Q&A: Bailey Bryan Releases Single 'RIP' Ahead of Upcoming EP ‘Sensitive Bad Bitch Music Vol. 1’
YOU KNOW THAT VOICE IN YOUR HEAD THAT SAYS, “IT’S GOING TO BE OKAY?” — That’s 90s R&B, funk, and pop singer Bailey Bryan for you. And she’s not your quintessential superstar. Coming from a vulnerable place with her lyricism, Bryan brings something unexpected and raw to all of her projects. This time around it's with her new single, “RIP,” as she’s laying to rest the self-doubt and shame that previously had a grip on her.
As she enters this new year, Bryan is ready to make peace with who she is, even if that means getting to know the parts of herself that she’d rather avoid. In “RIP,” she leaves no stone unturned when it comes to storytelling and converting her message.
Weaving in her signature “sensitive batch bitch” energy, Bryan lets listeners know that the way toward healing is through authenticity and self-love. Because, she reminds, to find a love for life you first have to love the life you have.
Despite what anyone may say, Bryan knows she’s earned where she's at, and through it all, she’s remained dedicated to her craft. Making music has been a way for her to meet the wisest version of herself and make sense of the world around her as hard as it may be. Although Bryan is saying goodbye to her old self in “RIP,” she’s also welcoming in a new era for her sound that caters to authenticity above all.
Stream “RIP” wherever you get your music and keep on the lookout for Bryan’s upcoming album, Sensitive Bad Bitch Music Vol. 1, set to be released later this year. Read below to learn more about “RIP,” Bryan’s inspirations, and how she's taking care of herself this year.
LUNA: First of all, hello Bailey! Let's unpack the amazing “RIP” a little bit. What inspired you to write that song?
BRYAN: A few different things, actually. I kind of made a “new genre” — I say that with an eye roll and air quotes. Just because I don't like to subscribe to genres and labels. I technically made a genre shift in 2020. I got my start in country music and I made an intentional shift into pop and R&B. Prior to that I lived in Nashville for seven years, and around the time that I wrote “RIP” I was thinking about making the decision to move from Nashville to LA to continue working on my pop career. Now I live in LA, but back then it was a big time of transition and mourning my old self as a country musician. There were people in my life who were not as supportive of the shift as I wanted them to be. People that I'd worked with for a long time that I was beginning to cut ties [with] when really I was shedding a lot of the old. I recognized how uncomfortable the change and uncertainty of the future were making me feel. So these days when I listen to it, I really tune into that first line, “I think that you got a problem with change,” because I think I wrote that to myself. It’s like I'm pointing a finger at the people around me at that time of my life, and it also comes right back on myself as well.
LUNA: Thank you for sharing that. What a beautiful journey you had. Moving forward, how did you come up with the song’s versatile beat?
BRYAN: I love that you say that. My producers who I worked with are here in LA. Their names are Boston and Pat, and I have to give them credit for that. They're incredible, and we work really well together. I can't remember if I came up with the idea for the song or if they played me the track and gave me the idea to write “RIP” — that's how it happens a lot of the time. But yeah, they're really talented. I like ’90s R&B and modern pop tracks with throwback elements, and Boston and Pat know that and I think they nailed it and leaned into that with the track.
LUNA: I love that shoutout to them. Sounds like it was a wonderful collaboration. When you play “RIP” for your close friends and family, how does sharing it make you feel?
BRYAN: It felt good. A lot of my close friends and family learn where I'm at mentally and emotionally through my songs, the same way that I learn where I'm at mentally and emotionally through my songs. I'll write something and then I'll be like, “Damn, that really is how I feel?” And then I'll share it with the people close to me and be like, “Hey, guess what this is? It’s how I feel.” And “RIP” is a really personal and transformative song for me, so it felt nice to share it with my friends and family. Being vulnerable with them helped with my growth.
LUNA: That's beautiful, and finding support through sharing is absolutely everything. Kind of a different question: Why did you start making music in the first place?
BRYAN: Ah, I love that question. I always joke that it's the only thing I've ever been good at or was really good at. I've also stuck with it enough to make it a career. It's really beyond that because I'm decent at other stuff in my life, but [music is] the only thing I've ever envisioned myself doing. Truly, there was never another option in my head. It never even came into my mind, the thought, “Oh, making music is not a super financially stable career choice, and it's also a risky and shady industry and the chances of being successful at it are really low.” I've been delusionally confident about it since I can remember. Once I knew it could be a career, I never gave myself another choice. It's the only thing I've ever wanted to do. Just point blank, period. It's music — that's all I'm gonna do until I die. I'm gonna do it whether or not people hear it, so I might as well [put] my best effort into making people hear it and making a career out of it.
LUNA: That's brilliant, and it’s why your music comes out so authentic to who you are as a person. On that note, as an artist, and as a human, what makes you resonate with a song?
BRYAN: It honestly depends on where I'm at. An undeniable melody or beat makes me gravitate toward a song, but I’m a lyricist at my core, so when words resonate with me, that’s everything. It’s that feeling of having a song that speaks to a part of me that I can't put words to. Yeah, that's definitely what draws me to a song.
