FEATURE: Spotlight: Blu DeTiger — Music Musings & Such

FEATURE:

Spotlight

Blu DeTiger

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I have been trying to cover and spotlight…

as many artists as possible recently that are going to make big waves in 2022. One such artist is Blu DeTiger. The New York-born artist is someone that everyone should know more about. An incredible musician, songwriter and D.J., she released the E.P., How Did We Get Here?, last year. I am going to come to a review of that E.P. soon. Before that, there are interviews out there that provide more story and background regarding the incredible Blu DeTiger. Some might know her best as a TikTok sensation. Others might be more acquainted with her early career, whereas some are coming to Blu DeTiger fresh. This interview from DORK gives us some biography about the hotly-tipped star:

“Blu DeTiger is living a life as wild as her name suggests. She’s blowing up on TikTok with her epic bass videos that see her freestyle over pop classics from ‘Baby One More Time’ to ‘Get Lucky’, which are weaved between original compositions and snippets of idealistic New York City landscapes. Her cover of Ginuwine’s ‘Pony’ is also a must-see. Though amassing a following in the millions across the digital sphere, labelling her simply as a TikTok star would be reductive, as she’s been flourishing long before the app ever came into existence, and is now gearing up to release her debut EP.

The EP was crafted in lockdown, which Blu has been spending in her hometown of NYC, where she still resides. “The city is super inspiring. It’s based on hustle and bustle, and everyone’s working all the time, and everything’s moving. You can do a million things in a day, every single day. I think it’s where my drive comes from, being a New Yorker.”

The New York state of mind is instilled into Blu’s existence. Ever since she was a child, she would seize every opportunity she was given, with palpable enthusiasm that she still has to this day, bolstered by a creative upbringing.

“They’re not musical; it’s really funny,” she says of her parents. “But they’re both super artsy and creative. My dad is a painter and a sculptor; he does a lot of different forms of visual art. They were very much adamant about following your passion and living your dream and doing what you want to do. I think that was always instilled in my two brothers and me at an early age, which I’m super grateful for. My older brother started playing drums when he was ten, and I was seven at the time. [It was the] classic sibling thing. I wanted to play an instrument, and I chose bass because I thought it was unique and different. I just fell in love with it. I took lessons and did different music programmes and just practised. There was never a point where I wanted to quit.”

Despite not being legally old enough, Blu’s career in music started to gain traction when she started DJing in clubs around NYC at just seventeen”.

“I love TikTok. I’m obsessed with it. My screentime is ridiculous. It’s so embarrassing,” she laughs.

“There are so many creative people on there. These kids who are just so interesting, and have such good ideas. There are some really good musicians on there too. I think it’s motivating and inspiring. I’ve gotten better at my instrument from making these videos too. I think when I started doing all the TikTok videos, that helped me think differently about the bass, and how it can be more of a melodic instrument. A lot of the time I’ll bring it to the forefront of the song, and I’m putting my own spin on these classic pop songs. That’s been helpful when I even write my own stuff.”

TikTok is one of the fastest-growing apps in the world, but there’s still a hefty amount of stigma surrounding the outlet and whether it should be viewed as a credible platform. It’s a trial Blu has had to tackle as a musician.

“I’m always thinking about this because, for me, there is that stigma,” Blu admits. “I’m so happy that I have a platform there and that I’ve been able to make fans, but I think what people don’t realise a lot of the time is that I’ve been doing music forever. I was DJing since I was seventeen, and playing bass since I was seven. I think it just connected on TikTok. I just found a niche that was able to accelerate.”

Speaking more about her sonic influences, Blu cites a string of 70s funk greats alongside 80s new wave legends. “Chic and Nile Rodgers… I wanted to learn every bassline. When I was getting into slap bass, I learned a lot of Larry Graham, Sly and The Family Stone. I was obsessed with Blondie. I’m still obsessed with Blondie. Tom Tom Club, The Talking Heads… All of this late 70s, early 80s funk disco. Zapp and Cameo. Acts that are so ingrained in my head. Grooviness, funk and disco elements are always going to be present in my music”.

If you have not heard her How Did We Get Here? E.P., I would urge everyone to do that. Prior to you listening to that, there are other interviews that caught my eye. The Line of Best Fit spoke with Blu DeTiger around the release of her debut E.P. Apart from them asking about the importance of the bass, she also discussed the impact of the pandemic:

“BEST FIT: This must be a crazy week for you with the release of your first EP! What have you been up to?

