Born in Chaguanas and raised in the United States, Jennica Forde more popularly known as Crystal Tais started music from as early as age 8. Crystal Tais attended the Talent Unlimited High School for the Performing Arts, where she played the saxophone until graduation, she also majored in instrumental music. Originally she leaned towards sound engineering in college where she decided that it was not for her. Many years later she is now a singer/songwriter. Crystal Tais started her songwriting journey in high school because of Ludacris‘ influence; he was her favourite rapper. After dabbling a bit, she got some traction and began to take it more seriously around age 18. During that period of her life she got nicknamed “Timbaland” due to her incessant beats she made on the desks and with her feet.

It’s no surprise that Crystal Tais is as musically inclined after all her mother used to play the steelpan (the national instrument of Trinidad and Tobago)! She has always been surrounded by music and as such, she followed her calling. When she’s not making music, she’s … making music! Her brain constantly comes up with new beats and new ideas. Crystal also likes watching movies and hanging with friends. She’s not much of a partygoer.

Crystal Tais Passion for Music

On a regular day, Crystal Tais gets up and goes to work, in recent times, she decided to quit. Her job was getting in the way of her work. Music is her passion and she creates for not just herself but the world at large. Her genres of interests include alternative, pop, soca, hip hop and classical music which she studied and can be heard in her songs which are influenced by same. She is self-motivated and dares to be different. In a world of so many, she wants to stand out.

Tais always has that element of surprise in her music. The most challenging aspect of her being an independent artist is funding. She also wants to help Trinidadians get out of the mindset that soca is the only genre that can come out of Trinidad.

Music is powerful, It can change the world.

– Crystal Tais

Hoopla, Black Cards & Paper

Crystal Tais has worked with the likes of Nailah Blackman on her track ‘Enough‘ off her EP The Reel. She was on vacation in Miami and it turns out that the writing camp was happening around the same time! She was nervous at first but very soon she warmed up and got to work. Now, Crystal has released her very first ep entitled ‘Hoopla’, inspired by her weird side. Alongside her friend and main producer AB, the EP took about three months to create. Crystal Tais hopes to collab and work with names like Megan Thee Stallion, Lana del Rey, Travis Scott and Timbaland just to name a few.

Being an independent artist is not easy, she stays focused by reminding herself that time waits on no man. The songwriter has thought of giving up, she quit for a year but just couldn’t leave the music. For those youth in America and Trinidad who aspire to be artistes, Crystal would like them to know that anything is possible with hard work and consistency. Crystal Tais co-produces her tracks, it takes roughly hours to finish up a record. She enjoys freestyling in the studio as well.

All that you endured makes you who you are today.

– Crystal Tais