Review Fix Exclusive: Gina Naomi Baez Talks ‘Stick Around’ and TikTok Success

February 26, 2022 Patrick Hickey Jr. Music 0

Review Fix chats with singer Gina Naomi Baez, who details her new single “Stick Around” and success on TikTok.

About Gina Naomi Baez:

Gina Naomi Baez is an actress, singer/songwriter, YouTuber and influencer from New York City. With a flourishing acting career having landed roles in Spike Lee’s She’s Gotta Have It, Orange is the New Black and most recently CBS’s FBI. She has also performed in numerous Off-Broadway and Regional theatrical productions, with Baez currently starring in Rattlesnake Kate (written by Neyla Pekarek from The Lumineers). Her love and passion for songwriting and music has always been the true driving force behind her creativity, with the artist using her platform to spread messages of positivity. 

“Stick Around” explores the feeling of being undeserving of love, care and attention. It asks the question how someone could choose to stick around for another, even through the toughest and worst times. The songwriter confides, “Showing your truth is such a vulnerable state and when you find someone who embraces you at your best and lowest …well…that is rare and something you should protect at all costs.” The song was originally just one verse and a chorus written and shared on TikTok, however after realizing that the song resonated with so many people, Baez decided to complete and produce the entire song. Featuring delicate piano melodies, heart-wrenching lyrics and echoing back vocals, “Stick Around” is bursting with emotion. 

Review Fix: How did you get involved in music?

Gina Naomi Baez: I have always loved music and singing since I was a little girl. My favorites were Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand, and Shirley Temple growing up. Once I got to college, I really fell in love with songwriting and started writing and creating my own songs and music.

Review Fix: What’s your creative process like?

Baez: My creative process is different every time honestly. An idea can come from an experience, a situation, a conversation I have with someone, a feeling that I want to express. 

Review Fix: What inspires you?

Baez: What inspires me is seeing others achieve their goals and dreams. I am also inspired by other artists’ music and performances. 

Review Fix: How has CO-Vid affected your art? 

Baez:  I think Covid has affected my art by making things more personal and raw. I am less hesitant to write about something and don’t ever want to hold back anymore. It has made me take chances and create art with a different perspective. 

Review Fix: How has Tik-Tok changed your career?  

Baez: TikTok has helped tap into a new audience that would have never found me. I find my tiktok followers to be so supportive and amazing humans who are really interested in my story, my journey, my music and what I am doing on the day to day to make my dreams a reality. 

Review Fix: What’s a song you’d love to cover one day?

Baez: I really want to do a cover of The Joker and The Queen by Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift.

Review Fix: How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard you? 

Baez: I would describe my sound as raw power pop vocals with a singer songwriter folky vibe. 

Review Fix: How are your live shows different from your studio work?

Baez: Live shows are so incredible because there is nothing like that energy you get from a live audience. You can take liberty with your vocals and every show is different. Studio work is more intimate and I always try to find the takes that will resonate the most with the listener. 

Review Fix: Why do you think people think your music is Raw and Reflective? 

Baez: I draw from real situations in my life and the things I am going through. 

Review Fix: What inspired your latest single? 

Baez: My latest single is inspired by the people that stuck around with me through my thyroid cancer surgery. The ones who were there for me at my lowest. 

Review Fix: How is it different from your other work?

Baez:  I haven’t really written a lot about my experiences with cancer and the emotions i went through/ am still going through. My upcoming EP explores a lot of that.

Review Fix: What are your goals for 2022? 

Baez: My goals for 2022 is to release my next EP album , make my broadway debut and producer debut.

Review Fix: What do you feel you have to do to get to the level you want to in music? 

Baez: I feel I have to keep going, and never give up.

Review Fix: What’s next? 

Baez: I am gearing up for my next EP that will be 2022 release. 

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About Patrick Hickey Jr. 14256 Articles
Patrick Hickey Jr. is a full-time Assistant Professor of Communication & Performing Arts and Director of the Journalism program at Kingsborough Community College and is the chairman of the City University of New York Journalism Council. He is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of ReviewFix.com. He's also a former News Editor at NBC Local Integrated Media and National Video Games Writer at Examiner.com where his work was mentioned in National Ad campaigns by Disney, Nintendo and EA Sports. Hickey was also the Editor-In-Chief of two College Newspapers before he received his BA in Journalism from Brooklyn College. Hickey's work has been published in The New York Daily News, The New York Times, Complex, The Hockey Writers, Yahoo!, Broadway World, Examiner, NYSportScene Magazine, ProHockeyNews.com, GothamBaseball.com, The Syracuse Post-Standard, Scout.com and the official sites of the Brooklyn Aces and New York Islanders. His first book, The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult And Classic Video Game Developers was released in April 2018 and is chock full of interviews with legendary developers. His second book in the series, The Minds Behind Adventures Games, was released in December 2019. His third book, The Minds Behind Sports Games, was released in September 2020. His fourth book, The Minds Behind Shooter Games, was released in March 2021. The Minds Behind Sega Genesis Games and The Minds Behind PlayStation Games were released in 2022 and The Minds Behind PlayStation 2 was published in January 2023. Hickey is also a contracted comic book writer, currently penning his original series, "Condrey," as well as "The Job," "Brooklyn Bleeds" "Dem Gulls" and "KROOM" for Legacy Comix, where he serves as founder, owner and Editor-in-Chief. Hickey Jr. is also a voice actor, having starred in the 2018 indie hit and 2019 Switch, PS4 and Xbox One release, The Padre (also serving as English language Story Editor), from Shotgun With Glitters. The sequel, The Padre: One Shell Straight to Hell was released in February 2021- Hickey also served as a Story Editor and Lead Voiceover performer. He has also done narration and trailers for several other titles including The Kaiju Offensive, Relentless Rex and Roniu’s Tale. Hickey is also the lead voiceover performer on Mega Cat Studios’ upcoming title WrestleQuest, responsible for nearly 90 characters in the game, as well as Skybound's Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood, where he voices both Dracula and Renfield, as well as several other characters. He also stars in Ziggurat Interactive’s World Championship Boxing Manager 2, where he performs the VO of nearly every male character in the game. He also worked on the Atari VCS’s BPM Boy.

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