Today, Antonique Smith has released the new reimagined version of Love Song to the Earth (Piano Diaries Version), which she worked on with her friend Toby Gad, who was originally asked to write the song by the United Nations as a theme song for the Paris Climate Agreement 10 years ago. Antonique has a nonprofit called Climate Revival, which she co-founded with Rev. Lennox Yearwood, and she performed at the Climate Revival official launch event last September, also touring at the end of the year, and she will be performing in Houston on 9th March, and has some Earth Day activities upcoming. In 2015, Antonique was nominated at the Grammy Awards for Best Traditional R&B Performance for her song Hold Up Wait a Minute (Woo Woo). As an actor, Antonique played Mimi Marquez in RENT on Broadway, and on screen, she played Barbara Franklin (Aretha Franklin’s mother) in Genius: Aretha, Detective Nandi Tyler in Series 2 of Netflix/Marvel series Luke Cage, Faith Evans in Notorious, with her further projects including Abduction and a cameo in Wish You Were Here. We caught up with Antonique about her new reimagined version of Love Song to the Earth (Piano Diaries Version) with Toby Gad, her nonprofit Climate Revival and her acting career including RENT on Broadway and Luke Cage.
Can you tell us about Love Song to the Earth (Piano Diaries Version), your new reimagined version of the song, which is being released on 21st February?
I’m so excited for the world to hear me sing this beautiful song. It’s very heartfelt and timely. With so much craziness happening in the world, we need a balm. We need healing. We need unity. Praying this song can be a spark.
How was it working with songwriter and producer Toby Gad on the release and how did the collaboration come about?
Toby Gad is my friend of over 20 years. I’ve recorded so many things with him over the years. We always have fun recording. He asked me to sing a few of his big hits with him live in LA and Love Song to the Earth was one of them. It just felt right and we then decided to record it.
What encouraged you to record Love Song to the Earth (Piano Diaries Version) and what was it like reimagining the track?
Toby was originally asked to write the song by the United Nations as a theme song for the Paris Climate Agreement 10 years ago. We decided to rerecord it because I’ve now been in the climate movement for more than 10 years and co-founded my own nonprofit called Climate Revival last year. The song is at the heart of what I’m doing, it’s the perfect fit and just so happens to be a time that we need it more than ever. We didn’t know then that the current president would be re-elected and take us out of the Paris agreement again. The song has become more important with every passing day.
How was it hearing the completed Piano Diaries Version for the first time and who do you think it will appeal to?
I cried when I heard the mastered version. It’s so beautiful and moving. I honestly think it will appeal to everyone. It’s a song for the whole world.
With Love Song to the Earth also aligning with your nonprofit; can you tell us about Climate Revival?
Climate Revival is mobilising people of faith and people of colour, to fight climate change and fight for environmental justice using music and storytelling.
We were inspired by how MLK organised the civil rights movement in churches and felt like people of faith and people of colour were not being reached the way they needed to be. We’re in a new civil rights movement, fighting for the right to clean air, clean water and existence. Folks need to understand that this movement is more than recycling and using solar panels. The biggest cause of climate change is pollution from big oil. That pollution from power plants and petrochemical factories is predominantly in communities of colour and poor communities causing cancer and asthma. And that same pollution is causing the climate to change leading to more crazy storms like Helene, heatwaves, wildfires like the heartbreaking devastation in Los Angeles, droughts etc. Lives are being lost, communities are being destroyed and big oil is making a trillion dollars a year and getting 20 billion dollars in tax breaks and subsidies. How crazy is that? People are struggling to pay their bills but billionaires are getting the tax breaks! There’s lots to fight and we can only win if we come together. That’s the mission of Climate Revival; to build a loving army to fight for our health and our existence.
What was it like co-founding Climate Revival with Rev. Lennox Yearwood and what is the nonprofit like to run?
It’s been an honour. Rev is my bro of more than 10 years. Building things with your friends is the best. Being a CEO has been a very different experience for me and a lot more work than I anticipated. But knowing that I’m making a positive impact in the world has been the most beautiful thing. And we’re just getting started.
How did you find the experience performing at the Climate Revival official launch event at the New Bethel Baptist Church in Washington in September and going on tour at the end of the year?
Our launch was such a powerful night. We had amazing speakers like Rep. Justin J. Pearson, Time 100 recipient Sharon Lavigne and, of course, Rev is always the keynote speaker. And my bro Leslie Odom Jr. (Tony and Grammy winner) blessed us with a couple of songs. Powerful and unforgettable night!!
On tour, I was the only one who sang at all the events and Rev always closed the night with a rousing sermonette. I’m looking forward to getting back on the road and touching folks. We’ll be in Houston on March 9th and coming to a city near you. And stay tuned for some very exciting Earth Day festivities!
