- 1 day ago
Bebe Rexha joins us inside the Hard Rock Hotel New York to take us inside her new song, "I Like You Better Than Me," and her upcoming album, 'Dirty Blonde.'
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00:02We're at the Hard Rock Hotel New York in the Rockstar Suite. This is your check-in
00:06with Bebe Rexha. It's so good to see you again.
00:09Mike, how are you?
00:11I'm good. We got a lot to talk about. The independent thing I think is really cool.
00:15I want you to kind of explain to me why now it was a good point for you to do
00:21this because I
00:22imagine 2026 independent Bebe Rexha is way different than if you were an independent
00:28artist when you were first getting started, right?
00:31Yeah. In the beginning, it's good to have that support. But I think when you get to a certain
00:36point in your life where you want a little bit more creative freedom and to be able to do what
00:40you want, I feel like independent is the way to go. And especially with Empire, they kind of,
00:46I wouldn't say crazy. My ideas could be a little crazy sometimes and they're always kind of rooting
00:50me on like, let's try it. Let's go. And I think it's so much more fun to have that flexibility.
00:55Yeah. And do you feel like you're able to touch everything now, like more creative freedom
01:01and all that?
01:02Not only that, but also like the way that we release music and the way that music comes
01:08out, you don't have to take such a traditional approach.
01:10Right, right, right.
01:11You know, so like, especially how we're putting out this album, Dirty Blonde is so much more
01:16different than I've ever done it before. And that's something that's exciting to me because
01:21fans and people in general consume music so much differently than they did 10 plus years ago.
01:27Totally. You know, I'm Listening is one of our big initiatives. We put the spotlight on mental
01:32health awareness and you've been very open about some of the terrible things you've endured
01:37throughout your career. I'm just curious, like, how have you learned to protect yourself now
01:45and protect your mental health as a seasoned artist?
01:49Not even as a seasoned artist. I think as a human being, it's really important to be able
01:54to actually check in with yourself daily throughout the day. We were on set two weeks ago and we
02:01had to shoot 13 music videos in three days. And I think by the end of the second day, I
02:06was
02:06kind of hitting a wall. And I felt like I was getting anxious because I wanted to get everything
02:11done, but I wanted everything to look good. So what did I do for that moment? I shut all the
02:15lights off in my dressing room and I invited whoever wanted to come. It was like maybe 10 of us.
02:20And we
02:21were just all laying on the floor and we put some meditation music on just to calm ourselves.
02:25And I think it's really important to be in tune with yourself. And if you're feeling anxious or
02:29you're feeling a little sad, the best technique for me is to not judge yourself and not trying to
02:36try to run away from those feelings. It's like, how can I soothe myself? And that's different for
02:40everybody. It might be a walk. It might be going to get a cup of coffee, even though it sounds
02:44like
02:44it might be counterintuitive. But for me, I like a nice cup of coffee. You know, it's like feel
02:49soothing, something warm, maybe a bath, maybe listening to your favorite song, or even just sitting
02:54there and breathing. It's the simple things that really, really want work. And I feel like you got
02:59that confidence now where you're like, you know, I know this might not be the most convenient thing
03:04for the day and our timeline, but if you want the best BB Rexha, this is what I need to
03:09do for a
03:09second. Even if like for me, sometimes like I'll just go to the bathroom. Yeah. You know, just sit,
03:16you know, you can sit on the toilet a little extra longer, you know, obviously you have the, you know,
03:20the toilet seat covering or, you know, you just go to the bathroom, close the door, you know,
03:23just take a deep breath, whatever, put some water on your neck. Like you have to be able to know
03:28yourself. Cause I feel like a lot of times, especially women, and I'm sure men as well,
03:32you let me know, but I feel like we push, push, push, push. And then like, we kind of hit
03:36a wall.
03:36And I think it's important to be like, I need a second, you know, I need, and then if you
03:42can't
03:42say that, cause you feel like you're around like, you know, work people, whatever, go to the bathroom.
03:46Yeah. Yeah. So you have to run out real quick. Yeah. That's your, that's, you know, my little secret.
03:50So the, the new album from what I've heard with dirty blonde, it, it sounds like, you know,
03:57a bunch of the songs sound like nothing you've ever done before. Do you feel like you kind of,
04:02um, took some risks and went outside the box with this one?
04:07Yeah. So I did take, you know, a little bit of the old BB new BB, but for example,
04:13we have a song called drinking a little love and it's, I wouldn't consider it a country song.
04:18It's a pop song with country influence, but then it goes into like a full on dance song,
04:22like a Jersey bounce song. Yeah. Yeah. Um, and that to me was exciting because it's like
04:27how I've had, you know, the success with meant to be in Florida Georgia line. And then a lot of
04:31stuff with David Guetta. And it was like, how could I combine the two? Yeah. And it's like moments like
04:36that, that were really exciting to me. Or if, um, you know, the best way for me to explain it
04:41is to
04:42kind of bring back, but like, for example, I had I'm a mess and, um, what I loved about that
04:46song
04:46was how open and honest and vulnerable I was. And I love, you know, I love like live guitars,
04:52you know? So I was like, how can I take that and then make it work in this album? Let
04:56me add a,
04:56a, a big kick dance, kick drum to it. So that that's been really fun to me,
05:01like kind of genre bending a little bit. Do you feel like, um, that's going to be the song,
05:05the, the song that goes from like, you know, dance to a country. Do you think that's
05:10going to be the one that surprises fans the most? Yeah. There's a, there's a,
05:14there's a handful of them that are really cool. They start, there's like a song that I have
05:18that starts like really acoustic and then it goes into like a massive, big pop rock record.
05:24Cool. Cool. So that's like a really, and you wouldn't expect it to go where it goes.
