Photo courtesy of Encore Recordings. Photo illustration by Crystal Simone for Okayplayer.
First Look Friday: Girlfriend’s Quest for Creative Greatness
Pulling from the past and present, Girlfriend wants to create something all her own.
By her own admission, Girlfriend wasn’t a big fan of her first recordings. Although her family would praise her voice when she sang at family functions, she wasn’t all that impressed by what she heard when she’d actually try to put those vocals on wax.
“I sounded crappy, “ shares the Mississippi native. “But they said I could sing, so I just kept practicing.” Years later, her gentle tone has her in the middle of a serious level-up. Inspired by the likes of Kehlani, Alicia Keys, SZA and Bob Marley, Girlfriend has used supple vocals, intimate songwriting and aesthetics that pull from R&B’s past and present to become an artist to watch. Her breakout moment began with her eponymous 2022 EP, but she’s set to take another step with It’s Complicated, a forthcoming EP that crystallizes all of the skills she’s developed to this point.Titled “Tell Me Again,” her Bay Swag-assisted single channels Lil Jon, Usher and Ludacris anthem, “Lovers and Friends” for a track that’s as stylish as it is bluntly honest, it’s a compelling sampler of what’s to come — which is a lot.
Chopping it up with Okayplayer, Girlfriend discusses her forthcoming It’s Complicated EP, dream collaborations, alternative careers and more.
Okayplayer: When did you first actually start recording songs?
Girlfriend: I started recording songs in middle school, and I only did it because of a school project. So you could do pretty much anything. It was an English project and you had to either pick a song or poem or explain a figure of speech, and I chose a song. So that was kind of when everybody was like, ‘Oh, you should actually keep doing music.’ That’s how I first started recording.
Outside of music, what kinds of things did you like doing when you were growing up?
I think I really liked drawing when I was a kid. I grew up with an older brother who was an avid video gamer. So naturally I started playing games too. And honestly just, I mean, growing up with cousins, just playing outside, but I was just super artsy, always, always drawing. I used to actually write little books and stuff for poetry. So yeah, just stuff like that outside of music. And I also love basketball as well, so I played sports up until college too.
Don Trip was on your last project. How did you connect with him?
There’s a producer named Jeffrey Kitchen. I think he is one of Don Trip's longtime producers. So we were already working and we used to link up in South Haven, Mississippi, which is I think 20 minutes from Memphis. Trip records in that studio quite a bit. So one day I went up there and he was there and we just ended up chopping it up. He was super, super cool.
What were some sort of inspirations that were going into your mind when you were putting your new project together?
Honestly, I think I just wanted to make something that was very unique. I only know what I'm looking for instrumentation-wise. I only know when I hear it, and I never like things to sound the same as other things if it is something that I'm really diving into and being a part of creating. So I think one of my favorite projects is Anti by Rihanna, and I really liked it because when she dropped it. I felt like musically I didn't know a lot of things that sounded quite like that. So I think that's always been a big inspiration for me.
What makes this year the time to drop this project?
That's a good question. I think more so of just understanding the direction, I think it's very easy to create music, but then there's also knowing when you create something that's new and hasn't been done, you always want to make sure that the creative vision and everything is matching, you know what I'm saying? Make sure everybody feels good about it. Obviously, we made a lot more music than is actually coming out. So you want to really sit on everything and just make sure you're making the right decision as an artist and also a team. I think it's just when you put a lot of work into something, you want to make sure it is done right. I think that's a big reason why we really took our time with it and decided to put it out when we decided to put it out.
I’ve spent a lot of time in Mississippi. Very different vibe. Very country. I don’t meet a lot of musicians from there, unfortunately. How did growing up in Mississippi influence the way you make music?
I think Mississippi influenced how I view and create music because I don't know, I think that's just really a slept-on area. I don't think a lot of people just specifically look to Mississippi for sounds or music. And I think I just kind of understood that at a young age. But then I would see certain acts and be like, oh dang, this person is from Mississippi. And usually when they were from Mississippi, they just had a super unique sound. So it kind of let me know, no, music is literally whatever you make it. You know what I'm saying? I think Mississippi, the way it was musically, I think it's always been super rap-influenced and stuff, specifically trap, but I think you'd also find people that would just listen to whatever they want to listen to. You know what I'm saying? So yeah, I think I have friends who listened to music that was weird. I think there were just bubbles of people, super rural, but it was almost like we were in our own world. But there's the internet, so you could research and find out whatever song that you wanted to find or whatever type of sound. It just reinforced my authenticity.
When was the moment you realized that you could make singing a career?
Honestly, I think the second that I realized that I understood how to go into a studio and record, I've always felt like that. I feel like I've always just been super confident. My parents have always been supportive and told me I could do anything. So I've always believed that I could do it. It's just a matter of when, you know what I'm saying? But I've always felt like I could do it if I put my mind to it.
If you could work with any artist dead or alive, who would it be?
Missy Elliott or J. Cole.
Those are good ass choices. What would you and Missy Elliot's collaboration be called and what would it sound like?
This is off the dome. It would probably be called “Till Next Time,” because I feel I would never make no shit that fire again. I feel like it would just sound like old-school-new-school fusion. Her hooks are so crazy. I would just want a fire hook and a verse from her and I would just play off of whatever she did. I feel like it would have energy too though. It would probably be a bit dancey. And yeah, I think it'll be like old school filled with new school lyricism. I think that's what it would sound like.
If you weren't a singer, what would you do for a living?
A psychologist.
Why should people tap in with you?
I think, well, people should tap in with me because I'm just getting started. I'm definitely here to add something new to the music industry. And I think I'm just not afraid to take risks and really dive into something new, which I think is just really important when it comes to music. I think anybody could listen to something by me at least, and it, so I think people should just stay tuned and I think they'll definitely enjoy everything that's coming in the future.