LUNA: It’s so beautiful how lasting an impact just one song can have when you really think about it. And let's see, “RIP” drops on Jan. 31, aka your 25th birthday. Happy birthday, by the way! When this special day arrives in honor of “RIP,” is there something you're going to be laying to rest and letting die in peace?
BRYAN: Oh, great question. There are a few things that I'm trying to lay to rest as I go into my 25th year of life. How do I even put it into words, really? I want to get back some of the blind confidence that I had when I first made the decision to do music. It was never really a decision, you know — I just needed to do it. I've been thinking a lot about how when I was 15 and I first started traveling to Nashville to write my songs, I felt like I was the shit and I never compared myself to other people. I felt like I was on my own unique journey and everything that was happening was meant to be. I still have that belief deep inside of me, but I've as I've gotten older and I've been doing this for the better part of a decade… I officially started doing music professionally when I was 15, and now I'm about to turn 25 [so] it's inevitable to get a little bit jaded. At times, I've found myself operating more from a place of fear that I'm running out of time, and that’s made me almost urgently will things to happen. When this all began, I was in a more relaxed space of accepting what's meant to be and I knew that’s where I was supposed to be. So this year, I want to lay to rest those fears that I've developed and revive the blind confidence that I used to have. I’m a lot better now than I was when I was delusionally confident about my work, so if anything now I should be more. Yeah, I want to let go of that self-doubt and of the what-ifs that don't serve me so I can be present where I'm at in my life right now.
LUNA: Thank you for sharing that, and it reminds me of that TikTok you posted where you were joking about being delusionally confident in order to pick yourself up and move forward as a coping mechanism. To add on that, how will you be celebrating your “RIP” to the old you moment when it rolls around?
BRYAN: I’m getting to play this little show on the 31st to commemorate being 25 and putting out a new song. and it's also great because birthdays stress me out to be honest — I hate the pressure to celebrate it right and make a plan and get all my people together and then do what I want to do on top of that. Thankfully, this year I just get to be like, “Alright, everybody come to my show,” and that's how we're going to celebrate. And I just get to focus on making sure I put on a good show rather than trying to coordinate plans with all the people in my life. It’s rough trying to get a table at a restaurant or a club, and it's stressing me out just thinking about it and that's not even what I'm doing. So yeah, I’m going to play the show and it’s going to be a great time, I can feel it.
LUNA: Yeah, managing other people's expectations can be really difficult. I bet you're an empath because that’s such a kind way to think about your birthday, caring about everyone else and then yourself. But the show sounds like a lot of fun. I'm sending supportive vibes for your birthday. Since we’re already chatting about your singles, as far as “Passion” goes, where would you say is the best place for someone to stream it? Maybe in their garage, through a record player, through Bluetooth speakers, etc.
BRYAN: It’s a little spicy, so it’s a good one to blast in the car or play while you're getting ready to go out and you want to feel yourself. When I have “Passion” on [while] I’m doing makeup I absolutely feel like a bad bitch. So yeah, it’s a good one for getting ready for a fun night or being on one.
LUNA: I definitely will have to do that. And going off getting into a good vibe, I want to know: What artists do you personally look up to in the industry if any?
BRYAN: No, yeah, there's a ton. Sza is one of my favorites ever. I take a lot of inspiration from her and Frank Ocean. One of my favorite songwriters who I’ve been a die-hard fan of since I was 15 is Taylor Swift. She’s why I moved to Nashville — so I could follow in her footsteps — so she will always mean a lot to me. I’m also inspired by Post Malone because I love the way he bends genres and doesn't subscribe to only one way of making music. It’s neat that he has fans who are just there for his personality, too. I think Doja Cat for the same reason in that she spans so many genres and she’s just her weird and amazing self all the time, and that authenticity really inspires me.
LUNA: The personality thing definitely sticks out about those two. And you have a great personality too, so I could see why you'd like these people! Shoutout to your amazing personality. Now, this wouldn't be a Bailey Brian interview if we didn't ask about your iconic single, “Tragic.” Can you share with us a little about how the idea for that track came about?
BRYAN: Of course! That one's so funny because most of my songs are pretty personal but that one hit a pretty deeply ingrained thing about me that I'm constantly working on and struggling with in my life. It goes into that fear of commitment that I deal with and also the desperate longing for love and partnership that I've had all my life. Since I was in high school I’ve been a little relationship-obsessed, and I'm always thinking about who I’m going to fall in love with next. But then I'll meet somebody that could be really good for me or has potential, but the timing isn't right or there's an excuse on my end or their end about why it can't work out. And I realized that when I wrote “Tragic,” this thing about myself where every time I find myself starting to have a legitimate crush on somebody, there will be a moment of denial and then one where I admit to myself that I really do like this person. And immediately after, I will cry. It’s all positive feelings at that point [when] I realize I have a crush, but admitting that to myself makes me feel so emotional because admitting that also means there are so many things that could go wrong.
