An Interview With the Pop Singer, BRIE ANGELLINA On New Music, Biggest Inspirations and More!

As a young Pop/R&B Artist from South Florida, Brie Angellina has always had a love for the Performing Arts. From the very beginning Brie began taking dance classes at the age of 4 and a few years later took on acting disciplines. Her infatuation of music has always meld into everything she does.  Brie has appeared in several music videos including Nick Merico’s “If You Were My Girl“, Lil Chuckee’s “Da Wop“ and most notably Austin Mahone’s “Say Something“.

She began heightened vocal training a few years ago and posted popular covers on YouTube.  She has garnered a cult following of “Brie’s Angels”. Brie Angellina has a deep rooted passion for music, ingenuity and hopes to inspire others to follow their dreams.  Her musical influences include Rihanna, Ariana Grande, Kehlani and Jhene Aiko. Brie released her debut single “Give You Up” in March 2015, followed up by her second single “Do That For Me” in early 2016. She is currently working on her first EP ‘Honeyed Words’ which is set to drop this year, and is getting ready to release it’s lead single “Lullaby.”

For more information, please visit Brie Angellina online:

Website / Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Vevo

Learn more about Brie in the following All Access interview:

Thanks for your time today! How has 2017 been treating you? Musically, did you approach this year any differently then you did last year?

Yea of course! It’s been really great actually. I definitely approached this year with more aggressiveness. After I finished recording my EP I was focused on getting everything ready so it can be dropped.

Where does this interview find you today? Is there music playing in the background? If so, what is it? What kind of music do you listen to when you are working? What music gets you instantly out of a bad mood?

I’m sitting outside this morning having some tea with honey. I’m actually playing Lana Del Rey’s new album “lust for life”. When I’m working I really enjoy listening to all of Lana Del Rey’s albums as well as Jhene Aiko and Amy Winehouse. I get so much inspiration from them. I think its because they have such a way with words, and they are not afraid to speak the truth. These artists really get the creativity flowing for me. When I’m in a bad mood I like to listen to the hip-hop radio on Spotify. It’s a sick playlist that always gets me hyped. I can’t stay in a bad mood when I’m listening to hip-hop music.

Growing up, have you always wanted to be a musician? Can you recall your earliest musical memory?

Yea I’ve wanted to sing since I was little. When my friends and I would play the game M.A.S.H.,  I would always put down “singer” under the job category.  I remember being so mad when I wouldn’t get it. The game was basically predicting our future.  Any 90’s kid will know the game.  My earliest musical memory would be how I used to walk around the playground in pre-school and make up random songs. I would straight up just walk around and sing out loud by myself. I would do that every day at recess I swear, haha.

If you weren’t a musician today, what else could you see yourself doing?

I swear I was a lawyer in another life. My cousin Lexi and I would always joke and say we would start our own firm called “Hishmeh & Hishmeh”.  I have always had a creative side too.  I wanted to be a fashion designer so maybe that as well. I have a ton of old sketch books with “Brie Angellina Designs” (BAD) from when I was younger.

I always like to ask artists about where they came from and how that city or town has influenced them as an artist now. So how do you think your hometown in South Florida has affected who you are as a musician and the art that you create?

South Florida has been really amazing to live and grow up in. Where I come from has always been so accepting with everything and anything.  Seeing that as I was growing up allowed me to be okay with being myself and also getting out of my comfort zone. It made me feel secure enough to try new things and not be afraid of rejection. I think that’s very important to truly thrive as a person.   If your goal isn’t to become your best self, then what are you really doing?  No one wants to feel like they are being held back from pursuing or being something because of certain obstacles, like where you live. A lot of people fear judgment and rejection. Living in south Florida, I am able to pursue my singing career and be accepted for it.

Let’s talk about your upcoming EP called “Honeyed Words.” What was it like putting this collection together? Did anything surprise you about the whole process? What was the inspiration for these songs? How do you think your first released single, “Lullaby” prepares listeners for the rest of the EP?

It’s been a crazy experience putting this record together. These songs are a reflection of my life, so it was definitely emotional and hard at times, but it was good to come to terms with a lot of things. It was almost like a healing process that I needed to go through. That is what surprised me the most through creating the project. I knew I would get emotional, but I didn’t really understand that it could help me heal. The songs being a reflection of my life go hand in hand with the title “Honeyed Words”. It basically means sweet nothings or meaningless words. I’ve been told words that essentially didn’t mean anything or promises that were broken. When you listen, you’ll understand.  “Lullaby” sets the tone for the rest of the record.