In 2015, you were nominated at the Grammy Awards for Best Traditional R&B Performance for your song Hold Up Wait a Minute (Woo Woo), how did this feel?
It felt really surprising because I was an independent artist and it was my first single. I’d always dreamed of being nominated but I thought it would take more time, more songs, more success. It was such an amazing surprise to get nominated out of the gate! I couldn’t believe my eyes!!
What are some of your stand-out memories from performing as Mimi Marquez in RENT on Broadway?
RENT, playing Mimi and being the poster girl was life-changing. I’ll never forget seeing my face go by on NYC cabs. And I have lifelong friends that I met when I was doing the show. Also, the show itself, a show about love, changed my life as well. What a masterpiece. And Mimi was such a layered character. I got to stretch out as both an actor and a singer.
Some of my favourite memories is the time Laurence Fishburn was in the audience and I forgot the words. Also, meeting Janet Jackson, Michael J. Fox and James Earl Jones. To move them with my work the way they’ve moved me with theirs was pretty amazing.
As a screen actor, you portrayed Barbara Franklin in Genius: Aretha in 2021, how was it taking on the role?
It was such an honour. Aretha was a major influence of mine and to bring a voice to her mother, whose story folks didn’t really know, was such an amazing experience!! Her mother went through some crazy stuff. Another layered character that was so fun to sink my teeth into.
What was it like being in the cast of the Netflix/Marvel series Luke Cage as Detective Nandi Tyler in Series 2?
I got to play a bad guy and I enjoyed it!! It’s always fun to play someone who’s not like you. But to Nandi’s credit, she had a righteous reason to do the bad thing she did. She was trying to take down someone worse!
What did you enjoy most about playing Faith Evans in Notorious and how was it being part of the film?
That was another life-changing experience. And so nostalgic and surreal because I remembered being a fan like everyone else, loving all the characters and watching everything play out in real life. So to then read the script and be on set depicting all the things I remembered seeing was so amazing!! And what an honour to be a part of Biggie’s legacy!
Over your acting career so far, you have worked on many other projects including Wish You Were Here, Tales, Sacred Lies, Shots Fired and Abduction, can you tell us about some of your favourite highlights?
I had a little cameo in Wish You Were Here, which is Julia Stiles’ directorial debut that came out last month. It was fun working with her. She’s very talented and sweet.
Abduction was amazing because it was directed by the late great John Singleton. I shot for a month in Pittsburgh. It means more now that it even did then because we lost him. Grateful that he believed in me.
Sacred Lies was amazing because we shot it in Vancouver. I didn’t realise how much I’d love being there and how much fun I’d have. I also learned to play the guitar for the role.
Shots Fired was great because I got to co-write the theme song and got to sing on the score composed by Terence Blanchard.
And Tales has a new special place in my heart since we recently lost Irv Gotti. He was so sweet when I met him.
How did you originally get into performing and did you always know you wanted a career in the entertainment industry?
There’s literally nothing else I ever wanted to do. I got into performing by creating voices and characters on my tape recorder as a kid and doing puppet shows where I’d play all the characters. It all started with a joy for doing it when no one was watching. And singing started after I heard Whitney Houston’s voice and joined the choir at church.
That’s the foundation of how it all started. At some point, when I was about 12, my dad took me to make my first demo. It was singing that led to me getting an agent which led me to getting my first professional acting role in 100 Centre Street. The late great Sidney Lumet gave me my start playing a teen drug addict. Grateful for his belief in me.
Do you have any favourite films and TV shows to watch, and music artists to listen to, and how do you like to spend your free time?
I’m a big kid at heart. In my free time, I love playing with my virtual reality headset and playing games like Call of Duty. And I also love vegging out on good TV with my mom. She’s my binge buddy. We’re loving funny shows like Shrinking and Loot and also action-packed shows like Special Ops: Lioness and Landman. We try to get my dad to watch things with us. He’s so particular. He enjoyed watching Squid Game and The Penguin.
As for films, my favourites lately were Wicked and Emilia PĂ©rez for obvious reasons.
I think musically, you can’t have a playlist without BeyoncĂ© on it! She’s so empowering. I get dressed to her a lot. I also love Billie Eilish, Sia and Chappell Roan. But my playlist is also full of songs from different eras and different genres.
What are you hoping this year brings for you, and do you have any projects coming up that you can share?
Coming up, I may release an EP and I have a couple of films in development, one that I hope to shoot this year.
But really, I just want to share my gifts, which I hope bring healing, hope, unity and love. I hope I can have a positive impact in the world. And I hope I can inspire more people to join the climate movement to fight for our health and existence. That sounds like an amazing year to me.
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