Hey, honey bees! It is time we bring you a new and exciting artist to enjoy again! Bianca James is an up-and-coming Canadian pop artist your playlist truly needs. We got to listen to her debut single ‘Monaco’ and we fell in love from the first moment on! We are pretty sure this is only the fantastic start to Bianca James’ fantastic story. Trust us on this one and start stanning her now.
If we have sparked your curiosity then keep scrolling because we got an exciting interview with Bianca coming up below!
First of all, hi Bianca, it is a pleasure to talk to you today, and congrats on your new single ‘Monaco!’ What does it feel like having the song out in the world now?
Thank you! I am so thrilled to have the song out in the world. It’s a truly exciting time.
We can tell that ‘Monaco’ was heavily inspired by the 60s, we are also getting Duffy vibes here and are absolutely loving it. What made you pick ‘Monaco’ as your debut single?
We picked ‘Monaco’ as my debut single because it has an amazing bright energy and upbeat groove which is perfect as we approach summer. Sonically, it’s a great introduction into my world – with its vintage sounds and modern production – so listeners get a taste of what’s to come on my upcoming singles and album.
We are excited to eventually see you perform ‘Monaco’ live, do you already have a stage set and outfits in mind for the performances?
Yes, I do! I am imagining a full band with a horn section, plus some male and female dancers to bring up the wow factor live. I’ll be wearing things that are short, body fitting, and either sparkly or made of soft vegan leather – think Twiggy meets Dua Lipa, or think of the brand Courrèges.
‘Monaco’ is a single off of your upcoming self-titled album. Let’s talk more about that! What made you decide to go with a self-titled album instead of something else?
I think a self-titled album is a simple but elegant way to introduce fans to my music. Also, there wasn’t one song title on this album that I felt represented the entire sonic landscape of the music – so going with Bianca James made sense from that point of view.
If you had to associate a color and smell to your debut album what would they be and why?
Pink, like my album cover font – it’s luscious, timeless, and has badass feminine energy. Smell – a mix of white roses, salty ocean waves, vintage wood, and gunpowder.
Can you tell us more about the overall theme of your new album? Any strong topics? What message do you hope it conveys to your fans?
For me, music has always been a means of transforming heartbreak and pain into strength and freedom. I don’t think I consciously wrote songs about empowerment, but there is a message of overcoming difficulty, of finding hope on the other side – which is an undercurrent in all my songs. My mission is to inspire others to live their life, and their dreams, to the fullest.
We love how you are bringing the 60s to the 20s through your music. What made you first fall in love with this era?
I fell in love with both the music, from listening to my parents and grandparents’ record collections, and the fashion! I saw images of Swinging London and thought “I am meant to be there!” So I wanted to bring those vibes to 2023 and reintroduce those influences to today’s generations. There was a spirit of rebellion and social change in the 60s that also feels very timely right now.
If you could write a song with anyone dead or alive, from any era, who would it be and why?
Elton John. His catalog is just incredible and I love what he did with Dua Lipa. I would also kill to work with producer Mark Ronson – that’s a dream of mine for sure! When I was in LA working with my producer, Rob Kleiner (Sia, David Guetta), on my upcoming single ‘Bang Bang Baby’ – Rob told me that Mark Ronson had been in the same studio just down the hall the day before – and I nearly died haha. Mark worked on ‘Back to Black’ by Amy Winehouse of course, which inspired me greatly.
We’ve been putting ‘Monaco’ on repeat and are curious who you keep putting on repeat. What are you listening to?
Amazing, thank you! I am obsessed with ‘The Big Bang’ by Rock Mafia which I discovered through “Bianca James Radio,” the playlist that Spotify made based on my single. I am also in love with Niall Horan’s ‘Heaven’ – both the full and acoustic versions. I can’t remember the last time a song grabbed me so immediately. FYI – ‘Heaven’ is on one of the playlists I’ve made on Spotify called “UK & Irish Artists” where I share music that I love.
And the last question is a fun one. We gotta admit when we scrolled your Instagram page we couldn’t help but notice how on-point your eyeliner is. What’s your secret tip to get it perfect? And what’s your go-to eyeliner brand?
Haha!! My secret is many years of practice and mistakes! I think Stila and Maybelline have great liquid eyeliner options. Some tips: I only put mascara on the lashes near the inside corner of my eye, then I add false Mink lashes to the outer corners of my eyes for lift. I use white eyeshadow and then line my eyes with liquid liner – starting with a super thin line on the inside corner, and getting thicker at the outer corner. Because my eyes are round – I don’t take the liner all the way down to the outer corner of my eye – I draw the wing a few millimeters higher than the outer corner of my eye. Also – a makeup artist showed me some good tricks for my eye shape – that’s a great investment for anyone who can afford it and who has a tricky eye shape like me! They also have amazing makeup artists at Harrods who can do demonstrations I think – I’m Canadian so don’t quote me on that ☺
Well, we definitely took notes on the eyeliner and are super excited for Bianca’s self-titled debut album to drop! What do you think about ‘Monaco?’ What’s your secret makeup tip you’d love to share? Whether it’s Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, we’re always buzzing about something!
We also have more amazing interviews that you should definitely check out!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BIANCA JAMES:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | TIKTOK | YOUTUBE
