00:00What's up, fam? I am Empress Renato, Senior Social Producer here at Essence, and today I'm speaking with Brittany Spencer, who is bringing her free spirit and angelic voice to Essence Fest.
00:11All right, welcome to Black Girl Magic Headquarters, Brittany.
00:15Hi.
00:17I know this is your first Essence Fest. How does it feel to bring country music to the festival?
00:23Like, one, first of all, it's a dream to be at Essence Fest.
00:27I am, I'm such a fan.
00:30And so I've been looking forward to this, literally ever since that one time, Beyonce and Brandy performed at the same time, the same year.
00:40But even before that, I'm just excited.
00:42And to be able to bring country music to Essence Fest is, it's an honor.
00:48You know, I've always, I've always wanted to make music that, that reached our people too.
00:54And so that, that means a lot to me that, um, I feel very welcomed and embraced, uh, at this festival because it really is a dream of mine.
01:04Oh, well, we are so excited to have you.
01:07We're so excited to have your sound, just, just everything.
01:10And I know this is probably going to be one of many Essence Fest performances for you.
01:14So welcome.
01:16Welcome home.
01:18Amazing.
01:20So I just want to bring up one of the most iconic moments that you've had thus far.
01:25Um, last year at the CMT Awards, you, Mickey Guyton, and Madeline Edwards sung, Love My Hair.
01:36No, I'm not scared to love who I am.
01:41I love my hair.
01:43And it was so inspirational.
01:49It was just incredible to see three beautiful Queens on that stage singing a song that was so affirming.
01:56What did that moment mean to you?
01:59It meant everything.
02:00I mean, just allowing that moment to be the first time that I stepped onto, uh, a music award show and for it to be about me and two women that I admire a lot, um, singing about how we, we love our hair in the world, you know, singing about how we love something that hasn't always been so socially acceptable to the rest of the world, but something that I've always thought is beautiful.
02:29You know, I love my blackness and I love everything about it.
02:32Um, it's what makes me.
02:34And so being able to, to sing a song like that, uh, it was incredible.
02:38And I'm, I'm grateful to Mickey.
02:40I mean, I'm a new artist.
02:41So many people haven't even heard of my name yet.
02:44And so for her to take a chance on two new artists and to just bring us onto that stage and to sing such a personal song to her journey, but also to the journey of so many people in the world, particularly black women whose song was made for.
02:59It's, uh, it's overwhelming.
03:01It's overwhelming when I think about it.
03:03Hmm.
03:03A feeling of overwhelming, but also a feeling of love and gratitude and all the above.
03:10Overwhelmed in the best way.
03:11You want to feel all those things.
03:13You want to feel affirmed and loved and accepted and feel like you belong.
03:17Um, and, uh, I really, I remember very specifically after singing that song, seeing a lot of messages and comments from people, um, just saying, I'm so glad a song like this exists.
03:30And I'm so glad that you guys presented it in the way that you did.
03:35And, uh, I mean, that whole thing is a testament to the beauty of blackness.
03:40But for me also, Mickey Guyton, I love her.
03:44I think in general, the, the music you create, the music you write, the songs you've seen, you've seen are just authentic and rate and relatable.
03:56So your pin game in general is just chef's kiss.
04:03So how does it feel in general just to be a part of a new generation of black country music artists who are making that level of impact and making this kind of genre bending music?
04:15I mean, I think it's hella dope.
04:18I mean, there is this new sound, this new wave happening in country music.
04:24And I think so much of it is being facilitated by people in the margins.
04:30It's, it's people of color and it's, it's women.
04:33And right now there's this incredible black way you happen.
04:36And, and, uh, it's, it's dope to be a part of it.
04:39You know, it's honoring and humbling, of course, to be a part of it as well.
04:43Think about so many artists, like, and we're all so different, like, like I'm different than, than Blanco, who's different than Raina Roberts, who's different from Mickey Guy and who's different from Breeland, who's different than, uh, that Sasha, who's, who's a black Canadian artist.
05:00Um, then, you know, Jimmy Allen, it's just, it's so many different kinds of sounds coming out.
05:07And, uh, I think we're all bringing our own little version of it to country music.
05:11Um, and we're all telling our stories in our own way.
05:14And I think that's so beautiful to see how we are all so different and to be, to be part of that.
05:21It's just, I don't know.
05:23It's like, it just gets you going.
05:25Like for me, at least it's inspiring as hell.
05:27It's like, Hey, what, what can I make today?
05:29You know, what can I do today?
05:31How can I tell my story today?
05:32What can I, I don't know, what can I do to add my little mark in my own little corner, I guess?
05:38Yes.
05:39So in general, your music is socially conscious, it's honest, and it's spiritual.
05:46What is the message that you're spreading with your music in particular?
05:50The message.
05:52Um, I just live life and I observe life.
