Continue to Hollywoodlife () SKIP AD
Hollywood Life Logo Image

Hollywood Life

Today's Top Stories

  • maci bookout
    Watch

    ‘Teen Mom OG’s Maci Bookout Claps Back After Ryan Edwards’ Wife Calls Her ‘Petty’

  • Gracie McGraw
    See Message

    Gracie McGraw Claps Back & Embraces Her 'Floppy Body'

  • joggers
    SHOP

    Over 3k People Say These Silky Joggers Are Just As Good As Lululemon & Are Less Than 1/4 Of The Price

Hollywood Life
  • Home
  • News
  • Entertainment
  • Celebrity Bios
  • Beauty
  • Fashion
  • Shopping
  • Celebrity News
  • World News
  • Exclusives
  • Politics
  • Celebrity Babies
  • Opinions
ALL NEWS
  • madonna

    Madonna, 62, Uses Freaky Filter To Alter Her Face On Instagram, Giving Massive Lips & Wild Eyes: Watch

  • Bruce Springsteen DWI Charge Dropped As He Attends Virtual Hearing 3 Mos. After Arrest

  • Kim Kardashian’s ‘Sweetest Boy’ Psalm Looks Identical To Big Sister Chicago While Wearing SKIMS

  • Award Shows
  • At The Movies
  • TV
  • Music
  • Sports
  • Sex & Relationships
  • Holidays
  • Entertainment Features
  • Podcast
  • Oscar Contenders
ALL ENTERTAINMENT
  • Kyle Hannah

    ‘Summer House’ Preview: Kyle & Hannah Get Into A Massive Fight After He Calls Her Out

  • Jennifer Aniston Shares Book Of Essays On ‘Grief’ & More From ‘Strong’ Women Ahead Of Women’s History Month

  • ‘RHONJ’ Preview: Dolores Reveals David ‘Ran Out’ During A Fight About Getting Engaged

  • Taylor Swift
  • Rihanna
  • Selena Gomez
  • Kim Kardashian
  • Kylie Jenner
  • Kendall Jenner
  • Justin Bieber
  • Miley Cyrus
  • Gigi Hadid
  • Khloe Kardashian
  • Jennifer Lopez
  • Angelina Jolie
  • Harry Styles
  • Kourtney Kardashian
ALL CELEBRITY BIOS
  • madonna

    Madonna, 62, Uses Freaky Filter To Alter Her Face On Instagram, Giving Massive Lips & Wild Eyes: Watch

  • Enhance Your Space With These Super Chic Accent Twinkling Lights

  • ‘Summer House’ Preview: Kyle & Hannah Get Into A Massive Fight After He Calls Her Out

  • Fragrance
  • Hair Care
  • Health
  • Makeup
  • Nails
  • Beauty Features
  • Skincare
  • Makeover
  • Diet & Fitness
ALL BEAUTY
  • BTS

    BTS’ Jungkook Debuts Blue Hair Makeover & Fans Are Loving It — Before & After Pics

  • These Adjustable Dumbbells Have 5 Weights In One & They’re On Sale For Under $80

  • Turn Your Existing Exercise Bike Into A Peloton With This iPad Handlebar Mount That Makes Watching Videos Easy

  • Red Carpet
  • Weddings
  • Fashion Features
  • Shopping
ALL FASHION
  • twinkling lights

    Enhance Your Space With These Super Chic Accent Twinkling Lights

  • Jennifer Lopez & More Celebs Rocking Pastel Dresses In Winter, Proving They’re So Ready For Spring

  • Kylie Jenner Proves That ‘Less Is More’ With Sexy Gray Outfit Featuring Cutouts – See Pics

  • Share This Article
  • Reddit
  • LinkedIn
  • WhatsApp
  • Email
  • Print
  • Talk
Next Up

Chuck Schumer Says ‘Erection’ Instead Of ‘Insurrection’ On Senate Floor & No One Can Stop Laughing

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube
  • Newsletters
  • Search Close

Trending

  • Bonnie Says
  • Celeb Babies
  • TV
  • Celeb Galleries
  • Podcast
  • Tiger Woods
Search

NewsExpand Menu

  • Celebrity News
  • World News
  • Exclusives
  • Politics
  • Celebrity Babies
  • Opinions
  • Rock The Vote

EntertainmentExpand Menu

  • Entertainment Features
  • TV
  • Award Shows
  • At The Movies
  • Music
  • Sports
  • Sex & Relationships
  • Podcast
  • At Home With...

