24 October 2022 |
Euphoric, intimate, sassy: this is how one might describe the sound of Brooklyn-born popstar, Bayli. With the lyrical dexterity of a 1990s New York rapper and a burgeoning canon chock-full of energising reverberations, this is a star not to be slept on.
Recognisable from her former avocation as the frontwoman of American punk band The Skins, the melody maker has been bursting into the mainstream with a feast of dauntless earworms. Now, Bayli has released Stories 2, a batch of fashion bangers following in the formidable footsteps of last year’s debut EP Stories From New York.
A well-executed six-track record forged under the mentorship of music industry legend Rick Rubin, Stories 2 is a subliminal body of work that delves into heartbreak, addiction, loneliness and self-discovery, serving milky vocals and icy bars. Throughout, there’s a ferocity and echoes of Bayli’s enduring RnB and punk roots. To listen to Bayli’s music is to truly immerse yourself in her universe and canny vision.
Her most visceral work to date, the fast-paced, exploratory soundscape of Stories 2 – which features a groovy anthem lauding Telfar’s Bushwick Burkin, called “Telly Bag” – blends seamlessly into the singer-songwriter’s NYC lifestyle and queer disposition.
Here, we get to know a bit more about the emerging talent.
1. How does New York inform your work?
“Being a third generation New Yorker and growing up and getting to soak it all is a massive privilege. There’s no doubt that my city is, and will always be, the foundation of my work. As a business person, New York taught me to work harder, push further and that anything is possible but it’s up to us to make it happen.”
2. I love that you wrote a song about the Telfar Bushwick Birkin on “Telly Bag”. What about the brand inspires you?
“Telfar Clemens, the creator of Telfar, is both an anomaly and a standard in the NYC art scene. He has done the amazing thing of bringing together – really almost reuniting – the Black and queer communities in such a hope-filled and seamless way and its all happened because of his art, his beautiful designs and the inclusive vision behind his brand. This is someone who’s been working for decades to reach this level of success and now he, a first-generation Liberian-American born in Queens, is impacting the whole world with his artistic vision; to me that is amazing. Telfar reminds me of Basquiat and how he took over the world with his vision. There is nothing more inspiring than stories and there are many more stories to be had similar to Telfar’s and Basquiat’s that come from my community and other underrepresented communities all over NYC. I wanted to make sure that I had a song that reflected this moment and the impact that Telfar is having on my community and around the world.”
3. If “Telly Bag” came with a signature scent, how would it smell?
“A “Telly Bag” signature scent? Easy. Telly Bag smells like two hot girls wearing mini skirts and Le Labo Santal perfume, holding hands while they walk home in the rain.”
4. Do you have any regrets six years on from your departure from The Skins?
“Omg!! Has it been six years?!! That feels a bit steep. To answer your question, no. I radically accept and love the place that I am presently, and although I have everlasting gratitude for my experience in The Skins and love my bandmates for life, I can only focus on what I have in front of me instead of what’s in the past. To quote the great Peter Tosh who once said ‘ever forward, never backward.'”
5. What would you say are the top three things you’ve learned from Rick Rubin?
“Rick was a beautiful mentor and the way I know that is that I’m still discovering things that he taught me all the time. First thing that comes to mind is that he taught me the value and the sacredness of the artist’s process – both in the recording studio and elsewhere. The second thing is he affirmed in me that there is no one way of doing things or one single process that works for every artist and that no one can show you what to be; ultimately that it’s important to go out and cultivate your own unique style and creative process. The last thing he taught me is that, because creating art is so vulnerable, many artists need safe spaces to make their best art. A place where they have ultimate comfort and privacy, if they want, and where they aren’t distracted by the everyday nagging of society that we’re all conditioned to live by.”
6. What would be the ultimate venue for you to play?
My British side says: sold out concert at the Wembley Arena or headlining slot at Glastonbury. My New York side says: a night with The New York Philharmonic or a sold out concert at Barclays Center.
7. Can you tell us a bit more about your style and where you find inspiration?
“I’m so lucky to live in and be from a city where fashion is thriving and where art and culture is taken so seriously. The city definitely keeps me on my toes and inspires me with new looks from beautiful people that come from all over the world and it also encourages me to stay one-of-one and that individuality is key!”
8. Who would your top three fantasy dinner guests be, dead or alive?
“ AH!!! You girls are coming in with the sickening questions I see. I think I’d want to kiki with Queen Amanirenas (of the Kingdom of Kush or modern day Sudan), Frida Khalo and Josephine Baker. They seem like a fun bunch! Notice how I didn’t even want to list the living icons because I know I’ll get to host them at a dinner party within this lifetime. #manifest.”
9. When did you know you wanted to make music?
“I didn’t really know that I wanted to make music, I kind of just organically flowed into it. I had studied fine art my whole life, even up until college, so I always had this sense that creation and innovation was the most important thing in the world but it didn’t translate into music until I started playing with my first band as a teenager and we started getting offers to tour the US and Europe and eventually sign recording deals!”
10. What’s the first R&B track you recall loving as a child?
“It had to be an Aretha Franklin song that I heard in my Grandmother’s house growing up. It was probably “I Never Loved A Man” by Aretha Franklin. Tuh! Yeah…powerful shit.”
Photography courtesy of Bayli. Stream ‘Stories 2’ on all major platforms now.
