Rising singer-songwriter Bailey Bryan celebrates the release of her highly anticipated EP, Sensitive Bad B*tch Music Vol. 1. This intimate portrayal of her journey towards self-love showcases Bailey’s unique blend of vulnerability and confidence in her songwriting, which has captivated listeners worldwide.
Embracing the contradictions in her life and music, Bailey’s work transcends genres as she explores her self-described “sensitive bad b*tch” persona. The concept of “sensitive bad b*tch” represents the balance of vulnerability and strength as one navigates life’s challenges, learning and re-learning one’s self-worth. Bailey’s music embodies this duality, encouraging listeners to embrace their humanness and not let their perceived weaknesses define them.
Sensitive Bad B*tch Music Vol. 1 features infectious tracks like “RIP,” a high-energy anthem celebrating personal fluidity, and standout singles “Tragic” and “Passion.” “Tragic” takes listeners on an introspective journey of self-acceptance, while “Passion” infuses elements of 90’s R&B, funk, and pop with Bailey’s signature twist. In “Credits (Outro),” Bailey opens up about her painful departure from her former label, offering a heartfelt reflection on loss and letting go.
Hailing from a small town in Washington State and now based in L.A., Bailey began writing songs on guitar at the age of 12. Over time, she developed her sound and style by drawing from a diverse range of influences. With the release of Sensitive Bad B*tch Music Vol. 1, Bailey Bryan returns with a powerful and impactful project that allows her to speak her truth more boldly than ever.
We had the pleasure of speaking with the singer about the project, creating a community for her listeners, fashion, and much more. Read on to see our conversation.
Hey Bailey! Congratulations on your new EP, Sensitive Bad B*tch Music Vol. 1! Can you share with us how the title came to be and how it represents your journey toward self-love?
Thank you! I feel like the theme of life is to learn how to love and accept yourself better so that you can do the same for others. It’s not something I have figured out by any means. But it is something I think about a lot, and something I used to have a lot of trouble accepting about myself was how sensitive and emotional I am at my core. I thought that if you have big feelings you have to hide them in order to appear confident.
A big step in my own self-love journey was realizing that owning your vulnerability is actually one of the bravest most confident things you can do. I like to lean into that with my music to hopefully encourage others to do the same, and that’s how SBB music was born.
It opens with the track “Passion.” Can you give us some insight into the inspiration behind this song, and why you chose it as the opening track?
I wrote “Passion” after going on a really shitty, boring date that left me wondering if I would ever find the passionate, romantic love that I think we all (“we” being SBB’s at least) long for deep down.. because I am dramatic. I wanted to start the EP with it bc it’s a fun and sexy song but it also comes from a real place.
Elsewhere, the standout cut “RIP” has caught the attention of many as the final pre-release single. What’s the story behind this track, and what makes it so special to you?
I wrote “RIP” during a huge period of change in my life! It was inspired by the feeling of finally cutting all ties with some people in my life that were holding me back, and making the decision to move from Nashville (my home of the last 7 years) to LA, about a year ago. I find change to be the most terrifying and necessary part of life, so every lyric in “RIP” is basically just me manifesting the attitude I want to have toward the unknown.
As someone who balances sensitivity and strength, how do you stay grounded and connected to your emotions while navigating love lost and found?
I find the best way to stay connected to my emotions while still living from a place of strength and confidence is to make sure I am feeling my feelings… not pushing them down, but also not leading with them in my actions, just allowing myself to process whatever is going on in my head and heart, whether that be through writing a song about it, listening to songs that put words to my emotions, or journaling. Creative outlets are such a good and safe way to process and check in with yourself.
And also, you launched SBB Club last year in tandem with the project—can you speak more about your plans for it?
My hope for the SBB club is that it becomes an actual community for people who are committed to learning how to love and accept themselves for all that they are, to celebrate all of the nuance and contradiction that makes us human. You go to my website to read the “criteria” to figure out if you’re an SBB, and can follow @sbbclub on Instagram even though right now it’s just a bunch of memes that I think are funny and fit the message.
I hope to grow the brand into much bigger things like a merch line that can generate proceeds to go toward mental health organizations. But the purpose of the page, and the EP is not to take any of it too seriously, just beginning to create a space for people to relate.
The final track on the EP, “Credits,” leaves a lasting impression. What can you tell us about the creative process behind the record and most importantly, what do you hope listeners take away from it as they finish listening to the project?
I wrote credits after the label that I’d been signed to for 6 years dropped me, right after I moved to LA. I know that this is part of the industry, and labels drop people all the time, and honestly, it could’ve been a lot worse, nobody screwed me over, it was just the right time to part ways etcetera…
But I’d been with this label and this team longer than any relationship I’d ever been in, and I had a great experience, they treated me like family and gave me all the room in the world to grow. SBB Vol. 1 is my first project I’ve ever released as an independent artist, and there was a grieving process involved in finishing it bc I didn’t know I’d be releasing it independently when I started.
My label team helped pick out half of the tracks, they gave production notes on “IYKYK” and “RIP.” When I wrote “Credits” I was just pouring out all of the break-up type feelings that came with finishing and putting out this project on my own, but also feeling grateful for the opportunity to learn without a doubt that I could do it. It felt like the perfect way to end the project, not having all of my feelings figured out, but finding the confidence to move forward anyway. I wanted it to feel like a breakup song because that’s how the experience felt to me.
Pivoting from music briefly, I love the creative direction behind the project. Out of curiosity, how often do you turn to mediums such as fashion and beauty as a vehicle for creative expression?
I would say all of the time. It all sort of goes hand in hand with the music to me! I’m a super visual person so the way that I dress or do my makeup can be a really good way for me to make sure people perceive my music the way I want them to. But also separately, I think that fashion and beauty can be such a powerful way to process and express my emotions on their own.
Lastly, what advice do you have for others trying to pursue their art?
Just do it and make sure you like it. I’m always having to pull myself out of the trap of becoming more concerned with how others perceive me and my art than I am with my own opinion and perception. For me, it’s the quickest way to become self-conscious and ashamed of my own art and image, even if it’s generally cool… It’s not gonna feel right if it’s not something I genuinely fuck with first and foremost.
