It has been a long time coming, but R&B powerhouse Glenn Lewis is officially back and ready to share his new journey with the world. Known for his timeless debut World Outside My Window and classic sessions rooted in the legendary “A Touch of Jazz” Philly music scene, Glenn has navigated the industry’s changing tides entirely on his own terms. Now, he is gearing up to release his highly anticipated, fully independent album, Overture, arriving on Juneteenth. Here at YouKnowIGotSoul, we have been eagerly waiting and cheering him on for years, making it an absolute privilege to sit down and discuss his creative resurgence. In this exclusive interview, Glenn opens up about his personal growth, reflects on unforgettable studio magic with musical giants, and even shares some incredible “what-if” moments from his unreleased vault.
YouKnowIGotSoul: We’re excited to speak with you again and to be here to support this journey because it’s been some time! We’re so excited to see you have new music out, and the fans have been waiting. Talk a bit about the journey of getting to this point and what it’s been like through the past few years.
Glenn Lewis: To be honest, just living. I’ve always remained creative, doing spot dates here and there, and working with close friends from Kardinal Offishall to DJ Jazzy Jeff. The industry has gone through a lot of twists and turns since my debut with World Outside My Window. There were label switch-ups, bootlegging, downloading, and file-sharing that impacted music sales. Even R&B and soul music took a backseat to genres like trap, the chopped-and-screwed sound out of the South, and EDM. I got caught in the undercurrent, but in the meantime, I stayed busy living.
Fast forward to now, and the timing is just right. It’s wide open like the Wild West, and thankfully, it’s the fans who keep artistry alive. Enough people were saying, “Come on man, you can’t just not put something new out.” By the grace of God, I had enough to work with to finance this thing and put the album together independently. I did it out of passion and in response to the love and desire from people wanting new music from me.
YouKnowIGotSoul: Love that, and we were definitely at the forefront of those pushing you to put something out over the years.
Glenn Lewis: Let me tell you, I’m glad I have this opportunity to thank you, Tom. The love your platform has shown over the years means a lot; it’s kept me encouraged. I’m really grateful for the support you’ve shown in every way.
YouKnowIGotSoul: Thank you, it’s authentic, and we love your music. When an artist comes back from a long layoff, you don’t always know if they still have it, but when I heard “Past Tense” and “Give You All My Love,” it felt like the perfect progression of Glenn Lewis. “Give You All My Love” will probably end up in our top 10 best songs of the year. Tell me about the creative process for these new songs.
Glenn Lewis: I really kept it simple and blocked most things out. A lot of what motivated me were things I felt were missing in music and things I personally wanted to hear. This album, from top to bottom, has been purely my creative decisions—no other chefs in the kitchen. I handpicked the music and the phenomenally talented producers who believed in me.
I love storytelling, so there are elements of my own life in it, but I also expanded on particular ideas and experiences. I kept it authentic, relatable, and with substance. It wasn’t about trying to chart or create shiny tunes; it was birthed from love to create a journey and an experience. The world is pulling people in different directions right now, and I wanted to create something to instill hope and propel people forward.
YouKnowIGotSoul: That’s awesome. A lot of artists have a certain urgency to put out albums and get the bag, but you pop up when the timing is right and do it on your own terms. How are you able to do it that way?
Glenn Lewis: I’ve honestly trusted the process. Bruce Lee once explained Jeet Kune Do by talking about moving with the force coming toward you and flowing with things. I just trusted the process, realizing I am my own competition. I don’t have a label breathing down my neck telling me what kind of songs I need. I had the luxury to create an album as pure and engaging as a conversation.
YouKnowIGotSoul: I love that approach. We got some great questions from your fans before the interview. One of them was: Where were you in life when you recorded your debut album?
Glenn Lewis: A lot of self-discovery and discovery of the world around me. To be completely transparent, I still had some emotional growing up to do back then. I was just starting to identify patterns in life and in relationships. It was a lot of raw emotion and observation, and I still saw myself as the main character in the story. Eventually, you realize life is meant to be experienced with others through empathy and compassion. Now, I have a better understanding, but I didn’t have that framework back then.
YouKnowIGotSoul: That makes sense. Another question: You came up in the Philly music scene, and fans view “A Touch of Jazz” as a mythical place. What was it like living through that?
Glenn Lewis: I really wish social media existed then because it was magic. We were down at the 444 building on 3rd Street. I remember cutting “Don’t You Forget It” while Marsha from Floetry was looking in the booth. There were so many phenomenal creatives. One day Herbie Hancock rolled through, and Vidal and Dre just jammed with him for an hour and a half. Boyz II Men had a room down there too. It was an incredible time with creativity at such a high level.
YouKnowIGotSoul: Thanks for sharing that. Now for our rapid-fire questions. First: Who is your favorite collaboration you’ve ever done?
Glenn Lewis: Amel Larrieux. I wish we had the chance to dive deeper conceptually, but we did an amazing, fun record with Troy Taylor.
YouKnowIGotSoul: Such a timeless record—”What’s Come Over Me.” Who is at the top of your list of people you still want to collaborate with?
Glenn Lewis: D’Angelo. I feel like we could come up with something so different and unexpected. He is easily one of the most impactful, truly original voices of the last 30 years.
YouKnowIGotSoul: Tell me a song from one of your albums that wasn’t a single, but you felt could have done well as one.
Glenn Lewis: Instead of “It’s Not Fair,” which was kind of a sad record, I would have rather rocked out “Simple Things.” After that, probably “Lonely,” because it had a little tempo and bounce to it.
YouKnowIGotSoul: I’ll give you one from the Moment of Truth album—I always loved “All I See Is You.”
Glenn Lewis: Wow, thank you, bro. That’s one of the few joints I wrote on that project.
YouKnowIGotSoul: We still get asked about your unreleased project. What was your favorite song from that project?
Glenn Lewis: I will big up James Fauntleroy till the ends of the earth. He’s a genius. We did a really cool record called “House on a Beach,” and also “A Storm” and “Sweating.” That unreleased album is a “what-if” moment that will stay with me for the rest of my life because I was peaking vocally. I don’t even know who has the reels or where half those records are.
YouKnowIGotSoul: If you never became a singer, what would your career have been?
Glenn Lewis: I love kids, so maybe something working with them. Or perhaps animation, since I had an affinity for cartoons and used to draw. But honestly, music didn’t even force itself into my life—it was just effortless. It was also my way of connecting with my dad, who did music too. I couldn’t imagine life without being a creative in this way.
YouKnowIGotSoul: We’re glad you went that route. Is there anything else you’d like to share about the upcoming album?
Glenn Lewis: The album is entitled Overture, and it drops on Juneteenth, June 19th. It was done independently, there was no filter, and it’s just me. I’m excited to share it. People can check for me on Instagram at @GlennLewis365, on TikTok, and hopefully, I’ll see you guys soon in a city near you!
