Exclusive Interview: Brynn Cartelli Talks New Music, Directing the Music Video for “Gemini,” and More

Acclaimed singer-songwriter Brynn Cartelli broke into the industry at the age of fifteen when she won The Voice. She captivated audiences around the country with her powerhouse vocals and became the youngest champion in the show’s history. Since then, she’s continued to leave her mark on the industry, racking up millions of streams worldwide with hit singles including “Last Night’s Mascara,” “If I Could,” and “Long Way Home.” She’s also toured with music’s biggest artists including Kelly Clarkson, Kelsea Ballerini, and Maroon 5, and received praise from People, American Songwriter, and The Washington Post. As she’s grown and developed as an artist, Brynn has taken the time to hone in on what she wants to say as an artist and how she wants to say it. Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Brynn about the next chapter in her career, directing her first music video, and more.

PC: You got your start in this industry at such a young age and during a time when you were still discovering your voice. What’s had the biggest impact on your growth and evolution as an artist?
Brynn: The time that I’ve devoted to songwriting and building projects. It’s so different now from when I started. That’s been so crucial. I’ve taken the time to write and discover what I want to say and how I’m going to say it. Reading and taking in the world at a slow pace has been really great for me. Having that time and reconnecting with people that were my age has been crucial because I did start so young. I was able to reconnect with friends in my hometown and write from a more honest place.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Brynn: My family has been so supportive and helpful through all of this, especially my mom. I feel really lucky to have them. My mom has always traveled with me everywhere. She changed her life a lot to be with me so I didn’t have to do it all alone. She’s been the constant.

PC: You’ve had so much success already in your young career. When you look back, is there a particular moment that stands out to you?
Brynn: There have been so many different moments from playing shows. When I was opening up for Kelly [Clarkson] on the road. We played TD Garden. That was amazing. I’m from Massachusetts. I grew up seeing shows at TD. It was amazing to play there. Also, just putting out music and seeing people hear what I have to say. That’s been really, really exciting for me.

PC: You recently moved to New York, which has a prominent music scene. How has the energy of the city continued to inspire your creativity and craft?
Brynn: I love living in New York. It’s been my dream since I was little. I can’t believe that it’s happened. You walk outside and you feel that constant energy. It took me a while to actually write a song in New York. I was putting a lot of pressure on what my New York songs would be, but I just had to go out into New York and do my thing, meet people, travel, and explore. Honestly, walking has sparked a lot of my creativity. At first, it was a lot of cry walks where I was just crying, which is totally fine. I just had to get it out. But now, they’re more power walks. I’m getting a lot of inspiration from that and clearing my head. I’ve done a lot of reflecting. There’s been so much that’s happened in New York. It’s been great for me to take a second and reflect.

PC: You’ve got a new single out now. Tell us about “Gemini” and the inspiration behind it.
Brynn: “Gemini” is one of my songs that sounds to me like Massachusetts. It’s one of my big Massachusetts songs. It feels like home in the way that I was very inspired by all the visuals and the plotlines of the Salem Witch Trials. It was very fascinating to hear about it in school. I was instantly like, “Ooh, it’s crazy.” I was noticing some patterns in my life that weren’t good for me. I was trying to figure out where to go from there. I have always been into astrology like my mom and a lot of people in my life have always told me about the stereotypes around astrology and different signs. Astrology is just patterns. I combined my patterns with the patterns of the stars and out came “Gemini.”

PC: You’re celebrating a huge milestone with this release as you stepped into the director’s chair for your music video, which has always been a passion of yours. Has anything surprised you about the experience? How has that aspect of your creativity lent itself to your songwriting and vice versa?
Brynn: That’s a great question. I had the best time directing and bringing these stories to life. Anytime I write a song, I always judge it. There’s this little birdie in my brain that’s like, “But what’s the music video for this song?” If I can’t come up with the treatment for the video, then I most likely won’t keep the song. Visuals have been so important to me. I’ve had the treatment for “Gemini” since I wrote the song back in early 2020.

I had so much fun. We had a wonderful team of mostly women-led storytellers and everybody working behind the scenes. They were so gracious to me as a first-time director. I learned so much. It’s a really big part of my songwriting. It’s crucial. There are so many intentional things that people haven’t noticed or have yet to notice in the video that are so critical to the beginning of this next project of mine.

PC: What would you say is the biggest lesson that you learned from this experience that you’ll apply to your next video? Is this something that you’ll continue doing in the future?
Brynn: I’m definitely going to be directing. It’s really funny because when somebody comes to me and they’re like, “We might want to do a video for this song,” I’m like, “Okay, here’s the idea. Here’s the whole treatment.” I’m like, “It’s done. We just need to pull it together.” But the biggest thing I learned is understanding the camera, the lighting, and the dancers.

The people around you are really important. It’s important to learn from everybody and be open to that collaboration. It’s really important to build a team of people that you’re inspired by and can trust. You want to incorporate their ideas along with your own. Winning alone isn’t fun. Winning as a team is really, really great.

PC: You’re an artist who has been releasing music throughout the years. If you had to pick one of your songs that best encompasses who you are as an artist, which would it be and why?
Brynn: Oh gosh. All of my songs are my babies. They encompass different times in my life and different versions of me. Right now, I’d say “Gemini.” It’s my most recent song and it feels like the most me right now. But this really changes all the time. There’s another song that I think best encapsulates everything that I love about music. It’s not out yet, but it’s coming out soon. That’s really, really exciting. But in five months I might be like, “This song doesn’t encapsulate me at all.”

PC: You’ve talked a little bit about this next body of work. Is there anything you can tease about it? How will it differentiate itself from your previous releases?
Brynn: It’s definitely different. I’ve already established that with “Gemini.” I want to tell the story of leaving my hometown and moving to New York. For me, it’s meant a lot more than just that. There’s a lot of love and loss along the way. I’m really excited for that story to be shown in this whole body of work.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Brynn: Shania Twain.

PC: First album you bought?
Brynn: I’m not just saying this, but my earliest memories of music were Kelly Clarkson’s first album and Breakaway. The first album I ever bought by myself was Florence and the Machine.

PC: First concert you attended?
Brynn: Selena Gomez, and she killed it.

PC: An album that changed your life and why?
Brynn: Oh gosh, there have been so many. I have a whole playlist of these. The first Coldplay record and Joshua Tree by U2. Those were really big for me. Also, Ceremonials by Florence and the Machine. Those are three of the most amazing records of all time.

PC: A venue on your bucket list to perform at?
Brynn: House of Blues in Boston. I saw a couple of shows there when I was younger. I love that it’s right across from Fenway Park. I would love to play there. It’s so beautiful.

PC: A must-have on the road?
Brynn: Pretzel M&Ms.

To keep up with Brynn, follow her on Twitter, Instagram, Spotify, and Apple Music.

Photo Credit: Elinor Kry