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Anya Fernihough

BIZZY and the Power of Authenticity

Nashville based singer-songwriter BIZZY burst onto the music scene in 2022 with the release of her singles Anybody and Just Yet, garnering millions of streams, a large social media following, and a record deal with Big Loud Rock. Her lyrics are deeply soulful, discussing themes of heartbreak and fear, with beautifully aesthetic visualizers to accompany them. Her latest single When It Ends (produced by the talented Brandon Meagher) was released on March 29, and I had the opportunity to speak with BIZZY about her thoughts, feelings, and musical journey in the lead up to its release.


Growing up, BIZZY (real name Elizabeth) was a very energetic kid who was always running around, thus earning her this nickname that eventually became her artist name. With a background in competitive swimming, BIZZY displays a lot of discipline and dedication in her pursuit of her passion for music. She spoke about seeing how “everyone is a ‘competitor’ but [how] also everyone can help you get better, like cheering people on and being excited for people’s win”. Looking back, she recalls the moment she decided that music was what she wanted to do, following an injury that prevented her from competing at the same level. “It was a very natural shift into music and kind of realizing that was really where my passion was.” Since age 12, BIZZY has been playing guitar and listening to the music her older sisters played on their iPod shuffle. Some of her biggest musical influences when she was younger include Miley Cyrus and Avril Lavigne, and she expressed her love for Taylor Swift also: “I think every girl or guy my age says that too, she’s just so influential!”. Her progression into an established songwriter blossomed during her time at Belmont University, where she really opened up and started putting herself out there into the world of the industry.


Being from the UK, I was not very familiar with the music scene in Nashville, however BIZZY told me about how amazing her experience has been there - “I truly would not be anywhere without Nashville and Belmont”. Before moving here, she had always dreamed of being a musician, but didn’t really know how to take the next step to move forward. “Nashville really opened the doors for me, like learning how to co-write, learning how to sing in front of people, taking meetings and figuring out next steps.” Not only has her experience in this city helped her break into the local scene, it has influenced her sound in a lot of ways, from the different collaborators she’s worked with and music she’s listened to, to the people she’s met - “[it] has been incredible!”


Aside from songwriting, we spoke about her other favorite aspects of the whole music making process. “I think the story itself is insane; I wake up and sometimes think ‘how is this my job?’, like how do I get to go into a room and be like ‘yeah, this is the drama that I went through with my ex or whatever, let’s write a song about it’.” BIZZY describes the experience as being “mind-boggling” how she can take something so personal and put it out into the world and have people from all over listen and be able to relate to it. She quite beautifully put: “it’s such a language in itself, and the more I zoom out and look at music in that retrospect, it’s beautiful”. I can only agree with her about how amazing and mind-blowing it is, how the music industry has progressed, and how it has the power to unite people all across the globe.


In this modern day and age, social media has become interwoven within the music industry, as a means of easy self-promotion and discovery. We discussed its importance for both upcoming and established artists, having the power to give them a platform and to allow them to reach as many people as possible with their music. “I have been nothing but grateful for it, but it is definitely really challenging finding a healthy balance with it in the sense [that] it can give you a career [...] but it also is so something to balance for your mental health and figuring out like even if my numbers on TikTok aren’t doing well right now, I’m OK and I can still go do things I enjoy.” I feel that this is a universal experience for many young artists who may not be as familiar with the industry. Having a social media presence has become an increasingly vital aspect of a musician’s career. Nevertheless, it is still of extreme importance for not just musicians but the rest of society in general to find this healthy balance between their work and personal life, and also the online and real world.


With her new single When It Ends fast approaching (at the time of the interview), BIZZY told me that she felt especially excited. “That one is my first song I’ve ever released that’s not about a relationship, so that’s exciting. It’s kind of about the process of where I was in the beginning of music and just in certain parts of my life I look back on.” She described the inspiration behind the song being “this big fear of messing up a good thing and feeling like I’m in control of the good thing, which in reality I’m in control of nothing”. The lyrics of the song evoke a feeling of helplessness and a struggle to stay afloat when you’re in the middle of chaos, a sentiment she has had to deal with while navigating adulthood. “That’s kind of where the song stemmed from, like a cry to the people in my life of ‘if this all goes to crap, are you gonna stay and are you gonna still love me?’”