05:27Cause in the beginning it's just me and the guitar and it just gets bigger and bigger and bigger and
05:31bigger. And then it goes to like a rhythmic verse. It's cool. It's really cool. So from,
05:35from debut album to now, how do you feel like, uh, technique wise, your, your writing has changed
05:42even like what you select to write about? Oh, wow. You know, for the longest time,
05:47I feel like on my sophomore album and my third album, I almost felt like I was not in the
05:53best
05:53headspace. I think even like internally the team that I had around me, um, and that can really affect,
06:00you know, how you put music out. Not cause you know, I was always writing. Um, so that can,
06:07it can really, it changes a lot, you know? And I think now I think it's more so just being
06:13more
06:14unapologetic and, um, putting out things that I just really love because I have such a strong
06:21team behind me and I just feel like I have a whole bunch of cheerleaders and they're not just yes,
06:25people also they'll guide me, you know, if I'm going in the wrong direction and it's nice to have
06:29that backbone, you need that backbone as an artist. Totally. Um, yeah, of course you need to be strong
06:33in your own boots, but it's really nice to have that team. You know, and I feel like from what
06:39I've
06:39heard, you know, on, on some of the songs, you'll be like really feeling yourself, bigging yourself up.
06:45And then on the next song, it's like, yeah, you're beating yourself up kind of hard. So do you feel
06:50like when you say like crying in the bedroom to crying on the dance floor? Yeah. There's some songs
06:54like that. And then there's some songs that are like, I'm the shit. Like, was that just where you
06:59were at in your life when you were working on it? Highest of highs, lowest of lows. It's funny. Like
07:04when I started the project, I started like it being more of a dance album. And then I kind of
07:10hit a
07:10wall because I was like, I don't know if I could do 13 songs. I have so much, I have
07:14so much I want
07:15to say. And like what I wanted to add with the last couple albums is like, when I look at
07:18expectations, I was able to reach a part of myself that didn't feel like so much pressure.
07:23Yeah. Um, so I was able to really connect to myself and like, for like my second and third
07:27album, which I still really love, I felt like a little numb, you know, I wasn't able to like
07:32tap into like that part of me, which I've been able to tap. And it happened in the last year,
07:37really, because the album started out as a dance album. And then it was like, at a certain point,
07:41I was like, I feel like I'm just like dying to get this part of me out that feels like
07:45there's like,
07:45it's hidden by a wall. And then we were able to write songs like I like you better than me
07:50or
07:50time, which is really meaningful to me or the way I want you. Um, that talk about so many different
07:56things that are like really vulnerable for me, whether it's like unrequited love or, um,
08:02my insecurities or feeling like I wasted the best years of my life in the wrong relationships.
08:08So many different topics that speak to me. But then there's also the songs that are like,
08:13towards the end, I think that's when I was starting to feel myself because I had kind of
08:16worked through all of that. Yeah, yeah. You're like, I'm good. I'm good now. I wrote nobody's
08:21there. I was like writing all these songs are kind of like, right, right. You know, it's funny,
08:25because that's how life is, right? We go through our ups and downs. So that's like what this project
08:29is for me. Right. And then you remember who you are. And you're like, hold up. I got a few
08:32more songs.
08:33I've been that bitch. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Before we wrap, um, two quickies. Uh, tell me
08:39your favorite song you've written for another artist. Like the artist took it on, but it never
08:44came to fruition. Like it just never came out. Oh, wow. I don't know. Cause I also don't want to
08:50say
08:51like, you know, you don't want to like make anybody offend anybody or not offend anybody,
08:56but just, what about, what about the ones that came out? Do you have a favorite? There was one
09:01that I did a song, um, called nothing compares to you, uh, by Mickey. I don't want to mess up
09:07her
09:07last name. Guyton. Guyton. I don't know how to say her last name. I'm so sorry. Um, she's an incredible
09:12country artist. And I wrote that with Tyler, um, from Florida, Georgia line. And that song,
09:17I felt like, could it, I feel like people need to listen to it just because her voice is so
09:21phenomenal. Um, that song is really gorgeous. Yeah. Yeah. And you feel like
09:25it went under the radar a little bit. Yeah. It deserves more. That song's a beautiful,
09:29beautiful song. And last question outside of BB Rex, uh, uh, next year, halftime show,
09:34who would you like to see? Well, I'm waiting for, I feel like I'm waiting for Taylor to have her
09:40moment. I know. Like, it just feels like it makes sense. Her and Jay Z. I'm like,
09:44what are you guys like? They're taking us so long. He needs cause he books it, right? Yeah. He books
09:49it.
09:49And he said like, he didn't want, I think she wanted to wait. Like, I think she's a very smart
09:52woman.
09:53Yeah. And I think she's probably going to do it when the time, the timing is right and makes sense.
09:57And I think, you know, it's, that's, I think I'm like excited to see what she does. Yeah. Yeah.
10:03Yeah. There's so many people that I think need to like do it, you know? Yeah. Yeah. I know. And
10:07we haven't had a rock one in a long time. I'm like, can we do like a rock? What do
10:11you think? What
10:12are you thinking? Uh, you know, I do love Foo Fighters, but like, I feel like Tame Impala would be
10:17cool.
10:17I don't know. Like we haven't had a rock one. That would be cool. That'd be cool.
10:21Even like a bunch of people. Like how Aerosmith, like the Aerosmith or like Prince or like Michael
10:25Jackson though, one of the best of all time. I went back and watched that recently. And he just
10:29stands there. It's crazy. I get chills thinking about it. Yeah. Beyonce, Rihanna even. Yeah.
10:34Yeah. Cool. Well, thank you so much. We're so excited for everything. You're awesome. I'm glad
10:39you and I could catch up. Yeah. It was so good to see you.
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