What was the inspiration specifically behind “Lullaby”? How do you typically go about writing songs and finding the inspiration for them?

The inspiration for Lullaby was from personal experiences. I had my producer/songwriter Elliot James and songwriter Nick Wells with me to write Lullaby as well as the the rest of the songs. We’re all friends so nothing was really forced. We had conversations about life and personal experiences. Elliot was on the guitar. I think that’s how you make a really genuine and honest song. Just by having a simple conversation that may be hard to talk about. You can get so much inspiration from just that. That’s how we did it, and it worked beautifully.

How do you think this new music is different or similar to your previous releases “Give You Up” and “Do That For Me”? How do you continue to grow as an artist each year?

It’s certainly different from “Give You Up”, but not that far from “Do That For Me”. Every song I make brings me closer and closer to my true sound. It is a process, but a learning process at that. It’s almost like trial and error in a way. You have to experiment in order to know what you really want to create.  My true sound is more on the R&B side and I have been incorporating that in my recent music.

I am curious to know how you went from being featured in so many people’s videos to really upping your own career? Has this been something that you have wanted to do for a long time?

It has been something I’ve wanted to do for a really long time. I’ve always been a little shy and I still kind of am. I guess I just needed to gradually get out there more and more and really get out of my own head. I ultimately realized not to let other peoples negativity affect me.

How do you think that being a musician has helped you live your best life? Can you talk about the joy that it brings you today?

It truly has helped me live my best life. Being a musician has allowed me to be honest with myself. That’s so important to me because for the longest time it was really difficult for me to admit things to myself and to not dwell on the past. Being an artist helps me come to terms with a lot of things in my life, and it allows me to move forward and keep evolving and growing. This is because I write about my life, my story. To make the best songs, you have to just be honest and tell the truth. It is difficult to do that, but once I overcame that metaphorical wall I created in my head, that’s when the powerful song ideas started to come out. It was much easier for me to open up to not just myself but to the rest of the world. Being an artist also allows me to express myself in a creative way. It has been a great outlet to express my moods and feelings, and to really just be myself. I’ve gained so much confidence through this, confidence I was definitely lacking. It’s allowed me to get out of my comfort zone and not be afraid of failure or rejection. Being an artist has allowed me to be my true self, and that makes me the happiest.

What are your plans for the rest of the summer? Do you have any plans to tour live?

I’m going to be promoting my “Honeyed Words” EP, spend some time with my friends and take a girls trip, and see my family.

Who are some of your very favorite artists or rather, what musicians have continued to inspire you and your music? What musicians would you absolutely love to work with in the future?

My favorite artists who also inspire me every day come from all sorts of genres. I love listening to Amy Winehouse and Frank Sinatra. I also love the old school No Doubt.   Lana Del Rey and Rihanna are long time favorites. Jhené Aiko and SZA give me lots of inspiration because of their rawness. I would love to work with Drake, Future and Rihanna.  That’s the goal.

What do you hope is the message of your music? What do you hope people continue to take away from your songs?

The message I want people to take from my music is that things happen in life that we cant control, but it doesn’t mean we should stop in our shadows and not continue to move forward from them. It may be hard, but you have to do it to move on, in your own time of course. Also, that you shouldn’t be afraid to get out there and take charge of your own life. Don’t let people hold you back from being great. You have the power to create your own life, your own path, so make it one that you will be happy living.

What advice would you give to someone just getting started on this music path? Or even to someone young that is thinking of becoming a musician one day?

I would say there are going to be people who will try to bring you down time and time again. They will criticize everything you do and tell you that you won’t make it. What you have to remember is these people only do that because they don’t want you to make it, they don’t want to see you turn your dreams into a reality because maybe they can’t. You just have to really stay focused on the goal, not get distracted by the small things, and remember why you are doing it. Not everyone has the courage to go after his or her dreams.   If you choose to, you are extremely brave. If you continue to work hard and defeat obstacles thrown at you while still having a positive mindset, nothing will stop you from reaching that dream.

Is there anything else that you would like to share with our readers about yourself or your music?

I just hope that people can relate to my music and continue to be inspired every day. It may be difficult, but to truly evolve as a person and become great, you have to try and find the light in any situation given to you. I hope that people will continue to accept me as an artist, but also as a person. I’m excited to connect with people through this music and I’m hopeful my music will inspire and help others.