Boyfriend was one of this year’s BUKU Music + Art Project’s VIP performers, and she’s using her words to bring awareness to some of the world’s social issues, including feminism. The Daily Reveille sat down with Boyfriend after her set and discussed her musical message.
The Daily Reveille: You had your set last night? How was that?
Boyfriend: I passed out cupcakes — 500 of them. It turned into a food fight, and I got pelted. I’ve taken three showers, and on the way over, I still had icing in my ear, and it dyed my legs. I was trying to start a party.
TDR: Was this your first time performing at BUKU?
Boyfriend: Officially, yeah. I popped up last year in the Back Alley, but this year I’m on the bill and allowed to be here. Last year, I worked my way in, but this year, I’m official.
TDR: Was performing at BUKU everything you thought it would be?
Boyfriend: And more.
TDR: How did you become involved with music?
Boyfriend: I grew up in Nashville, and my family are all in the country music industry. I don’t really have a knack for playing guitar, and I’m fascinated by words. I was an English major, so for me, it was kind of a natural fit to fall into because rap songs have more words than your average songs do. If a regular song is a shotgun, then a rap song is like an automatic. In a way, I’m participating in the family business, but at the same time, I’m opening my own branch.
TDR: How would you describe your music?
Boyfriend: I call it rap cabaret. I am rapping, but I don’t think of it as rap because it’s kind of participating in a different culture than that. Presentation is key, so it’s like everyone gets their cupcakes and everyone has to pay attention. You only get a cupcake if you’re paying attention. I ask questions and you’re rewarded with a prize. It’s very interactive, and I call it rap cabaret so that people approach it more like theatre instead of a concert. All I have are my words, and if you miss those, then you miss the whole thing. It’s all about the words.
TDR: Do you have any specific musical influences?
Boyfriend: Not really, not in the music realm. I feel like what I’m doing is sonically really different than anything else that I’ve heard, at least. If you find something, send it my way. That is a goal of mine — to be sonically different. I don’t make music that I like to listen to, and the music I listen to is very different than the music I make. For me, the influences are more from looking at the world and commenting on it.
TDR: Is there a particular message behind your work?
Boyfriend: For sure. The specific message may vary per song, but the thing behind each of those messages is to listen closely. I feel like we consume a lot of messages passively without even realizing it, specifically about love. We derive a lot of our definitions of love from what we hear on the radio, and that’s not necessarily a good thing. My EP, “Love Your Boyfriend,” is kind of challenging that specifically.
TDR: What’s been the best part of what you do?
Boyfriend: So cheesy, but getting reactions from people. I made this thing alone in my room, and then somebody hears it and likes it. It’s just a really cool feeling.

Gallery • 1 Photos

Ronni Bourgeois

Boyfriend interviews with a towel wrapped around her head while drinking a bottle of wine on March 4, 2015, at BUKU Music + Art Festival.