Music spotlight: Singer Bianca Raquel sits down with theGrio
theGRIO Q&A - Bianca Raquel is a singer songwriter that has music in her veins...
Can you tell me about some of the sacrifices you had to make personally and academically?
I had to make a choice between school and coming back to New York to pursue my career. It is hard to put all of your focus and energy into two things at once especially in two different states. I went to the Berklee College of Music for two years, learned a lot, it really helped me refine my musicianship and I’m forever grateful for it. I just had to make that decision for myself because I knew that I was kind of doing okay in school but after I started getting that desire to sing I couldn’t do it and be in class at the same time. I wasn’t focused on either on all the way and these are the two things that you have to give it your all. I choose the latter and it has been working out and I feel like I made the right decision. This is out of my comfort zone, but I belong out of my comfort zone.
Give me the back story behind your latest single, “No Hook,” and upcoming album Detox.
Detox is an ongoing project. I give a song a month and a video married with that song. The song is called “Mister Tin Man” but Detox in its entirety is about me detoxing from a toxic relationship I was in. The guy didn’t cheat on me or do any of the normal deal breakers, it was just a very complicated relationship. Detox and “No Hook” were based off of my experiences when I wrote them out, it might have been about someone but now it isn’t about them, it’s just art.
Now that your career is blossoming, do you have time for your personal life?
I’m young so when I get a chance to go hang out with my friends I will do it, but most of the time I’m working and there’s always something that I have to do. Sometimes I feel guilty about going out when I know that I have work to do. You always have to make time for personal time. You can’t be a hermit and stay in the studio, stay in the house or always work because you need to be a human being. I do find time to go out on a date (nothing serious), or go to the club with my friends, or go to the movies.
What are Bianca Raquel’s words to live by?
Be decisive about who you are and then execute that with precision because if you don’t know who you are, no on else will be able to pin point who you are. People need to be able to feel like they can connect with something and identify what something is. As an artist, whatever type of art you do, just know who you are and execute that with precision.
Be sure to show Bianca some love by following her on Twitter and checkout her dope videos on Youtube.
You can check out Kyle’s musical coverage on theGrio music page, and follow Kyle on Twitter at @HarveyWins.
