Singer and songwriter BriJolie, born Chelsea BriAnne Miller, has a voice that has walked her into rooms people only dream of. From singing in Kanye West’s Sunday Service Choir including the tours and album, BriJolie saw with her own eyes a musical genius bring songs to life. With each moment, she soaked up the lessons knowing her day was coming.
Now, on her own, she’s working on her soul and her mind. She created a brand made to fit and a sultry sound tailored to her expertise. Her eccentric ways and effortless voice belt out lyrics to cut, yet her voice polishes over the wounds with a light touch. Her latest single “Truth Is” debuted in the early stages of quarantine to great reviews giving her audience the breakup anthem for the summer. So much so, she hopped back in the studio for a remix with producer and artist Gourty Maxx.
A student of her craft, BriJolie puts everything into her music. Not only is she studying the greats, but the way the world turns and she reaches for the stars. It’s literally just the beginning for her. After dropping three videos in 2020, it’s only a matter of time before she’s a household name.
What does your morning routine look like?
You know, I wake up, pray or meditate. Read a few pages in my book. I'm reading this book called The Artist’s Way, which is like spiritual connectivity to your craft basically. So just finding you know just like hidden things that you might need to tap into and like uncover in order to reach your full potential as a creative. It's for all creative so I do recommend that book, The Artist’s Way, it's on Amazon. So you know, read a few pages of that, get my skincare routine going because you know this skin got to glow and then I start my day.
HAS to glow! But speaking to The Artist’s Way, what have you taken from the book that you have already begun implementing into your life?
Honestly, really just setting time aside to work on something every day. I mean, I know we feel like, during this pandemic, it is a lot of pressure because people be trying to stay busy and it's good to be busy but not fake busy you know what I'm saying. Like actually investing and doing things that will help propel you forward in whatever you're doing. So, they tell you to write a whole page of just whatever, just your thoughts when you wake up in the morning. So I've been doing that. Sometimes when you don't even have anything to write, you just write, ‘I don't have anything to write.’ So you're just kind of releasing things because I feel sometimes you go to sleep with things on our minds and we wake up and they’re still going, so that's a way to kind of just like release that. That's what I've been doing lately.
How’s creating been for you during this period?
It’s been great! Of course, I'm a very transparent person so I've had my ups and downs. I've had times where I literally do nothing all day, but then the next day I kick it into gear and just kind of really hone in on it. I have my own studio now which is cool, so I spend a lot of time there working on my music and also writing for others and just coming up with ideas. Just trying to learn, teach myself a lot of things, and keep working.
Coming from singing in Kanye West’s choir to being quarantined, tours canceled, and all, how was the transition from that and into a more self-centered space where it's like ‘I’m just focusing on me,’ kind of mindset?
It's a bittersweet feeling because I do miss work and I miss like, you know, you're literally in that setting, surrounded by 100 other artists. So it really pushes you and motivates you to really dive into things but now since we're separated and the only way you can really connect is virtually through social media but it's crazy because everyone is still releasing stuff and keeping each other lifted and being really supportive in the process. So, of course, I miss it, but honestly, the transition has been amazing because you just have that support system around you.
What's one of the biggest takeaways that you have taken from that situation that you're using for yourself or for your career?
Man, just working with Mr. West who is like an amazing visionary and artist, one of the biggest artists of our time and just seeing him in his element. A lot of people say whatever, you know, but that man is passionate about what he does and his ideas. He nurtures them and then puts them on the table and watch them come into fruition. I feel like as an artist, it is hard like Erykah Badu said it best, ‘We are sensitive about our shit!’ So it's just like when you put it out and be like, ‘Oh, what is it gonna be?’ But Kanye, he knows that he's gonna kill everything that he puts out. Whether it's Sunday Service or whether it's an album, you know whatever. So I really took that and just kind of ran with it and kind of try to get rid of those little insecurities and just be true to my art and be passionate about it. Putting whatever I feel like out at the moment.
You know, sometimes people hold back on questions as they may come off negative, but since we aim to be as authentic as possible and you spoke to insecurities, without downing yourself - what are some of the insecurities that you have as an artist?
No, it’s important to put those out. I feel like our generation is really learning how to cope through things that maybe have affected us throughout our lifetime and we’re able to identify those things and try to work on them. So really, I've had these insecurities all my life but I'm just now bringing it to the forefront. But just being apprehensive about just my writing. That's one of my insecurities or my look you know saying. When you're an “artist” you have to have a look so I'll be like, ‘Well, should I post this?’ or ‘Is it okay if my fans,’ - I don't like to say fans but supports system - ‘Sees me with my natural hair or sees me before I beat my face.’ So, I am all about getting glammed up and stuff like that, but I do want people to know the genuine me. So, fighting through that and just learning how to just do it. People will like it and sometimes they won't, but as far as like insecurities, I try not to focus on them a lot. I try not to look at them as experiences but things that I can grow through and learn from.
As far as your writing goes because you do and have written your own songs like “Truth Is” when did you write that and how did that come about?
I co-wrote “Truth Is” with my best friend Delano who is an amazing songwriter. He came up with the concept and we just fed off of each other. But you know there are some days when I can come in and write a fire song in like an hour and then there are some days where I'm in the studio for three hours and I can't even think of something that rhymes with like “can” like googling words if you're just like, ’Oh God, what can I talk about?’
With “Truth Is” what were you studying? What were your feelings and emotions towards the message? How did the outcome make you feel for yourself as an artist on your own?
It was a really bold move for me because I am an edgy and bold girl, literally I stand four feet 10 inches off the ground, but I'm very fiery. So, that song for me was kind of just like a breakout and really, who I am and the things that I can say and I can have that grit, but I can also be classy at the end of the day. That song for me was just kind of an empowerment thing. I feel like as women sometimes we're afraid to tell our truth or, you know, really put the facts out on the table but dudes can say and do whatever they want. Sometimes that's unfair and it feels crazy because even in music I feel like a lot of women, maybe sometimes limit themselves because they’re afraid to talk about those things. Missy Elliott was really like a huge inspiration to me, because she's a woman who's very open just about sexuality and relationships and just all of that. So, ‘Truth Is” for me was just like really what the title is, putting that real truth out on the table.
How do you want your art to be viewed in the world?
Well, I would say, for people to really just relate to who I am. You know I am just one woman but there are a million other women in the world that probably can relate to maybe something that I have gone through or can just relate to my music. Of course, now we live in an age where songs are just coming out like, out the ATM, people just producing songs and putting them out. But making music that means something to me and that can mean something to others. So I really just want people to embrace what comes out of making music. It's not just the beat, it’s not just the bass that you like to bump. It's not just the little gem that you like in the background, it’s about the lyrics and the message that you're giving off in your music. I always want people to see that and just relate to it.
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