We love it when an artist’s music not only brings us into their world, but also makes us reflect on our own, and Bailey Bryan manages to do that every time we listen to her! That’s especially true for her Sensitive Bad B*tch Music Vol. 1 EP, a thought-provoking journey through her 20s so far that makes us feel just as excited for our own futures as we are for hers. Each song simultaneously feels like a page ripped out of Bailey’s diary and a general statement anyone can relate to, so no matter what you’re going through right now, there will be at least one or two tracks that connect with you.
I don’t like genre labels, but as soon as I came up with the term ‘sensitive bad bitch music,’ I decided, ‘This is a label that works for me.’ To me, it means allowing yourself to be vulnerable and owning all the hard feelings and heartbreak, but not letting those feelings stop you from learning and re-learning your worth as you go through life. I’m someone who struggles with anxiety and doesn’t always love what I see when I look in the mirror, but I’ve slowly realized that my weaknesses shouldn’t keep me from having fun and feeling sexy and everything else we associate with the bad-bitch persona. It’s about holding space for my humanness, and for everyone else’s humanness too.
Bailey Bryan
We think SBBM Vol. 1 is best listened to as a full project, front to back, but let’s get you started with a few of our favorite songs!
‘Upside Down’
We all love a good, upbeat love song, and Bailey gives us just that on ‘Upside Down,’ but with a clever twist. This song is a bop and a half, but it also examines how we let our fears get the best of us in love – for example, staying with someone just because you’re scared to be alone. It’s the new quintessential Bailey Bryan track, showcasing all the aspects of what makes her such a special artist in one ridiculously catchy package. We also love the little lyrical reference to ‘Tragic!’ More on that soon…
‘RIP’
We’re constantly growing and evolving, and as we mature, we might not mesh as well with the people around us. That’s what Bailey explores on ‘RIP,’ a playlist-ready anthem about focusing on yourself and what you want rather than what others might think about you. Change can be scary, but she makes it sound so freeing! There’s a sense of relief that’s oh, so satisfying and feels like the warmth of a sunny day. Pro tip: listen to this song while you’re doing your skincare routine or spring-cleaning your room for the ultimate glow-up motivation.
I’m definitely someone who’s constantly changing and transforming and going through different eras and phases. I wrote ‘RIP’ at a time of recognizing how often I looked to others for approval on whatever changes I was making, and it became a song about shedding that need for approval and learning how to find it within myself.
Bailey Bryan
‘Tragic’
Something really hits different about Bailey’s guitar-centric songs, and ‘Tragic’ is definitely a standout in that department. It touches on some of the insecurities and fears she has in a new relationship with dreamy vocals lyrics that really call us out on our own self-sabotage! We also love how the “you want a b*tch with the long hair? I’ll cut it off” line has a double meaning, talking about literally cutting hair off and cutting off a connection. Just another example of Bailey’s artistic genius that makes us look at our own habits and evaluate how we want to move forward in our lives.
It’s about how I usually get nervous when I notice myself starting to feel excited about a relationship, and how sometimes that can lead to self-sabotage.
Bailey Bryan
If we had to describe Sensitive Bad B*tch Music in three words, we’d choose these: energizing, refreshing, and healing. There are so many important lessons on this project, but there’s never a moment where it feels too heavy. Instead, it focuses on motivating you to create the life you know you deserve in spite of what might be stopping you!
When I went through a bad breakup a few years ago, the only thing that made me feel better was listening to Ariana Grande’s thank u, next and Lizzo’s Cuz I Love You on repeat. All those songs made me feel like I could move on, and that I truly deserved to love myself. From that point I’ve just wanted to give people that same kind of feeling with my music—I want to create a community of people who maybe also feel messy a lot of the time, and I want them all to feel empowered in every single emotion they’re experiencing.
Bailey Bryan
“Empowerment” should be Bailey’s legal middle name. Every song on Sensitive Bad B*tch Music Vol. 1 makes us not only root for her, but root for ourselves, and the EP shows us that there’s always space for us to grow as we navigate life and all its ups and downs. This project is exactly what we needed to hear right now, and we’re so excited to have it on repeat all spring!
Which tracks on SBBM Vol. 1 are your favorites? Let us know in the comments below or hit us up on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter! And for more music recs your playlist needs, click here.
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