Ahead of its release, I was treated to a sneak-peak of the visualizer for When It Ends, and was able to ask about the inspiration behind it. “For that one, I really wanted to keep it very aesthetic. Normally when I’m writing, a narrative comes to my mind on music videos or how I want it to play out - it was really a visual feeling that I was trying to portray. With the red hood, I just wanted it to feel like you’re kinda like running from someone, but there’s also this kind of freedom attached to it as well throughout the video.” The visualizer is not only cinematographically beautiful, but also perfectly encapsulates the sentiments behind the song. When asked if When It Ends was a movie, what movie would it be? BIZZY told me that it would be a mix of Lovely Bones and The Perks of Being a Wallflower. “That aesthetic and that feeling is kinda what I was pulling from.”


The song is extremely heartfelt, and it’s hard not to see why BIZZY’s fans feel such a close connection to her and her music. This relatability is not something she does intentionally, but rather something that just happens naturally for her when writing and performing music. She spoke about how important it is for her to write about what she goes through, as that is what feels most real and authentic to her. “By doing that I think I’m able to connect with more people because, on a base level, we’re all going through the same thing and we’re all feeling the same emotions. When I’m as honest as possible with myself, I think that’s when I connect and reach most people.” And it’s not just on the record that BIZZY is able to communicate such feelings; she also expressed a deep joy from playing her music live and seeing how the audience reacts and feels what she feels. She reflected on how she maintains this authenticity and realness on stage, largely due to the fact that she writes from personal experiences. “I can go back to these exact moments in my life and be like ‘this song hurts because this person hurt me’ or ‘this is amazing because this is happening in my life’.” This ability makes it easier to connect with herself and thus her audience, making her a captivating musician to watch.


BIZZY has had her fair share of highlights over the course of her career, with her favorite part being the ability to connect with people through songwriting and the emotions she is able to convey and evoke. “Getting to put that out in the world and connect with other people on that same level has been so surreal; playing [music] live is one of my favorite parts.” This emotional style of songwriting is something BIZZY deeply enjoys, with her own personal favorites including Just Yet and I Don’t Get Breakups. She says that the former is her favorite emotional-wise because “it was truly written in such a need for songwriting” and a need to express what she was feeling; the latter favorite is more of a fun and upbeat song - “I feel like it’s very relatable and it’s gotten so much more fun to play it live and connect with the audience in that way”.



Nevertheless, this seemingly natural ability to perform has not always come so easily. Prior to the releases of her own music, BIZZY used to write songs for other musicians. When asked about how she made the decision to start putting herself out there as an artist, she said: “it’s funny ‘cos I always wanted to be an artist [...] but it just took me so long to get the courage to put myself out there. I think writing for other people was like my way into the artistry but without fully putting myself out there just yet.” Over the pandemic, she came to the realization that she felt she was at a good place with her own songwriting and now she just had to take the next big step: “I know what I wanna say and how I wanna say it, and now I just need to actually put myself out there”. Despite this gradual entry into the industry, BIZZY is undoubtedly extremely talented in her art, and would encourage others who may be in a similar situation to where she was to know that they are not alone, but that it is so much fun when they take that first big step. She describes how liberating it felt to start doing what she has always dreamt of and wanted to do, and how it felt like the experiences was like “another part of [her] got locked into place and [she] found another part of [herself] that was always there that [she] just hadn’t let [herself] see”.


In the future, fans can expect lots of new music coming their way. “I feel like I’ve been in a songwriting hole and I’m finally coming out and ready to show everybody what I’ve created.” Although she couldn’t reveal too much, BIZZY hinted at a few shows and the possibility of other upcoming projects. With the release of When It Ends, BIZZY invites listeners to join her on a journey of self-discovery and vulnerability through her music. She is clearly an artist to watch, with her ability to captivate audiences with her raw talent and unwavering passion.


Stream When It Ends now!

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