BLU DETIGER: I'm just about to start writing more music, so that's kind of the next wave. I'm gonna just get back into the studio in the next few months, but just release week; all the promo, all of that stuff, celebrating. That's kind of been what's up the past few weeks.

Can you tell me about some of your pre-pandemic touring?

I was touring with a lot of other artists just as a bass player. Like work-for-hire for a bunch of artists, which is really good. I got a lot of experience there; a lot of touring experience. I was scheduled to do all of that stuff for pretty much this whole year. I had my whole 2020 calendar booked up with tours and shows and festivals for other artists, so it was kind of crazy when everything got canceled.

Were you on the road when you realised the extent of the pandemic?

I was doing the Caroline Polochek tour. I was actually in London with her when everything shut down. And then I was about to do this tour with Fletcher, who is a pop artist, and that also got totally cancelled. I was supposed to do two tours with her – I was supposed to do a European tour, and then we were supposed to do an arena tour. That was really sad...

You wrote this whole EP in quarantine, and it was inspired by narratives and things that happened before. How did COVID affect the process and speed of making that EP?

COVID obviously changed everyone's lives, [it was] insane and flipped it upside down. I think, musically and creatively, it's hard to not write about it, you know what I mean? Like, it's hard to not write about quarantine because it's such an extreme switch up of lifestyle. So I think when it came to songwriting, and when I was sitting down to write songs during the whole period, it was pretty obvious to use those feelings to write the songs. A lot of that stemmed from what I was feeling then. That's kind of the common theme throughout the whole EP.

Were there any particular feelings or events in your life that served as a common thread throughout the record or gave you a starting point?

Definitely nightlife – not in the weird way. I don't even party or anything, but I think just experiencing that in New York. I think New York, more like a New York culture and young people in New York, and that sort of scene, like downtown definitely sparked a lot of stuff. Even “Vintage”; describing those characters in “Vintage” is very based on people I’d see and come across in New York. Then the song “disco banger but you're crying in the bathroom” was missing the dance floor or a club. Just New York and nostalgia for pre-pandemic times is kind of the common theme.

How would you sell someone on the bass and the importance of the bass?

I would say that it holds down any song in any band or group setting. It's the groove of the song which is the most important – it's what makes people move. I think what I love is you feel the low frequencies in your chest and your heart and your soul. You can connect with it on a deeper level. Also, it is a really versatile instrument, and you can hold down the group, but you can also offer a lot of melodic elements. It can be the melody, it can be the rhythm, It can be the harmony. So that's what I would say. And it's just cool. Like, it just looks sick.

With your debut EP out, what’s next for you?

I'm just gonna start writing new stuff. The next few months, I’m just gonna be writing more, doing sessions and planning out the next phase, like the Blu 2.0 phase of music and then probably start rehearsing for the shows that will happen later on. So it's kind of a mix of both of those”.

The last interview I want to bring in is from Women in Pop. In addition to pick up on and highlighting individual tracks from her E.P., they also asked Blu DeTiger about her earliest club D.J. days – where, it turns out, she was underage at the time:

“And your latest single ‘Vintage’ which is just so much fun and energy. There's ‘70s style references, ‘80s hooks and early 2000s karaoke references. There's a whole wine cellar of vintage going on there. What is it about those eras that you adore, that you gravitate to so much?

Yeah, part of that song came from me just such a vintage girl. I listen to old music, so does everyone in some capacity, but i think more so when I was growing up. When i was in middle school I was always listening to older stuff and when I was in high school i was listening to disco and my friends were like ‘what?’ We didn't have the same musical taste and background, because I was getting into bass and stuff. I always thought of myself as an old soul compared to my friends. That is part of where the song came from. I take a lot of influence from the past, genre wise, as well. All the funky stuff that are in this track are direct references to that era. We have the ‘80s synth sounds in that song as well. It’s recycling of the past and making it feel fresh at the same time. That's what i was aiming for with this song especially since it was called ‘Vintage’ I definitely wanted to reference some of those tropes in different genres of music but also just keep it really fresh and fun and in the 2020/2021 age as well.

One key track that stands out for me is ‘Figure It Out’ because you've got that boot stomping bass thumping mantra and then it's punctuated by your surprisingly electric soprano vocals, which is beautiful. Do you think that does come from your DJ-ing days where you're like ‘oh we can mix this track with this’, or is that just naturally what you gravitate towards?

