ππ«π²ππ§π settles across from the interviewer β still buzzing from her mini set and playing the song back in her head. still quietly humming to herself and dancing to the 'remix' that felt soooo . . . right. β alright, alright. i could get lost in that song all day. β turning her attention to the camera after the interviewer introduces the spotify live room. β hiii, i'm bryana ellis. and i just performed in the spotify live room ! β
"love the r&b rendition of πππ πππππ πππ you performed for us β the whole thing reminded me of, like, those early 2000's singers that would be in the studio like 'a little louder for me'. it was beautiful, fabulous." a bout of laughter. "where did you get the inspiration to do so many different versions? 'cause this isn't the first time you've. . . remixed it."
β yessssss, thank you ! i felt very popstar divaβlike, mariah carey when i was asking the crew. . . β making her voice softer and more comically sultry. β can i get more reverb ? louder, please. . . keep that in, β and now she's laughing at herself, thinking back on times where she would've been scared to adjust things like that during a performance. straightening in her seat a bit before continuing. β no, but i think the song is just so playful. it kind of lends itself to every genre in a way. i could make a million more versions and i don't think i'd get bored. it's just so fun ! the grammy's performance was the first time i performed it slow, and it just gave me so many ideas for it. β
"definitely a fun song. honestly the whole album has a fun soundβit's not bubblegum pop and not completely dance either. it's theatrical in its own way and feels a little bit like a coming of age story."
excited, tiny applause from her. β crazy you say that because the album marks like, a huge shift in my life. it was the first time i fully trusted myself musically, and i feel like the public response just confirmed for me that i made the right decision in doing so. β azures go up as she thinks it over, small smile across her glossy pout. β and yes, a couple of these songs were written a couple years ago, bridging them with more recent additions like saturn's return & the ambition just makes it a . . . full story. everyone thinks of coming of age as something that happens when you're a teenager, but i'm still learning so much at just 25. i'll actually be 26 next weekend ! β
"oh, happy early birthday ! now, the other song you performed today [ one last time by ariana grande ] has a different vibe, obviously. it's a bit more romanticβstays with the dance pop feel but still, very different song from your album's title track. what made you wanna sing that for spotify live?"
β so first of all, i love ariana ! she's an icon, i would've been happy singing any of her songs. one last time just reminds me of, like, summer 2016βwhich i know everyone always says this, but it was such a big year for music. for me especially; that was the year i made the decision to take my music seriously. or what i thought was serious at the time, you know ? also i thought it'd be so pretty for the band to try and recreate the little twinkle piano keys in the beat. β
"it's probably a fine line to walk for you β wanting to be authentic and how you talk about on the ambition . . . wanting to be loved and adored with all the accolades. how do you grapple with wanting both at the same time?"
β it is ! a fine line, you know ? writing and helping to produce this album taught me that the most important part of all this music business β as much as it may be a business β is to be true to yourself. the right people will always find you. someone said it recently the key to being successful in any industry is being yourself, as corny as it sounds. when you're the product, and we are as musicians and performers and artists, the one thing nobody can outdo you in . . . is being yourself. β
"obviously this album has gotten global attention and the title track is continually moving up on the billboard charts. how do you plan to top this record β do you think your next one will ?"
suddenly a pensive expression casts over her visage, but bryana has always been quick on her feet in interviews. β so my immediate answer is πππ πππ’π‘πππ¦. as i'm becoming more confident in my songwriting, more involved in production. . . the music will only get better. β waves her hands out and shakes her head β a quiet hiss falling from her lips. β but what are we talking about ?! summer isn't over yet, and neither is the midnight sun era ! far from it, actually. i still have so much coming. in fact, i've been working on something very special with some very special people to extend the universe even further. β
"ohhhh, so we're getting a deluxe. is that the real reason you and ππ²π₯π were in the studio that night? you said she showed you her album butβ"
β oopβ i didn't know spotify live was so messy ! β doubling over with laughter after holding the freeze frame for a bit, small shrug and then she continues. β nooo, she really did play her album for me. we're friends before business associates, you know ? i mean, it's not off the table to work on something together. but no, that photo was just her showing me a*popβwhich is an amazing record, by the way. β taps her chin, deciding exactly how much she wants to give. β as for a deluxe, there's definitely more coming to add to the midnight sun . . . world. if you get what i mean. i promise, i'm keeping my fans fed. and if that means seven new versions of midnight sun for breakfast ? i know they'll be right there with me. β
"can we expect any other collaborations ? you're close with quite a few girls in the industry β people have been begging for another pink x bryana track since stateside dropped. . . have you ever heard of a feature run ?"
β as someone who was trying to get in on the house music hype of 2015 / 2016, yes ! i'm familiar. ummm, yes there are some really fun collabs on the way. all with women ! i've made the creative choice for these next few things β and probably most of my future endeavors, honestly β to work with mostly women and champion all the different femme voices in music. because i feel like all their perspectives are so powerful. . . and i have so much to learn from all of them. so in short, yes. expect a collab or two. β
"so, your first global headlining tour kicks off the north american leg next month! how has this string of performances felt different than what you did for venusian ? which is another great album. do you plan to play those older songs for this . . . kinda new crowd?"
a beaming expression, eyes widening as she considers what it'll be like to perform in the states. β thank you so much ! this is my first time with this many dates in the us, and it's honestly unnerving. i've toured america as an opener twice now β and i've done lalapalooza once. but never 20+ consecutive shows like i am now. β pointing toward herself, leaning forward. β personally, i think the american leg might be the most fun. just to explore new cities and meet all the fans. i toured the album in eurasia back in march when the album dropped; obviously, i'm from sweden so i like to think my core fanbase is in europe. it felt like home β something i'm used to even though i swear they cheered louder this time around. so yeah, i'm excited to see what the final leg brings. β
"ugh, this was so fun ! thank you for making the time to be here today. before you go i just have to ask . . . do you actually have a swedish boyfriend ?"
β mmmm, this feels like a setup. uh, he might be swedish. might be swiss. might be swahili. who knows ? anyways, thank you for having me ! i had so much fun talking with you. see you again soon, i'll make sure you've got all access to the tour. β
