Lee Vasi: "Forward," Faith & The Altar Era

Lee Vasi is a Christian R&B artist of Puerto Rican, Dominican, and African American heritage whose Billboard-charting single “Teach Me” earned her a major label deal with Capitol CMG/Tamla. Now independent again, Lee Vasi is releasing “Forward”—a deeply personal new single produced by Kid Class and J Brab—and launching her upcoming era, appropriately titled Meet Me at the Altar.

If you’ve heard “Teach Me,” you already know Lee Vasi has something rare. Her voice carries weight. But the story behind how she got here—the trauma, the label deal, the divine flight encounter, the viral moment she almost missed—is the part most people haven’t heard yet.

Chosen Journey sat down with Lee Vasi for one of the most candid conversations of her career. What followed was a masterclass in faith, perseverance, and what it truly means to move forward.

What Inspired Lee Vasi’s New Single “Forward”?

The song didn’t start in a studio. It started on a beach.

“I’m actually most inspired by silence,” Lee says. “It was a season of deep reflection—a beach trip, reading Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself, just asking God what He was speaking over my life.”

Produced by Kid Class and J Brab, “Forward” is Lee’s declaration of release. It’s about letting go of the past and stepping into what God has called her to—including a new chapter as a soon-to-be wife. Her fiancé, Dre, is a Grammy-winning songwriter and producer who has also played a significant role in grounding her walk with God.

The lyric “break up with the memories” hits especially hard once you know what those memories carried.

How Did Lee Vasi’s Trauma Shape Her Music and Faith?

Between ages 18 and 25, Lee Vasi walked through what she describes as the hardest stretch of her life—losing a family member to suicide, navigating an emotionally abusive relationship, and working through a season of spiritual confusion that included syncretism.

“I don’t want to turn to salt,” she says, referencing Lot’s wife—a woman who looked back and was frozen in place. “That’s not who I’m called to be.”

Lee accepted Jesus at 14, but it wasn’t until 2022 that she says she truly surrendered. That distinction matters to her. And it shows in everything she creates.

What Was the NAACP Image Awards Story That Changed Her Perspective?

This is the one that stops you.

After attending the NAACP Image Awards nominees banquet, Lee Vasi boarded a red-eye flight home. God used that moment—not for her spotlight, but to plant a seed of faith in a stranger sitting beside her.

“Sometimes the blessing isn’t just that you got the recognition,” she reflects. “It’s what God is wanting to do with you being in that recognition space.”

It reframed everything. The nomination wasn’t the point. The obedience was.

What Did Lee Vasi Learn From Going Independent After Capitol CMG/Tamla?

Lee Vasi’s Billboard-charting “Teach Me” opened the door to a major label deal with Capitol CMG/Tamla. But she’s back to being an independent artist now—and she’s clear-eyed about why.

The label experience taught her the business. Going independent gave her back her voice.

“With God, you can have all of it,” she says. Her upcoming album era, Meet Me at the Altar, is being built entirely on her terms. It’s a project rooted in identity, covenant, and the woman she’s becoming.

What makes the “Teach Me” chapter even more remarkable? While the song was charting, Lee Vasi was still making cold calls at her nonprofit job. The humility of that season didn’t break her. It built her.

What’s Next for Lee Vasi and the Meet Me at the Altar Era?

“Forward” is the opening statement. The Meet Me at the Altar rollout is the full conversation. Lee Vasi is a Puerto Rican, Dominican, and African American woman creating faith-based music in a space that desperately needs more of what she brings—realness, artistry, and an unshakable foundation.

Lee Vasi Is Moving Forward—On Her Own Terms was originally published on hotspotatl.com