After a decade away from the spotlight, Kreesha Turner returns with a sound entirely hers

Being born and raised in Edmonton may seem like an unlikely starting point for most platinum-selling music artists, but a local radio contest launched Kreesha Turner’s music career nonetheless. The success of her 2008 pop hit “Don’t Call Me Baby” resulted in her first No. 1 single on the U.S. Billboard Dance Chart and two Juno Award nominations. After her initial success and multiple albums, Turner took an extended break from the industry. Now she returns with a sound that is entirely her own, doing things on her terms. In this month’s profile, we explore Turner’s inspiring journey back to both her Edmonton roots and to herself. 

 

You grew up with one foot in Canada and one in Jamaica. Looking back now, how have those two cultures shaped not just your music, but the person you’ve become?

I’m a Gemini and I often say that every Gemini has a duality that manifests itself in different ways. For me, it’s my Canada side versus my Jamaica side. Both societies are polar opposites of each other. It’s different going to Jamaica and being around people that you love (like your family) versus actually being integrated into society. I didn’t get the societal experience of Jamaica until I was 14; I went there to do a part of my high school, which was a culture shock. As a Canadian, I’ve always felt like I was in a melting pot. Growing up in Edmonton set the stage for so much exposure to diversity and different cultures. 

I was exposed to music at a very young age. My parents are avid music listeners and my dad in particular was big on blues and jazz so I fell in love with jazz. I was a 5-year old tap dancer obsessed with [Canadian jazz pianist and composer] Oscar Peterson. 

My first live concert was at the Edmonton Folk Music Festival. When I went to Jamaica during high school, I fell in love with dance hall music. The diversity between my two worlds has given me a very eclectic palate. When I first got signed and started recording my first project, my vocal trainer would tell me, “You jazzify everything! We have to get the jazz out of you!” But that was just my natural tendency. So when I got to create my most recent project, I was left to my instincts — which have been shaped by my life between Canada and Jamaica. 

 

You stepped away from releasing music for quite some time. Was there a specific reason why, and how did you know you were ready to return? 

I took a 10-year hiatus and I stepped away because of the industry bullsh*t, basically. I was burned a number of times from people I entrusted to make decisions for my career. Unfortunately, we all seemed to have fallen victim to capitalism and exploitation. It made me fall out of love with music. So I stepped away and did something different. In 2023, I had a small business (with a business partner) doing tour merch, logistics, and manufacturing. Unfortunately, we ended up in a massive corporate fraud scam and lost everything. In that process, after being completely wiped out, I was left looking at myself like, what am I going to do now? In 2024, I went on my own version of an Eat, Pray, Love journey for some spiritual healing and to overcome this massive bomb drop in my life. I decided I was going to galavant around Southeast Asia and I ended up in Bali. 

Bali has a thriving creative community — from open mics, to spoken word, there was something to see every single night. The next thing I knew, I was singing, and the reactions I got from the audience were moving. I fell in love with music again, and I realized that I never got to do it on my own terms. I was always signed to major labels, always doing what was advised by management and what would make the most amount of money. 

Being told how to be creative defeats the whole purpose of creating. This is what I feel the music industry is falling victim to right now. Art is capitalism. Everything that we consume nowadays is from a machine that’s driving with its only purpose to make big money, instead of making music the way someone like Prince or Michael Jackson did. They were making music they felt convicted in their spirit to make. That’s what inspired me to get back to music. I decided I was going to try one more time, and this time I was going to make the music I wanted to make and on my terms. I am currently supported by the Edmonton Arts Council and the Alberta Foundation for the Arts. They’ve made this project possible.

 

What can you tell us about your current project?

I’ve released two singles this year and I still have a lot more coming with this project. The third single will be released October 16, 2026 and we are aiming to have the album out sometime next year.  We are creating this album in Edmonton, using all Edmonton talent: my executive producer, every piano, every trumpet — all of it is from Edmonton. This is the place that gave me so much of my foundation. Edmonton is home to the first stage I stood on. For me to come back here and give back to the creative community and have them assist me in the creation of this album, it means the world to me. I can finally say, I created a project on my terms and I released it on a global scale. All from Edmonton. 

 

If someone discovers Kreesha Turner for the very first time today, what do you hope they walk away understanding about you?

I would just want them to understand that I am somebody creating music for no other reason than what I feel called to create. I’m not doing it to try and make the biggest pop song. It’s  creative self-expression. I just want to make what feels right, what feels good to me. Whatever cross-blended genre comes out of me is what they’re going to get! This project I am working on now is authentic and absent of external influences. This is my little creative world that I have found. I am excited to share it and I hope you love it as much as I do.