way for her proper debut project. Over the years, Alissia has worked with Bootsy Collins – co-writing a third of his 2017 album World Wide Funk album – Calvin Harris, Mark Ronson, Nile Rodgers and many more. She earned her first Grammy nomination – for album of the year, no less – with the deluxe edition of Mary J. Blige’s Good Morning Gorgeous after earning writing and production credits on the track “Love Without the Heartbreak.” Now with her own major Grammy nod, Alissia will continue to make a name for herself by releasing her first full-length album later this year.

“People like Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, Charli XCX – they’ve worked for years and years and years, and now they’re having their moment. I’m loving that for these boss ladies,” she says. “I see a lot of DMs from young girls or women who are like, ‘I’m giving up. This industry is so hard to navigate.’ We really have to empower each other.” 

Billboard chatted with Alissia about her historic Grammy nomination, upcoming debut album, Prince’s Twitter DM about her cover of The Times and Bootsy Collins’ advice from their “life-changing” sessions.

What kind of music did you grow up listening to, and how does that inform the music you currently make?

My mom always had music playing around the house – lots of Motown stuff, Stevie [Wonder,] Earth, Wind & Fire. The moment I really, really clicked with music and was like “OK, that’s what I wanna do” is [when] I was in high school and I was heavily listening to Prince, Michael [Jackson]. Then when I moved to Boston, that’s when I really dove into all the ‘70s stuff, like funk soul, James Brown, P-Funk, The Brothers Johnson and Stevie again, but hearing it from a musician’s perspective. I feel like the love kept growing and growing, and it’s really what made me want to pick up the bass. I was like, “Oh, I want to play these basslines I’m hearing on all this Bootsy stuff and funk records.”

What was the first song you learned to play on bass?

“Good Times” by CHIC, but at the same time, it was also “The Payback” by James Brown. Those were the first two basslines, I kept going back and forth. It’s crazy because a year later, I’m in front of Bootsy Collins and Nile Rodgers, and they’re breaking down how they came up with it. 

What instruments do you play?

I can get around on pretty much everything. Bass was my main instrument for a long time. People don’t even know I started on piano ‘cause I’m not prolific now, but keys is a safe space for me. I know how to edit myself on drums and guitar, I can get around synths. Around that same time I was digging into all those records, I was really inspired by what I was hearing and learning all the parts.

How did you become so fascinated by the ‘70s era of music, considering you’re not a ‘70s baby?

The richness of the music. A lot of times, I would go into sessions and people would be referencing songs from that era, [so] it made me dig deeper and deeper. The musicianship of it and the production is so outstanding.

And it’s timeless. One of my favorite albums from Michael, Thriller, came out 40-plus years ago, and we still listen to that album nowadays to reference or take inspiration from. And that’s something I always try to aim for – making timeless music that 40 years from now, people would still listen to it. One thing Bootsy told me, and I really, really keep it close to my heart now, is: Don’t follow the trend, set the trend.

Prince reached out to you after he saw your YouTube cover of one of The Time’s songs. Which song did you perform, and what did he have to say? 

It was one video of me shredding bass on one of The Time’s songs, “777-93-11.” It was just for fun. [Prince] saw [the video]. He DMed me on Twitter and was like, “Hey, confidentially speaking, I see everything you’re doing. You’re amazing.” At first, I was like, “Is this really Prince?” I knew some of his band members, and John Blackwell, who I was already in touch with, was like, “Yeah, that’s him. He does all his Twitter.” 

Another video that really went viral was this original song of mine, “Let It Out.” I randomly last minute put together a band because, at the time, I was already [musical directing] shows. I did this video and that’s what also opened a lot of doors. A lot of credible people reached out, artists and labels.

You’ve also interacted with another musical icon, Quincy Jones. You posted a sweet black-and-white photo of you two after he passed away in November. How has he impacted the way you approach music?

When I started producing, I would listen to so many records, and I kept going back to Michael’s stuff and Brothers Johnson. Quincy’s arrangements, production is so rich. The way he arranges strings and everything, I want to be able to do that, so I studied how to arrange for big bands and started getting into it so deeply. He surrounded himself with incredible musicians, like Greg Phillinganes and all those guys, [and] I was studying all of that.

When he passed, it was such a sad moment for the whole world. The whole music industry was really mourning because he contributed so much to music. I feel like he reinvented the term ‘pop music’ and what that looks like, especially with Thriller and everything he did with Michael. He made the biggest records in the world, but so rich musically. Aiming for really high-quality musicianship, yet making it digestible for everyone to enjoy, that is really rare.

I’ve watched [the 2018 Netflix documentary Quincy] three times. The third time I watched it was the day he passed. Every time I don’t really have inspiration, I will watch that and be like “Woah, there’s so much to learn!” I got to meet him, and it was just so incredible to sit down with someone you look up to so much. When we got to sit down in New York [in 2018], it was so special and so random because the first thing he asked me was “What’s your sign?” And I was like Oh Lord, is there a good or bad answer to this? What if I say the sign he hates? I was like “Leo?” And then he was like “Oh yeah, OK.” I was like “What does that mean?” He was like “No, I see it. You’re a go-getter.” He’s just the coolest, he’s so humble. And you can tell he’s a true music lover. I’ll cherish that forever.