It’s like I start to see all these ways that I could feel rejected or feel the pain of having to reject them at some point. And really, for me, relationships come with a shit ton of anxiety and that can lead me to self-sabotage them. Sometimes I enter into situations that I know ultimately will never work out ... and by not giving my all I feel like I'm lessening the blow of the inevitable. It’s a lot like crashing and burning, but it all hurts either way and so “Tragic” wasn't about any one specific scenario — it was about a recurring feeling I have every time I find myself starting to fall in love. That tragic feeling that comes with liking someone.
LUNA: When something becomes real, it's difficult to manage those overpowering emotions sometimes. It takes a lot of self-awareness to name those emotions and get up close and personal with them. That's awesome that you’ve done that. I know you’re coming out with a new album soon. In what ways is your upcoming EP, Sensitive Bad Bitch Music Vol. 1, different from your past music?
BRYAN: Honestly, to be real here, I feel a lot of pressure as an artist to always level up on myself. Lately, I’ve been in this mind space where I'm always growing and evolving, and as an artist, I’m doing that sonically. I think that vocally I sound better than I've ever sounded and I really honed in on that. I’ve also been able to bring together my love of ’90s R&B, modern pop music, hip-hop, and retro ’70s funk beautifully with my team in a way that really feels like me. With the last project I put out, I was experimenting and I felt like doing pop so I released pop songs. With this album, I wanted to be more intentional about the sounds and each song. The whole project feels dynamic and it’s all different, with a mix of sounds that make me who I am.
To speak on the subject matter, I've been making “sensitive bad bitch”–type music from the beginning, and that’s why I wanted to call this project Sensitive Bad Bitch Music Vol. 1. For me, it takes the focus away from the sound of the music and any of the industry labels and boxes that it could be put in. In my eyes, the overarching theme of my music that I’ve held onto is this level of confidence and carefreeness that I possess as a human being. At the same time, it also acknowledges the anxiety, insecurity, self-awareness, and growth I’ve experienced on my journey so far, and I think it's important and it's okay to be all of those things at once. So yeah, that's the theme of this project, but whether I am intentional about it or not, it's always going to be the theme of the music that I make. I think it sounds better than anything I've ever done, but it's just really a continuation of what I've been doing and what I will continue to do as an artist.
LUNA: That's a beautiful way to say it. That pressure of having to one-up yourself in the industry is wild. At the end of the day, the most important thing is that you continue to live in your truth and own it. We need more artists to do that. What’s something not a lot of people know about your music-making process that you wish more of them knew?
BRYAN: Nice question. So I write songs to myself really often, and that’s my little trick for getting over writer's block or out of a rut. I'm always making music, and thankfully I have so many feelings all the time to access and write about. I'm often pining over somebody who doesn't want me, which lends itself to great songwriting. But sometimes I get really stuck in my head or [I focus] on things outside of myself that aren't bringing inspiration the way that I want them to. My go-to when I'm feeling burned [out] or I'm not feeling confident in myself ... is to go inward. I literally ask myself, “What do I need to hear right now?” I get the most inspired when I’m in a rough moment and I have to search inside myself for answers because I’m the only person on the subject who is an expert. And that’s something I find comforting.
LUNA: Wow, that’s amazing, and there's something powerful in reaching out to your oldest, wisest self for the support you need. Really, if you don't write to you, who's going to? As someone who encapsulates “sensitive bad bitch” energy, how do you practice self-compassion, self-love, and self-confidence? And just so you know, you can always say, “I don’t know” and we can move on to the next question.
BRYAN: No, I love that you asked me that because it resonates with me a ton. I think trying really hard to practice self-compassion and self-love every single day is a major theme in my life. It’s a struggle, but it's also the thing that I'm best at because I spend a lot of time focusing on it. As I’ve gotten older, there’s something that’s helped me figure out what self-care looks like for me, and it’s just me thinking about where I want to be tomorrow or how I want to feel an hour from now. I try to focus on what is here with me now and I work really hard to set my future self up for success every single day by doing the small acts of self-kindness that are so hard to do.
I actually feel a lot better when I do them. It’s things like doing my dishes, answering an email, making my bed, or doing my laundry. Honestly, a lot of those maintenance tasks are just doing chores for me. I'm a messy bitch inside and out so even doing those little things is tough, but I try to talk to myself about stuff. I’m like, “Yes, this is hard, and this is me taking care of me.” Over the years, I’ve spent a lot of time looking for, waiting for, and wanting other people to take care of me. So reminding myself that I can show myself love and treat myself in the way I want others to treat me is really validating. They say to treat other people the way that you want to be treated, and I think that goes for yourself too. I wish I stuck to that and lived that way every single day. I believe it but don't always do it, and it’s when I’m practicing radical self-compassion and self-love that my mind feels most at ease.
LUNA: Thank you for speaking to your experience with self-love, Bailey. No human being is perfect, and what you practice can literally change your life. I can see that happening for you every single day and I love that you’ve found ways to deal with this wild life that are helping you where you’re at right now.
BRYAN: Thank you for having me today — it’s been really great. Glad we could do this and that I could share a little bit about my story and my music with everyone. And thank you for listening. Having a space to do that is everything.
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