I never really thought about it like that but it might just be from me having a knowledge of mixed genres and stuff. When I’m making stuff I just go almost by vibe and just what makes me feel good and what i think would be cool. Most of the time that's just mixing a bunch of stuff. It's all music so whatever feels good feels good, you know?

Your EP How Did We Get Here? is a seven track collection of anthems that put you in control of your narrative and challenges gender stereotypes within music and news culture. Where do you feel that those stereotypes lies?

Ohhh, interesting. First off, there aren't that many female instrumentalists. There are way more now, but when i was growing up it was kind of hard to find. So me being a bass player and putting the bassline at the forefront of most of my songs is maybe against what a traditional female pop star would do. First and foremost I think that is the biggest thing.

When you started clubbing and DJ-ing you were actually underage. Obviously there’s a lot of guts that comes with that, you've clearly got confidence oozing out of you. But did you ever find a time, particularly when it came to writing your own music and getting it out there, that you felt like you either had to quieten down or shout louder in order to be heard because you were both a woman and a young woman at that?

I think more so when I was growing up and playing and going to like rehearsals. I did a bunch of jazz programs when I was younger and jazz camp and bass camp. I did all that nerdy stuff and all of those things are primarily guys in there. So i think when i was doing those, when i walked into the room, I just immediately stood out because I was a girl and having that extra layer of it made me practice way harder so I could be the best I could be in the room and not just be ‘good for a girl’. That was really prevalent when I was coming up as a bass player. It really motivated me to really practice so that people couldn't just say I was ‘good for a girl’. In terms of my music too when I’m writing and stuff, I don't know if this is a musician thing but there's always times when you'll be in a room with someone else, like a male producer, and they'll try to input their ideas more so and be ‘this is what we're going to do’ and you have to just make sure that you steer the ship and that you're able to dictate what you want to do. That also motivated me to get into producing so that when I can be in the room I can eloquently say how I wanted something to sound and know the right terms so that I could show that I know what's up, you know?”.

There was a lot of justified excitement and praise around How Did We Get Here? It was definitely one of last year’s finest debut E.P.s. It makes me wonder whether another might follow this year. Among those keen to have their say was The Line of Best Fit. This is what they noted in their review:

“Sonically, DeTiger dips in and out of lo-fi pop, rife with vivid funk explosions, and bass-heavy interludes. How Did We Get Here? is a quirky EP, and a fittingly sweet introduction to the world of New York's new bass aficionado. Whilst opener, the viral hit “Figure It Out”, is arguably where DeTiger found her fame, it’s throughout the rest of the EP where she truly shines.

The alt-disco instrumental “disco banger but you’re crying in the bathroom” is an effortlessly upbeat ode shadow of a disco track. It’s a rejuvenation of the genre for the modern age; groovy, catchy and sprinkled with just the right amount of gen Z angst.

“Night Shade” is another stand out moment. Here her luminous vocals dance over a slinky bassline, sprinkled with some glittering funk guitar - there’s something about this track that’s just so cool. Whether this be the fluid lyricism or the frankly fantastic adlibs, it’s a tune embossed with an elegant groove.

However, not every track lands as well as these. The viral opener, although catchy, just feels too laidback for an otherwise bouncing EP. The bassline lacks lucidity, and the hook just misses its target. Similar critiques can be said about “Cotton Candy Lemonade”. Although dulcet breaks are often welcomed on full-length albums, something feels off about having an otherwise carefree EP stop so suddenly in its tracks to welcome in a more sombre tone.

Throughout the rest of the EP, we’re served infectious visions of the perfect boy (“Vintage”), frisson-inducing rhythms and radiant backing vocals (“Toast with the Butter”) and some devilishly fun auras of an outdoor disco (“Kinda Miss You”). No matter the strain of pop, DeTiger asserts herself wholeheartedly within the body of the music.

Although How Did We Get Here? sometimes loses itself in its attempt at deeper moments, it makes up for it with the youthful exuberance in the rest of the tracks. Perfectly mixing feelings of sweetness, coolness and glitter, Blu DeTiger has begun to master her craft, while welcoming in a (not too) distant summer”.

A brilliant and multifaceted talent, Blu DeTiger is an artist who is going to have many more years in the music industry. She is already being hailed as one of this year’s names to watch. After a 2021 that saw the release of her debut E.P., she will want to gig as much as possible and, I guess, work on new material. It is exciting to see where she might head next. If you have not followed Blu DeTiger yet, then acquaint yourself with…