What’s the sickest studio memory you have? 

There have been so many special moments, but if I had to pick one that was really life-changing, I would say when I was working on the Bootsy album. I’m so grateful for that time because he really challenged me in different ways. I wasn’t really putting guitars in my production, and he was like “Try to put some guitars.” I was like, “OK.”

And then he would leave and come back and be like “Lemme hear what you got.” Or I wouldn’t really write at all or put melodies on tracks I was working on. And he was like “Alright, now try to put melody, try to write some stuff.” I was like “I can’t do it!” He was like “Even if it’s not it, just let me hear what you got. I’ll come back in a couple hours.” We were working at his studio in Cincinnati, which is so legendary. It’s all leopard and zebra patterns, Bootsy signs all over, his Space Bass, keys everywhere. It feels like you’re entering the P-Funk Mothership.

He really taught me so many things about more than music but also life and mindset. Just don’t overthink it, try to get out of your comfort zone. Try different approaches. Don’t take yourself too seriously, let the music come out the way it comes out.

What are your in-studio essentials? Set the scene for me if I were to walk into a session with you.

First and foremost, a positive mindset. [Laughs] If I’m going to a studio, or even at my studio, I’m listening to music. I’m burning some Palo [Santo]. I’m setting the vibes mentally and doing something that puts me in the right headspace. That’s usually if I have a session with someone. If I’m cooking by myself, a go-to, if we’re being a bit more materialistic, is obviously my computer, but a good synth, like a JUNO-106 or -160 or a Prophet. And then probably a bass and a guitar if possible. I always have my little portable MIDI controller, that’s also a must especially if I’m studio hopping. I love gear. I’m an analog type of person. I love experimenting with sounds, and I feel like the best sounds are always achieved through analog gear.

Outside of the gear, which production software do you use?

I’m a Logic user. I’ve been using Logic for years, and I’m really quick and comfortable at it as far as [digital audio workstations]. As far as plugins, I honestly love UAD stuff. They’re one of the few plugin companies that really replicate that analog sound well. I love Waves, I use Waves a ton.

You’re the ninth woman ever to receive a Grammy nomination for producer of the year, non-classical. What does it mean to you to be a part of this tradition?

It’s really humbling. Especially when I saw the Billboard article, I was like, “Oh my God.” It makes me want to go even harder. It’s really powerful to see women before me continue to move the needle. I’m going to do my best to push boundaries however I can to see a change. This nomination is so inspiring. I really feel like it’s bigger than me, for a producer that is a woman and also that’s a musician.

There are so many producers who are not using instruments. Prince would say, “We’ll end up sampling the sample of the sample of the sample.” When I talk with my friends who are producers and musicians, it’s really our job to keep musicianship alive. I look up to so many producers who are prolific musicians. They really spend time and dedication to shred their instruments. There’s so much to learn, and that’s the beauty of music.

Take me back through Nov. 8, 2024, when the 2025 Grammy nominations were announced. How did you react when you saw the news? 

It’s crazy because I never watch the virtual [nominations announcement]. I’ve always looked [at the nominations] afterward. I worked on a lot of projects this year, so I was like “Let me tune in and let’s see. Maybe I’ll see one of the names.” I was just being hopeful. The second category that came on was producer of the year. My name came up first, and I was just so in shock. I was sitting in my chair and I just jumped, like, “Oh my God!” My phone started blowing up, my team FaceTimed me and I was like “Are we sure it’s me?” I had to triple check that it was really my name. I’m not gonna lie, I became emotional. I never really cry, but my eyes started getting wet.

If you were to become the first-ever woman to win the producer of the year, non-classical Grammy next year, what would that mean to you? 

Oh my God, Heran, let’s speak that into reality! [Laughs.] I would be winning on behalf of the badass ladies. I’ll dedicate that to all of these badass women who’ve been going hard at it. The biggest thing I hope for if I do win [is] to inspire women and young girls and give them a sense of confidence and hope to keep going and living their dreams. When I started producing, I was always looking for a woman figure [to] look up to. There are some incredible women producers out there, but I would love to see more.

That’s why I say it’s way bigger than me. It’s always been about my love for music. I never really cared about being in the spotlight. For 14 years, I’ve been behind the scenes. I had a little bit of a moment where I had a project when I first started off and after that video. Labels were trying to put me in a certain box, like, “OK, well, you have to try and maybe sing a bit more and dress this way and now we’re going to put you in with these producers.” And I was like “No, that’s what I do. I produce.”

You’re putting out your debut solo album this year. Tell me more about it.

All I want to say is be on the lookout because I’m really proud of it. It’s really time to put it out in the world and for people to hear it. It’s been years of experimenting with stuff like “OK, what do I want my album to sound like? Musically, what do I want to say?” It’s coming out really soon. There are amazing, crazy features on it. I feel like people expect some of the features even if I can’t announce it.

Billboard actually premiered your single “On the Go” in 2015.

That’s funny because that was taken down a long time ago. [Laughs.] It was just me experimenting and putting random stuff out. [This album] is really my debut. Anything else before then… it was what it was. [Laughs] It’s been so many years that I’ve been making music. This project is just amazing music. There’s one thing that people might not expect that is on this project. There’s a new era of something that I’m going to present.