Cherise Michelle

Cherise Michelle is a contemporary R&B artist from Gary, Indiana, now based in Los Angeles. A lifelong diarist, she transforms ordinary moments into songs that explore memory, intimacy, and what remains after love changes shape. Influenced by artists like Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, and Mariah Carey, Cherise blends the warmth of Gospel, Soul, Jazz, and R&B into a sound defined by textured harmonies, emotional clarity, and improvisation. Her songs feel like rooms to walk into, as she's able to hold on to memory without rehearsing nostalgia. A former UC Berkeley Ph.D. student in Ethnomusicology, Cherise's work is rooted in careful observation and the belief that music and research are part of the same conversation. Whether through her songs, her quarterly magazine CRN (Cherise Radio Network), or her self-curated live music exhibits, she is interested in how sound, memory, and community help us make meaning of our lives. A Grammy U member, Cherise's 2025 single Flatline earned placements on Billboard's Fresh Picks: New In Hip-Hop/R&B, Tidal's Spotlighted Uploads and Future Soul playlists, and Deezer's Fresh Soul and Soul Coffee. She returns with Heartbeat, a raw examination of love in its aftermath and the second chapter of her debut EP, Funeral.