INTERVIEW: Bella Calypso on new single 'Summer Doesn't Have To End': "I am definitely exploring every creative outlet right now, I feel like I have so much momentum."
London based singer-songwriter Bella Calypso recently released her third single, ‘Summer Doesn’t Have To End’. A duet with PaPa Shiraz, the track is a shimmering, funky jam with a superb synth bassline and makeup-breakup lyrics which veer from the despondent to the hopeful. “Despite the chaos that the world is, in right now, the spirit of ‘summer doesn’t have to end,’ as people can find love and hope in each other and celebrate that if nothing else,” Calypso says.
Calypso first released music last year with the R&B groove ‘Ring (On The Phone)’ which was followed by ‘The Best’ earlier this year. Her love of music was pulled into focus during her time as a teenager at a performing arts school and while at university she received formal vocal training. “The purpose of my music is to channel my own life experiences into a song that other people can relate to and feel empowered by,” she says. “I always try to get a good balance between strength and vulnerability, whilst being unapologetically honest and keeping a bit of humour in my songs too.”
We recently chatted with Bella to find out more.
Hi Bella! How is everything for you in this crazy world right now?!
Hey, I’m doing good thanks, feeling healthy and safe so can’t complain! The world definitely feels pretty crazy right now though, I have found it difficult to fully process everything that has gone on in the last few months and can only imagine what other people are going through too. My life has changed quite a lot since lockdown, but I am feeling really grateful for all that I have right now and definitely feel like I am entering a new chapter in my life.
Congratulations on the July release of your single ‘Summer Doesn’t Have To End’. What was the inspiration behind the track?
Thank you! The main inspiration for the song is the concept of a summer fling that ‘doesn’t have to end’ and can continue past summer and through all seasons. However, it was also inspired by the idea that despite the chaos going on in the world right now, everyone is finding their own ways to still find enjoyment in summer, even in lockdown. This is also the inspiration behind the song’s home-made music video that I just released on YouTube.
The song features PaPa Shiraz, how did that collaboration come about?
I have known Shiraz for quite a few years now; we met through a mutual friend who is also in the industry. Shiraz is a very talented songwriter and artist and is very passionate about his music. We have collaborated on quite a few songs together now and when he asked me if I wanted to do a duet with him I obviously said yes! Our voices are quite different but they also complement each other as they create different tones and textures in the song. I now work with Shiraz on almost every project I do, he really is my go-to for new song ideas!
What was the creative process for the song like? Did you have it completed before lockdown landed, or did you have to create it remotely?
Shiraz had the concept for this song a while back, and we recorded a version of it last year. I never released that version, but we listened to it again during lockdown and knew that we had to release it. So, both Shiraz and I re-recorded the song at home during lockdown, changing a few lyrics here and there and basically making it the best it could be. I am super proud of the work we did and it was a great way to channel some positive energy into something creative and uplifting during a difficult time.
You created the music video in lockdown, what was that experience like?
Making the music video during lockdown was actually really interesting and allowed me to be super creative. I texted my friends and asked them to submit video footage showing what they had been up to during lockdown over summer. Everyone was so helpful and I got some really cool videos from people doing pole fitness, to baking to painting. I was so blown away by how creative my friends are and also so flattered that they took the time to film and submit their videos. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to use all the footage, as I tried to select a few of these clips to create a video with a common design scheme. The whole video has a 90’s home footage style to it and I am so pleased with it because it has all of my friends featured!
If we go all the way back to the beginning, what role did music play in your life when you were growing up?
Music has always been a huge part in my life. There are so many ways that I got to enjoy music growing up; I always wanted the latest CDs, I played the guitar, piano and flute, I performed musical theatre when I was involved in acting as a child, and I even just enjoyed listening to the opera that my grandparents used to play for me. Music was my biggest form of escapism and it always tied in with all my other creative pursuits and even sport. For example, I was an international competing gymnast in my teens and I used to win so many competitions having choreographed my own routines to music I chose. I did this from the age of 10 and always loved the drama that music created.
You have a strong academic training in music, including attending a performing arts school and undertaking vocal training. Was there ever anything else you wanted to do as a career or was it always music?
Ever since I remember, I always wanted to do something creative as a career. I was really good at sport and wanted to be an Olympic athlete for a while. There was a point when I was training as a gymnast for almost four hours every day, but as I got older I became less interested in gymnastics and more interested in acting. From here I then realised that it was actually singing and song-writing that I wanted to pursue. I am also very passionate about academia having also gone to University College London, but it was always the creative outlets where I found most joy.
There has been a lot of debate on sexism in the entertainment industry in the wake of the #metoo movement a few years ago. What are your thoughts on gender equality and sexism in the music industry?
Thank you for asking me this question, I am really passionate talking about this topic and I think the issue is really not given enough attention. Whilst there has definitely been progress in the last few years in light of the #metoo movement, I still think that it is a lot harder to navigate the music industry as a woman. There are so many things we could talk about here. For example, beauty standards for women in the industry are so much higher than they are for men. There is something called ‘pretty privilege’ in that women who are better looking are more likely to be a success in this industry. This also includes youth too. I think it was Paloma Faith who said she felt she needed to lie and say she was younger (when she was only 27) just so that she would get a record deal. I was also speaking to a successful female producer at a music conference last year and she brought up the topic of sexual harassment in the workplace. Many artists I have spoken to have often been made to feel uncomfortable when working on their music, especially if they are collaborating with someone new and who is in a position of power. This somewhat mirrors what had been going on with the Weinstein scandal and I think that young female artists are especially vulnerable, as this is such a tough industry to break into and often relies on networking and knowing the right people. It is an uncomfortable topic to talk about, but it needs to be talked about if anything is going to change. We definitely have a lot further to go.
2020 has been quite the year for social upheavals and awakenings. What are the issues affecting the world that you are most passionate about?
I would say that the Black Lives Matter movement needs our undivided attention right now. As a white person growing up in a predominantly white area, issues surrounding race and the daily experiences of racism for black people were rarely discussed. People would often say that they had never witnessed racism and therefore it did not exist, forgetting that they themselves were white living in a predominately white area, and so of course they never saw it!
When I moved to London to study Anthropology, I made a conscious effort to educate myself in issues surrounding racism and social inequality. My degree offered many resources on these topics which was really great, and I also learnt a lot from talking to my non-white friends about their experience with racism. I have learnt a lot over the past few years about issues surrounding social inequality, but I definitely still have a long way to go. It is extremely sad that it took the death of George Floyd for the BLM movement to get the coverage it deserves, and hopefully there has now been an increased awareness about police brutality and the injustice that black people experience in their lives every day. I just hope that the movement continues to gain momentum and people start to educate themselves in issues surrounding inequality so that we can help create a brighter future and combat injustice.
What else is coming up for Bella Calypso?
I feel like I am just getting started and have lots more music that I plan to release over the next few months. I really want to get as much out there as I can and give people a diverse range of tracks which demonstrates my versatile style. I am also looking forward to releasing music that is not just about break-ups and relationships, but more about empowerment and feeling good about yourself! I am definitely exploring every creative outlet right now, which extends to videos, dance, fashion etc. I feel like I have so much momentum right now and I can’t wait to share more!
‘Summer Doesn’t Have to End’ is out now. You can download on iTunes and stream on Apple Music and Spotify.
To keep up with all things Bella Calypso you can follow her on Instagram.
