interviewing: Brianna Knight

In celebration of the release of “So Deep”, Renouveau Media caught up with singer, songwriter & poet Brianna Knight, who has established a confident, cool image, has built a strong, supportive fan base, and plans to do a whole lot more.

Iuliana: Hey Brianna! How are you? Can you introduce yourself briefly?
Brianna: Hi! I’m doing great! I’m a singer, songwriter and poet from Spring Valley New York. I’m an R&B and Neo-Soul head at heart. I also love cat videos and helping people.

Iuliana: How would you describe your personality in three words?
Brianna: Creative. Positive. Amicable.

Iuliana: Can you briefly walk us through your story? How were you first introduced to the music industry?
Brianna: I began singing before I could speak! My mother sang to me while she was pregnant and her favorite thing to say is she feels like I heard her. Growing up she’d have me sing in church and at school. I loved local talent shows which morphed into Christian performance competitions and musicals. My favorite music teacher helped me hone my voice and learn how to control it. My director for musicals truly helped me develop confidence for the stage. Once I got to college, I started performing way more, even getting gigs. I started taking my guitar playing seriously. The time I realized this is what I want to do was when I opened for Samoht. It was just me and my guitar and I had a whole crowd in AWE. It felt nerve wracking but awesome! I’ve been training all my life and now everything is coming together!

Iuliana: Which artist, album or song had the biggest impact on you as a musician?
Brianna: Definitely Lauryn Hill. I got inspired to learn how to MC from her and my guitar playing came from her. My favorite album that influenced what I’d like to leave behind in the world was the Whats Going on album by Marvin Gaye. It was a really honest opinion on the world which remains relevant today, a timeless work of art.

Iuliana: As far as songs go, do the lyrics or the music come first?
Brianna: It depends on my message at the moment. If I feel like I need to heal or help someone else heal, the lyrics come first. Sometimes when I’m just free flowing, I let the music come first. Sometimes the music tells you exactly what it wants you to say.

Iuliana: You recently released a single – “So Deep”. What was the writing process like? Can you elaborate on the point you were getting across while writing the track?
Brianna: I was searching for Steve Lacey type beats, feening for something similar to funk but still current R&B. When I heard the instrumental I immediately had the first two lines but I struggled with something after. I wanted to be honest and real with what I was saying. I ended up leaving the song for a week and came back knowing I wanted to write about my current relationship. I feel like there’s so many songs about pain, especially with black women. We deserve a healthy love, we deserve a partner that adores us, protects us and makes us feel admired. I wanted to use my current relationship as hope for other women.

Iuliana: What has been a favorite performance of yours so far?
Brianna: Wow! I loved performing for the Apollo! My friend and I had to pre-record a music video/live performance. It was so different from what we usually do! It allowed me to take on more of a creative director role.

Iuliana: If you had a theme song, what would it be?
Brianna: Definitely a mix between the Proud Family Theme song but the cuteness of the TV Show New Girl and the funk of Anderson Paak. I’m very goofy but also can be cool (sometimes).

Iuliana: How do you feel about social media? What do you think social media has done for your career so far?
Brianna: Social media is a love hate relationship. Right now I’ve been off of my instagram because I needed a break. Its fun when you have the time but when you’re a one woman show, it can be draining but I’m learning balance and to truly let social media come naturally! When it’s been authentic, it’s done so much for my career! I’ve found some of my fanbase on instagram and also helped develop my singing using social media. Recently, I got on Twitter Spaces and definitely tried out music I was truly scared to perform in person. Social media has kept me on my toes and definitely shown me I do love interacting as well as experimenting on it.

Iuliana: What else do you have planned for 2021? Are there any future projects that you would like to let our readers know?
Brianna: Expect some more music, seeing my face in some commercials and wayyyy more social media engagement on all platforms! Expect the So Deep Remixes July 6th. It’s going to be amazing!!

Iuliana: What advice would you have for someone wanting to follow in your footsteps?
Brianna: Take time to experience life. You can’t write songs outta thin air, make sure you have some type of story. Ask for help no matter how small it is. Always work on your craft. You wanna be great? Put in the work!

Follow Brianna on Instagram here.