I had the chance to chat with Bree Taylor about her recent single, Cry. She has made the transition to country in a great way and she was open to discussing this shift. Thank you to Bree Taylor for answering all of my questions.

Could you tell our readers a little about yourself? 

My name is Bree Taylor and I am a singer-songwriter from Toronto, Canada. I started my career in music releasing a pop EP in 2018 and have more recently begun releasing pop country music which has been an exciting journey so far! I love what I do and am a total work-a-holic but in my spare time I like to: read, travel, workout/yoga and hang with friends and family. My favourite colour is purple and I am obsessed with my dog Aria and my niece and nephew. 

How would you describe your new single, “Cry”? 

I would describe “Cry” as an emotional ballad that has a very important message behind it lyrically. The song is very much about it being okay to show your vulnerabilities, cry and to not be okay sometimes. Mental health is something that I have been very open about struggling with my whole life and is a cause that is extremely important to me. Having a song that is representative of bringing more positive awareness to mental health is extremely important to me so I am SO excited to finally release this. Crying and breaking down are normal human emotions that we all go through and mental health is a growing issue in today’s society and more and more people are speaking up about their struggles. Crying and showing vulnerabilities, especially mental health struggles, have been stigmatized to be something that is shameful and should be hidden or shoved aside – especially for men. I want the message behind this song to really hit home with everyone that no matter who you are, it’s okay to not be okay sometimes. That breaking down and crying is okay and if you’re struggling, it gets better and there are outlets available to help. 

What inspired this song? 

What inspired “Cry” was originally the concept of a woman wanting her man to open up and show his emotional side and letting him know that it is okay for him to break down and cry sometimes and that she will always be there for him. Men are told from a young age by the media and social stereotypes that they shouldn’t cry or show their vulnerabilities and as a single woman I have found that when dating it is extremely difficult to find a man who is in touch with his emotions or who can open up about his feelings/struggles. However, throughout the recording process, the meaning of the song changed for me. I didn’t want it to pigeon hole itself as one thing to one person or a type of person but to ALL people. I started hearing the bigger message behind the song and even at times felt that I was singing it to myself through times that I was struggling. I want people to listen to the song themselves and identify with it how they hear it – depending on what someone is going through or their individual experiences, they will hear it and feel a certain type of way. 

How do you think your transition to country has impacted your music? 

I think that my transition to country music has been an amazing journey for my music. I grew up listening to such diverse genres of music that I was influenced by so many different artists and genres and country was one of them. I feel like being in country music has been a great opportunity for me and my music to show more of my diversity as a songwriter and a performer and has been a great fit for my voice. I have always been a songwriter and have loved country music and how emotional I can be as a storyteller in country but I also love pop music and how I am able to play with different sounds and genres in pop so merging pop and country has been a perfect fit for me. I love challenging stereotypes and I am definitely not your typical country girl so of course my music isn’t typical country either and that is what I feel makes me unique as an artist and stand out against everyone else in the industry right now. 

Do you have any other projects you’d like to discuss? 

I am writing and recording more music to finish my upcoming EP! I am also booking shows and hoping to perform a lot this summer across Canada and performing in the US is a big goal of mine that I am working on as well. 

What would be your biggest piece of advice for your musicians? 

My biggest piece of advice is to hustle hard and to never give up on your dream. This is a very competitive and crazy industry but perseverance, hard work and determination always pay off. Remember why you started going after this dream and stay authentic because fans can spot a fake in a heartbeat so don’t be anyone but YOU. 

Where can our readers find you and your music online? 

They can find me, my music and all my social media links and tour dates/performances on my website www.breetaylor.com I am super active on Instagram so that is the easiest way to connect with me @breetaylorofficial

Share your thoughts with us in the comments or on Twitter, @thenerdygirlexp. You can find me on Twitter, @kleffnotes, on my blog, kleffnotes.wordpress.com, and on my kleffnotes YouTube channel.