Bibi Bourelly has gotten big really fast. The 21-year-old singer exploded onto the scene last year when she wrote Rihanna‘s trap banger ‘Bitch Better Have My Money’, which has taken its rightful place at least once or twice on any gee-up party playlist. She’s followed it with Selena Gomez’s track ‘Camouflage’ and further credits on Rihanna’s ‘ANTI’. She’s on top of her songwriting game right now.
For someone who was only in high school two years ago, getting four song credits on Rihanna’s latest is a pretty fuckin’ big deal. But she’s focused on her own stuff now. She just released ‘Feel the Real Pt. 1″, a pretty sterling debut EP effort which melds the big bass of urban electro pop with some older sounds rooted in soul and early R’n’B.
Fresh off a press tour where she appeared with Jimmy Fallon and James Corden, as well as showing up for massively praised shows at SXSW, Bibi is ready to take it all on. We spoke to Bourelly and got her to throw together a Spotify playlist for us featuring her EP, songs she’s written and songs she’s appeared on – as well as some tunes from her friends and bands she’s vibing on right now. Crack outta the early week blues with these choons:
P.TV: You were on Jimmy Fallon and James Corden’s shows recently. What surprised you the most about that?
I dunno man – just the fact that fuckin’ two years ago I was a failing high school student. Two years later I’m on the Fallon show. It’s crazy.
P.TV: You also did SXSW for the first time too. I heard it was pretty huge.
It was super busy, but it was really fun. I got to hang out with a lot of my friends that I haven’t seen in a while because I’m on the road. We were all there hanging out, it was cool.
P.TV: What’s a day in the life of Bibi Bourelly like at the moment?
A day in the life of Bibi Bourelly… well I wake up in the morning – y’know, it’s always different, I’m a musician so… a day in the life of Bibi Bourelly can be totally different things. Sometimes it’s interviews and press, sometimes I wake up late and spend all night in the studio. Other days I can’t talk all day because I have a show at night. It all depends on what I’m doing.
P.TV: So you’re a night worker in the studio.
Yes, I’m definitely a night worker.
P.TV: What’s your creative process like?
It’s very very impulsive. Very situational. I don’t write things down, I’m a very top-of-the-head writer. I’ve got a really short attention span, so it’s difficult for to linger on the same kind of shit for a long amount of time. Sometimes, things happen, some days things don’t. It’s a process.
P.TV: Yeah, you’ve talked a lot about how you were really hands on at school and like to be challenged… does that came from having a short attention span and just wanting to get in there and do it?
It’s not that I necessarily wanted to be challenged in class, I just wasn’t interested in what I was learning. I just didn’t see it to be relevant to any part of life, y’know. I just didn’t really care. I think that I definitely have a short attention span, though. I learn differently. I’m a creative person. I don’t like to learn within limitations and guidelines and boundaries. That isn’t really learning.
P.TV: What do you think they should be taught at school then?
I think it would be dope that if at an earlier age school enabled you to figure out what you are innately good and talented at, and if there were a way to hone in on people’s individual talents. You kind of just learn, y’know, ten subjects in the same category and memorise a bunch of shit. And you learn how to work for somebody rather than how to come up with your own ideas. I think it would be doper if school supported individual thinking.
P.TV: As a songwriter – because you’ve obviously done some pretty huge songs for other artists – what is it like handing over your work to another artist?
Bittersweet. It’s bitter because it’s your song, and you don’t want to give it away. But it’s sweet because it’s an accomplishment, you know – depending on who you’re handing it away to. I suppose the honest to God answer is that it depends on who sings the song.
P.TV: Yeah. Is there anybody now who you would want to hand your song over to?
No.
P.TV: One thing I noticed listening to ‘Feel the Real’ is that under all the modern production and frills is this old school bluesy/R’n’B/soul vibe. Where does that come from?
I’m not sure, man. I’ve been around music for so long and I’ve been playing music for so long. I’m sure there’s so many influences i’m not conscious of. The biggest one would be my father. Y’know. Genetically, he passed down the power to me. Secondly he exposed me to so much music. He influenced a lot of the music I was listening to even before I could talk.
P.TV: You got him onto the album with ‘Guitar’. Did you grow up jamming with him as well?
Of course, absolutely – that’s where I learned how to write. That’s how I started writing. I still jam with him, with however I feel.
P.TV: Where do you consider home?
Where the people I love are.
P.TV: What are you listening to at the moment?
There’s this dope-ass band called Hiatus Kaiyote, you know ’em? Super dope, love them, they’re super tight. I really listen to my own music, though. I found myself looking out for all different kinds of music ‘cos I always get asked that question in interviews. Which is kinda ingenuine, you know, because I shouldn’t change what I do because I don’t have an answer to an interview question. I mostly just listen to myself – that sounds so narcissistic – but I have so many of my own ideas I need to express.
P.TV: What are your thoughts on award shows?
I just don’t give a shit about corporate people who just don’t know much about music to decide on and rate art – like, you know, what is the best art, what is great art. I think that award shows nowadays are a lot more numbers and money than art. Now that’s not me saying that I never wanna be nominated for a Grammy. Obviously it’s a guilty want that all we creators have. But I certainly don’t think that it determines quality art.
P.TV: No. So it’s not your world, but if someone were to give you a Grammy, you’d take it.
I’d be like “cool”. But it’s a credit, you know. Unfortunately we live in a world where credits fucking matter. I wish we didn’t.
P.TV: When are we gonna see you here in Australia?
I wanna come soon. I know Australians have supported me so fucking tremendously. Massively supportive. I wanna meet a koala bear.
P.TV: There’s one question I really, really gotta ask. It comes from somebody in our office. She named her dog after you…
Really?
P.TV: You’ve liked a couple of her photos on Instagram.
Oh yeah! I think I follow her! That’s amazing.
P.TV: Thanks so much.
Thanks!
