We were lucky to catch up with Brittneye recently and have shared our conversation below.

Brittneye, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

The biggest risk I ever took was thinking anything other than Plan A was an option, taking “no” as the end all be all answer, and allowing the opinions and fears of others to manifest within my psyche. You may think these scenarios aren’t risks. Or maybe you were expecting something along the lines of investing in a industry-first business venture, but no. I took a risk of not betting on myself. But, I had to shake that mess off. Let me tell you the story of how I began to live for the second time of my life. Doctors told my husband and I we would not be able to conceive, I was told people who looked like me couldn’t have success in the music industry, I was told no more times than I care to count and as a result I shrunk myself, I dimmed my light, I sought out other avenues that I’d hoped could fill my creative bucket. Then one day, after I surrendered, quite literally saying aloud “What you have for me is for me and I will be okay with it”, I discovered I was pregnant. The very thing I was told would never happen to me…to us… happened! Not only did it happen, but there were two buns in my oven! That changed everything for me. I realized I’d been hoodwinked and bamboozled! During our pregnancy I watched the body I’d been so critical of nourish and provide for of all three of us. I embraced her. I began to truly accept every part of her and subsequently every part of me. I began to live again. Then I thought “What if I gave music my all?” Maybe all that crap was a lie too. I started writing more songs (I’d never stop writing even if it was just for fun), I started working on my craft vocally, I started to believe and breathe again. Here I am, two years later embarking on my first professional studio project titled 11:11. I poured my heart, tears, sweat, joy, sadness, trials, and triumphs into the music in hopes to inspire more women to stop living a life of risk and go with Plan A, walk in your purpose, and do it unapologetically.

Brittneye, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m Texas born and raised! Yes, everything is bigger in Texas, but contrary to popular belief we do not ride horses everywhere except on Sundays to church. Another popular belief is that I started singing in church first which is not true. I started singing R&B and Pop first. One of my core memories of falling in love with R&B is when my grandfather, John, asked me to sing a new record by Aaliyah. I learned the song and sung it for him while he grinned and encouraged me to keep singing. Another core memory and most notably when I realized the power of music was when I sang at a Boys & Girls Club fundraiser when I was about 8 years old. I remember it vividly, I sang Whitney Houston’s “Greatest Love of All” eyes closed tightly singing my little heart out, then half way through I opened my eyes and everyone was crying. I’m talking full boo-hoo even grown men. I thought something was wrong so afterwards I asked why everyone was crying and I was told because I’d touched their hearts with my voice. I didn’t fully understand the impact that moment had on my life until much later. I began writing my own songs around this age as well. My approach to songwriting is unconventional. I believe that music is by nature is limitless and genre-less. Sure every artist has their own unique style and nuances but at the core it’s music; and I believe artist deserve to experiment and create freely which is one of the reasons I started my label. I hope to challenge the status quo collaboratively with likeminded musicians, vocalists, songwriters, and music industry professionals. Let the music drive the business not the other way around. I also want to build and support women in the industry and change the narrative as it relates to women in music. A Brittneye record is going to make you feel empowered and fearless. The 11:11 era is all about self-love, acceptance, it’s also sexy, vulnerable, and carefree. There’s also themes of sisterhood and female empowerment threaded through because we are the $hit.

I’m so proud of the journey I’ve grown through in this process even the adversity because it made me a better human and it made me stronger physically, mentally, and spiritually. If you don’t take anything else away from me as an artist and fellow human being, remember that you are enough, you are worthy, and that you can do what others deem impossible.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

The music industry has changed more in the last five-seven years than in the last 50! In the United States, we don’t buy albums as much, we predominately stream which pays a fraction of a penny to artists per stream. If you want to support artists and creatives buy their merch, buy your concert ticket early, shout them out on social media, share their content, and tell your friends to check us out. Every little bit helps us to reinvest time in our craft and create more of the music and content you love. We’re in a beautiful space unlike any time in history where artists and fans are closer than ever. You want to know what your favorite artist is up to or when the next record is dropping. Go to social media and with a click of a button or touch of the screen you know. Artists, if you want an opinion on which single to drop first. Set up a live event and play your unreleased tracks and let your fans decide. Want to work with someone on a project, shoot your shot in the DMs: It’s truly amazing.
To have a thriving creative ecosystem we have to continue to decentralize and we have to collaborate freely.

Alright – so here’s a fun one. What do you think about NFTs?

I’m still learning about NFTs but from what I understand it’s another way fans can not only support their faves but also there’s an avenue of revenue for artists by leveraging royalties with fans like the last Nas album. I’m definitely going to leverage NFTs for the 11:11 project in the form of exclusive BTS.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.brittneye.net
• Twitter: @brittneye_
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCH4CiYID1zI1yi5zIklyM-g
• Other: TikTok: @brittneye_

Image Credits
Hair: Tym Wallace Makeup: Ashley from Atlanta