05:57And I, I just talk about things that are on my mind and I try to be a socially conscious person in that I try to, I try to live a life that, um, that makes the people around me feel seen.
06:12And there's a lot of different kinds of people around me.
06:16I like for my world to at least emulate the actual world, not this little bubble of a certain kind of person, but there's so many people in the world and I want to, I want to connect with all of them.
06:27And I think that's what my music aims to do.
06:30When I think about songs like sober and skinny.
06:33People ask me what that song is about and I really, I can't give you an answer.
06:50It's, I've tried, it never actually sounds great.
06:53It's just the story, like the song starts in the middle of a conversation, a really serious heart to heart with this couple where one wants the other to change something about themselves, but they're both just projecting their own personal insecurities or issues or whatever onto each other.
07:11Uh, and, and stories like that, it's just me recognizing that life is complicated and people are complicated and relationships.
07:20Love is hard and the hardest thing about being with someone else is that you get a really good, clear picture of yourself and how you see yourself and how the world sometimes views you as well.
07:30And, and, uh, I just, I want to write songs that just tell those complex stories at times, but then there are the songs that I'm just a damn fool.
07:40And I like that too.
07:41You know, I'm a little bit ratchet, a little bit righteous, a little city, a little country.
07:46And I just, I just want to write about the broader scope of life because that's real to me.
07:54Sometimes we like ourselves.
07:55Sometimes we don't.
07:56Sometimes we're friends.
07:57Sometimes we feel alone.
07:59Sometimes we having a good time.
08:00Sometimes we're lonely.
08:01Sometimes, sometimes you have faith and other times you don't know what you're living for.
08:06That's, it's real life.
08:08And I just want to write about all of it.
08:09So, wow, you are such a well-rounded person and thank you so much for sharing these stories and, um, providing a platform for people to be connected to your words and your music and everything.
08:25That's, those are really kind words, what you just said.
08:27You're welcome.
08:28So happy to see your glow up.
08:30So happy that Essence is going to be a part of your glow up.
08:33Yes.
08:35I'm so hyped.
08:37My, I got some of my friends coming.
08:39My brother's coming.
08:40My partner's coming.
08:42We're going to have a good time.
08:44I might even be out there for the weekend.
08:45I'm trying to.
08:48I'm ready.
08:49We got to add an Essence button to your jumpsuit now.
08:52Y'all have Essence buttons.
08:54You know what?
08:55We might have to make them just for you in the jumpsuit.
08:57So.
08:59I'm here for it.
09:00I'm so excited about that.
09:01So, okay.
09:03Speaking of excitement, this year's theme of Essence Fest is, it's the black joy for me.
09:10Yes.
09:11Yes.
09:12I want to know what brings you joy.
09:14Ooh.
09:15What brings me joy?
09:16Talking to people like we are right now.
09:19I like, I love, I love my family, my friends.
09:24I don't get to see them very often because I work a lot.
09:27And because I live in Tennessee, I live in Nashville.
09:29But my whole family, everybody's still back in Baltimore.
09:33So just FaceTiming with them, seeing them, talking to them when I can.
09:36Um, I do like cooking, even though I don't get to do it that often anymore, but I love
09:42cooking.
09:43Um, I love finding ways to be creative, like even just outside of music, you know, if it's
09:50sewing something up real quick or like I mentioned cooking or I don't know, getting
09:57together, like, I don't know, figuring out what I want to wear, like styling myself sometimes.
10:01Like, that's fun for me.
10:03Like stuff like that is really dope.
10:05Yeah.
10:05Um, traveling.
10:07I really do love traveling.
10:08I love, I love just going and seeing some weird random place and going to a new city
10:14and acting like a civilian and trying to get out of all the, the touristy parts sometimes
10:18whenever I can.
10:19And I like that.
10:20Like we went to London last week because I had a show and I was so excited because we
10:24went to the Longeman.
10:26What?
10:27I was so excited.
10:28It was the best Longeman experience I ever had.
10:31Me just talking to some Brits and we were all just having a conversation.
10:35And, uh, I met, I met this guy.
10:37I come to find out he like this, this big TikToker, like, cause he boxes and stuff.
10:41And he's just like going all around the UK, just boxing and like made this huge internet
10:47following.
10:48It's, you just meet all kinds of people, but just random stuff like that just brings me
10:53so much joy.
10:54I love that.
10:55I think it sounds like it's just a little thing.
10:57It's a little things really speak to your heart and bring you joy.
11:01And that's what joy is.
11:02A little small, beautiful things.
11:05Little things.
11:06It's the little thing.
11:08I love that song.
11:09Yeah.
11:09You're right though.
11:10It is for me, at least.
11:12It sure is.
11:14Well, uh, Brittany, we are so excited to have you.
11:18That is the end of our interview.
11:20Yay.
11:21Well, thank you so much for having me.
11:22I appreciate it.
11:23Likewise.
11:24Likewise.
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