For years, Blackbear perfected his craft, wrote songs for other artists, and released songs, albums and mixtapes that helped him expand a fan base, but did not attract the attention of the masses. Now, after a lot of time and a lot of work, the chosen rock/hip-hop musician, despite everything, is making forays into the charts, and that’s the music to his ears.
I spoke to Blackbear before the release of his new album Everything Means Nothing about paternity, new music and “sell”, a word he doesn’t seem to care about at all.
Hugh McIntyre: Congratulations on the new album! Why don’t you tell me a little bit about this assignment and how is it different?
Blackbear: That’s a very smart consultation because this is my sixth album … I know. There are mixtapes and new music and all that, but this is my sixth official album. My second, third, through Interscope Records. I guess it’s another because this time I took an eight-month break, took the time to film and see what other people liked along the way and see which songs were most productive at concerts. I responded to my audience and did songs that I know will be very happy to play live. I kept the screen in my brain when making all those records, so it’s a big problem.
And my life has replaced and what’s genuine to me is now another. I have a newborn son, now he is seven months old and there has been a lot of expansion and adult pains. So I think it’s shown in my music, but it’s still the smart old Blackbear.
McIntyre: I love that you say what’s genuine to you now. That’s one way of putting it.
Blackbear: That’s the most productive way I can say. A lot of people say it’s for sale, but the truth is that only I stay true to my dream, which is to play in sands and have songs on the radio. Exhausted is the most productive signal you can place in front of your store. So if I’m exhausted, well.
McIntyre: I like that mentality. You said you took a few months to check those songs along the way, but on your discography, you constantly come out of collections, EPs, mixtapes, albums. What does painting at this rate allow you to paint at this rate?
Blackbear: I don’t have many outdoor music hobbies. Basically, I wake up, exercise and put myself in a position to paint on the music, or if I have the press that day, as today, I take the time to communicate and consult some friends. Basically, I spend a lot of time conceptualizing the songs and the next thing I’m going to do. My career is more healing for me. Yes. That’s all I do every day. Then, of course, there will be a lot of music. I think the other thing about this record is that I take time. I took the time not to publish all the concepts and decide only for the most productive ones.
McIntyre: Listening to your music over the years, there are times when I would describe your paintings as rock of choice and there are times when I would call it natural hip hop. How would you describe your music?
Blackbear: It’s playlist music. Like you said, there’s a song for everyone and I feel like it’s pop music. At the end of the day, that’s what I’m doing now. And that’s how I am. It’s pop.
At 17, I studied with singer Ne-Yo and signed a production agreement with Compound, his company. I learned to write songs in h-hop/R-B format and learned to cut my voice a little slower than a pop song. In pop, it’s about rhythm. Everything is very overproduced and my music is more towards that right now. But I guess at other stages of my life, I feel animated through all the other things. Before all this, before I was at the R-B and before that, I was in rock bands at school. I think I’m a product of my environment.
McIntyre: Is there a song on this album that’s favorite?
Blackbear: Yes, my non-public favorite, which is “Sobbing in Cabo”, but that’s only because I love rhythm. I love the way I feel. I think it’s JustArray.. When I put the album on someone, it’s the first one I play and then I play “Half Alive” after that.
McIntyre: I was excited last year to see you pop in a way you didn’t do in the past with Hot Girl Bummer.
Blackbear: That’s right.
McIntyre: Tell me about it: inspiration and how you got as fast as you did.
Blackbear: Well, as I said, when I went on this album, I researched my own audience and what works live. I laughed a lot at the point of playing my song “Do Re Mi”, which is another Top 40 song I had, but it’s not in the Top 10 or anything. It’s my first big publicity hit. Every time I played this live, it was a party. I looked to make some other record, some other bachelor who can play live to spread the party all over the live. I definitely had the living brain in my brain.
Like I said, I’m a product of my environment. So I think at the time I was going to the club and doing my own studies with my friends and the circle I was in and I was just looking. I don’t drink, so I’m sitting there drinking Red Bull and I looked for moving from home, but I didn’t need to move from home because it sounds boring. I was in that room, I wasn’t even dancing, everyone was hunting each other and drinking diluted vodka or whatever. So I did a song about this environment.
McIntyre: I love the song and I liked the wise editing of some other hit song at the time, and I’m glad to see that it’s doing so well on the charts you just spoke. Does that mean anything to you? Position and sales charts and all that?
Blackbear: I think it would be a lie if I said I didn’t care. I mean, it’s making smart music with the themes at most and the positions on the charts and the cash, and all those things are a byproduct of the wonderful and I just need to do wonderful things. I’m interested now that I have a son and I need to pay for his college and stuff.
McIntyre: You said this album was specially designed to travel and how it will take place on the road, but it turns out it wouldn’t be an option for anyone who knows how long. Have you replaced your thinking at the end of the album?
Blackbear: That’s a smart question. I don’t know. I think that would possibly be the case, but I was already 90% finished with the album at the time, when COVID exploded. And I think it was like, well, I got here and I’ll be at game shows at some point. So I moved on.
McIntyre: So there are no tours right now and we can do a lot. How about the rest of the year?
Blackbear: We’re entering a live virtual show. We can move on to a popular hotel and stream live. Lately we have other concepts broadcasting, other facets of the show live. And also, instead of doing a merchandising pop-up on Hollywood Boulevard or whatever, we did an online merchandising pop-up where you can make your own haberdashery, and we gave you t-shirts and hoodies with other colors and other designs. you can put on and make your own merchandising.
McIntyre: I love to see what artists are doing now that it’s transparent that the tours probably won’t take place for a while. It’s very attractive to see where other people are headed.
Blackbear: We don’t shoot, but you can’t deprive us of our creativity, can you?
I’m a freelance music journalist founded in New York. My signature has given the impression on The Huffington Post, Billboard, Mashable, Noisey, The Hollywood Reporter, MTV, Fuse,
I’m a freelance music journalist founded in New York. My firm has made the impression on The Huffington Post, Billboard, Mashable, Noisey, The Hollywood Reporter, MTV, Fuse and dozens of other magazines and blogs around the world. I love following the biggest and most successful names in the industry, and I’m interested in highlighting incredible feats and finding what’s next.