BRITTANY CAMPBELL: RENAISSANCE GIRL

PHOTOGRAPHY // JINGYU LIN

STORY // ANGIE PICCIRILLO

STYLIST // LAURA GORDON

MAKEUP // MOLLIE GLOSS Ā with SIGMA BEAUTY

The anecdote ā€œmaster of noneā€ comes to mind when you hear of someone who is good at everything ā€” but for singer and actress Brittany Campbell, she truly is good at everything. This beauty has done everything from a Netflix series (Sheā€™s Gotta Have it) to releasing her new album, ā€œStay Gold,ā€ last month ā€” oh, and sheā€™s also currently performing in a little show called Hamilton in Chicago. Safe to say that not only is Brittany a renaissance girl ā€”Ā dabbling in all areas, sheā€™s also slightly an overachiever.

With her sound being described as ā€œthe future of soul,ā€ this isnā€™t a label Brittany takes lightly. She in fact, wanted to make sure her ā€œsoundā€ was different from anything sheā€™d heard before, ā€œI became too fixated on making something that would be successful and it was affecting my writing. ā€œStay goldā€ was an attempt to get back to the music that I instinctually write. Iā€™m not a person that respects the idea of genre ā€”Ā I grew up listening to too many things to really care or for that restraint/discipline to be natural. I wanted to get back to writing things that felt good to me,ā€ she says.
In the past, people have known pop stars and singers to be the product of their makers ā€” but Brittany wants to do it all herself, and not because sheā€™s a control freak. She recently animated her own video for ā€œStay Goldā€, saying simply, ā€œI had to do it myself because I understand the concept better than anyone else would ā€”Ā The video is all in my head.ā€
Even more interesting ā€”Ā the video for STAY GOLD was inspired by none other than her dancer friends who grace the stage alongside her in ā€œHamiltonā€, ā€œI was inspired and am inspired by the people around me and wanted them to help me tell the story through movement. Iā€™d animate over it to abstract and heightened emotion, [to] turn moments into fantasyā€¦.ā€
Check the video for “My Garden” here (Animated by Brittany herself), and read our Q&A with Brittany below.

Silk Jacket (worn as top): 1940s Vintage c/o Saffron Vintage // Gown: Peter Copping for Nina Ricci c/o Saffron Vintage // Shoes: Haider Ackermann
 

What inspired ā€œStay Goldā€?

Brittany: Stay Gold first started as a self inflicted challenge where Iā€™d write about 24 songs and release them as EPs in 4 parts. I wanted to do this over the course of a year. For better or for worse (even though I didnā€™t end up writing 24 solid songs) I think I achieved my goalā€¦ More than anything, the album ended up being some of the most honest music Iā€™ve ever achieved.
Some have said you are the ā€œfuture of soul,ā€ how do you feel about that?
Brittany: When I think of the use of the word ā€œsoul,ā€ apart from talking about the genre, I think it inherently means music that feeds the spirit; Music that nourishes our inner life; Thatā€™s all I ever mean to do ā€” So Iā€™m happy that my music has been felt so deeply in whatever capacity.

Vest and Skirt: Marc Lebihan c/o Robin Richman // Shoes: Elena Dawson c/o Robin Richman

Youā€™re currently in Chicago performing in ā€œHamiltonā€ ā€” how has that experience been and how is it different/exciting/weird compared to singing your own material?
Brittany: Itā€™s definitely been a learning process, and really, at the risk of sounding completely clichĆ©, itā€™s been humbling. Iā€™ve never been a part of something so huge ā€” Itā€™s such a cultural phenomenon and hits people so deeply, Iā€™ve never witnessed anything like it ā€” and for that I am grateful. Itā€™s taught me things that I have yet to understand. The unique job that I have, being the Schuyler sister standby, has been so fun because I get to experience and sing the music of all the female leads, who are vastly different and complex womenā€” Iā€™ve had to stretch in ways that Iā€™ve never had to before.
Gown: Vintage Vicky Tiel c/o Saffron Vintage // Mesh Tank: Uma Wang c/o Robin Richman // Coat: Elena Dawson c/o Robin Richman

You are also an actress on a few TV series, What is your favorite thing about acting?
Brittany: My favorite thing about acting is the process of connecting and empathizing with the given character. If I am able to connect through empathy that means the audience will be able to connect through empathy. The more similarities I can find between myself and the role that I am playing the more exciting it becomes; The deeper; The Richer; The scarier, sometimes.
The video for ā€œStay Goldā€ you animated yourself, how did you do this? Why did you want to do it yourself?
Brittany: I did animate ā€œStay Gold.ā€I was inspired and am inspired by the people around me (dancers of ā€œHamiltonā€) and wanted them to help me tell the story through movement. Iā€™d animate over it to abstract and heightened emotion; Turn moments into fantasy. I had to do it myself because I understand the concept better than anyone else would ā€”Ā The video is all in my head. As much as I hate how long animating takes, I really do live for the end result. Animation, without a doubt, is a true love of mine.

You are seemingly a ā€œrenaissanceā€ girl ā€” you dabble in all areas of art, of all the art you do ā€” which is your favorite/most inspiring?
Brittany: Musicā€¦ It will always be musicā€¦ Music moves through meā€¦ It is in every molecule of meā€¦ Itā€™s everywhereā€¦ There is no silence in my headā€¦ It informs everything about me…my mood, my love, my life, my hate, my fears, my whole existence.
Whatā€™s next for you?
Brittany: More of thisā€¦ More creationā€¦ Iā€™d love to tour this coming album in the fall with my band. Iā€™d love to animate a few more videos. But time will tellā€¦ Iā€™m a one woman operation after all.
 

CONNECT WITH BRITTANY CAMPBELL

INSTAGRAM // TWITTER Ā // SPOTIFY // SOUNDCLOUD