While spending time in isolation due to the Coronavirus pandemic, budding songstress Brina Torch connected with and began to understand herself better by writing and recording songs that came from the heart.
One of those songs is “Barbie” — a whimsical pop tune that celebrates individuality and being your authentic self. Premiering exclusively on Celeb Secrets today, Torch says that the track was written in response to the state of today’s society that’s full of false personalities and altered public perception.
“I hope listeners will use this song as reassurance that you don’t need to be what anybody views as perfect,” the 16-year-old tells Celeb Secrets. “You are the only person who’s going to be with you for your entire life, so might as well be who you want to be. I hope it’s also a way for young girls to realize that they don’t need to be fake towards other people to look cool. Being kind is so much more important than being popular.”
Brina sits down (virtually) with Celeb Secrets to discuss “Barbie,” what she hopes listeners her age take away from it, and her upcoming album Monet. Read more in our full Q&A below and let us know what you think of “Barbie” by either leaving a reaction at the bottom of the post or by sending us a tweet at @celebsecrets.
You can connect with Brina on Instagram by giving her a follow at @brinatorch.
Celeb Secrets: Can you tell us about your song “Barbie” and what it means to you?
Brina Torch: “’Barbie’ is a response to the state of today’s society. As a teenage girl, I know so many people who have changed who they are and how they treat others just so they could fit in. Although I love girly things and the color pink, I have never changed myself to fit inside of a box (pun intended) that society has created. To me, ‘Barbie’ is about embracing your true self despite anyone else wanting you to change.”
CS: What made you want to record/release “Barbie?”
BT: “The concept of ‘Barbie’ came about when I was entering a period of time in which I started to realize a lot of people around me have begun to change how they act because they wanted to be popular. While the concept of ‘Barbie’ came before the pandemic, I chose to release it now because a lot of people have been discovering their true selves. With so much time spent at home without others, many people have begun to realize they don’t need to please anyone but themselves. I think the message of this song helps to drive in the importance of self expression.
CS: What do you hope listeners take away from the song?
BT: “I hope listeners will use this song as reassurance that you don’t need to be what anybody views as perfect. To quote the fabulous RuPaul, ‘If you can’t love yourself, how the hell you gonna love somebody else?’ Ha! You are the only person who’s going to be with you for your entire life, so might as well be who you want to be. I hope it’s also a way for young girls to realize that they don’t need to be fake towards other people to look cool. Being kind is so much more important than being popular.”
CS: Who are some artists that you look up to/inspire your music?
BT: “Some artists that I look up to are Lady Gaga, Harry Styles, and Freddie Mercury. I think all three of them have the most incredible stage presence of all time, and I find myself watching performance compilations of them on Youtube until three in the morning. I also love how they have written some of the most beautiful and profound lyrics, because I am such a sucker for a clever lyric. Most importantly, I love their message of embracing your true self and embracing others for their differences.”
CS: Is “Barbie” a taste of what we can expect from your upcoming album “Monet?” What will it sound like?
BT: “‘Barbie’ is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of ‘Monet.’ Each song off of ‘Monet’ tells a story of a different struggle of growing up in each song. Since I’m only 16, so many things that are happening in my life have never happened before. I would say that there’s a good mix of songs that have a similar fun and upbeat vibe like ‘Barbie,’ and a good mix of emotional ballad-like songs similar to my single ‘Capsized.'”
CS: How was the process for you in terms of making an album? Was it recorded during quarantine?
BT: ‘Monet’ was not recorded during quarantine, but I feel like the messages of the songs will hit a lot harder due to this quarantine. Writing and recording ‘Monet’ was one of the most exciting experiences of my entire life. Writing these songs during what I like to call my transition from childhood to almost-adulthood has been so important for me. These songs have helped me get through the highs and lows of my teenage years, and creating each song has been so special to me.”
CS: If so, what was that like for you? Do you have any favorite memories/special moments from making it?
BT: “By far my favorite memories from the making of ‘Monet’ has been the writing process. It’s always so much fun to essentially write a story and create art from a bad situation or even just finding a boy cute. However, my favorite part would always be getting stuck on what to say in a verse, and finally finding the perfect lyric to fit in.”
CS: Since we’re Celeb Secrets, what’s a behind-the-scenes secret from recording “Barbie” that we wouldn’t know when we listen to it?
BT: “One of my favorite behind-the-scenes secrets about ‘Barbie’ comes from filming the music video for the song. In some of the scenes, you’ll see me inside of a home-made toy box singing. Being in that box made the room feel like it was 100 degrees, and I had to stay in it for over an hour to perfect the scenes. At the end of shooting the in-box scenes, I had a one-take shot of me ripping myself out of the box. The satisfaction from ripping open the box felt like a weight from above me, quite literally, was lifted off of me.”
