KUSA - R&B singer-songwriter Ashantihas joined thecast of the Lifetime drama "Army Wives"as the popular series returns for itsseventh season. She talked about her experience on 9NEWS 11 a.m.
"It's definitely a different lifestyle, but it's good," she said of her new acting gig. "This is a whole new and different opportunity. It's something I'm exploring in myself and getting a chance to explore my talents and understanding responsibility."
This year marksthe 11th anniversary of Ashanti-mania, when the then-unknown 21-year-old singer from Glen Cove New York burst onto the music scene with a string of hits that she co-wrote. It culminated in her smash, "Foolish," which was No. 1 on the pop charts for 10 weeks and gave her album "Ashanti" the biggest opening sales week ever for a female artist's debut, a record that still stands.
Ashanti says music is still her first love. And she is working on her fifth album, tentatively titled "Braveheart," during her free time from "Army Wives," planning a release around the time the show's season ends this spring.
However, "Army Wives" is her new priority. "Ashanti plays Latasha Durant, a mother of three young kids, whose husband is serving overseas. Like all the "Army Wives," she is based on a real person.
"She's such a loving, strong woman who's infatuated with her kids, who supports her husband and understands her role," Ashanti says. "She's witty. She's sassy. She's smart. And she doesn't take no lip."
"We're all very excited about Season 7, in which a new tribe emerges from the shadow of tragedy," "Army Wives" executive producer Jeff Melvoin said in a statement. "Maintaining the enduring premise of 'Army Wives,' the audience will witness a remarkable set of women -- some familiar, some new -- form friendships that see them through the challenges of Army life as their husbands serve at a dangerous outpost in Afghanistan."
Ashanti is paired with another new "Army Wives" addition, Torrey DeVitto, the actress best known for her roles in "Pretty Little Liars" and "The Vampire Diaries."
To learn more please visithttp://www.mylifetime.com/shows/army-wives