BeautyExpand Menu

  • Fragrance
  • Hair Care
  • Health
  • Makeup
  • Nails
  • Skincare
  • Beauty Features
  • Diet & Fitness
  • Shopping

FashionExpand Menu

  • Red Carpet
  • Weddings
  • Fashion Features
  • Shopping

TrendingExpand Menu

  • Bonnie Says
  • TV
  • Celeb Galleries

About UsExpand Menu

  • About Us
  • Writer Bios
  • Scoops, Tips & Corrections
  • Subscribe To Newsletter
  • Contact Us

Celebrity ProfilesExpand Menu

  • Kim Kardashian
  • Kylie Jenner
  • Justin Bieber
  • Selena Gomez
  • Taylor Swift
  • Rihanna
  • Kendall Jenner
  • Miley Cyrus
  • Gigi Hadid
  • Jennifer Lopez
  • Angelina Jolie
Follow Us
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube
  • Newsletters
Alerts & Newsletters
  • Jobs
  • Scoops & Corrections
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • California Privacy Rights
  • AdChoices
  • Data Policy
  • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
© 2021 Penske Media Corporation
  • Entertainment
  • Music
Exclusive Interview
January 22, 2021 12:00PM EST

Brynn Elliott Shares How ‘Imaged-Obsessed Culture’ & Soccer Inspired ‘Tell Me I’m Pretty’

View Gallery View Gallery 6 Photos.
Jason Brow
Music & Sports Editor
  • Share This Article
  • Reddit
  • LinkedIn
  • WhatsApp
  • Email
  • Print
  • Talk

Who needs a mirror  – or a man – when you have self-confidence? Brynn Elliott reflects on how women face ‘unrealistic standards of beauty’ in her new anthem, and she tells HL how ‘Tell Me I’m Pretty’ came to be.

“There’s so much pressure to look a certain way or live up to unrealistic standards of beauty,” says Brynn Elliott when discussing her new song and music video, “Tell Me I’m Pretty,” with HollywoodLife. The track is a powerful pop anthem that aims to lift women up while tearing outdated patriarchal constraints down. Such constraints become quite literal in the “Tell Me I’m Pretty” video, which sees Brynn on the wrong end of a corset. This music video about rejecting beauty standards is, in itself, gorgeous, but the visual’s captivating aesthetic is eclipsed by the message at the heart of “Tell Me I’m Pretty.”

“The ornate setting was really meant to show how even in this world that looks so pretty and almost like a romanticized Jane Austen mini-series, women were actually struggling back then in very similar ways to the way women struggle now,” Brynn tells HollywoodLife. “They had corsets to change their bodies, we have filters.”

Such an astute observation is the m.o. of Ms. Elliott. A pop star with a philosophical perspective, one who can quote Kierkegaard before belting out a few bars of Kesha. From the get-go, Brynn has incorporated her studies at Harvard into her music, and such layered songwriting can be found on her 2018 debut EP TIME OF OUR LIVES and her upcoming project, CAN I BE REAL? (due later this year.) With the release of “Tell Me I’m Pretty,” Brynn shared how a moment involving Harvard’s men and women’s soccer teams led to the song’s creation, what fans can expect on CAN I BE REAL?, and which lines of poetry have really helped her with the struggle of the past year.

I want to be totally “me” in every sphere of my life. If I am honest, that’s something that has been hard for me to do. I can live out of a posture of people-pleasing that is exacerbated by living in the performative culture of the internet.” (LAUREN DUNN)

HollywoodLife: There’s a universal message at the heart of “Tell Me I’m Pretty,” of finding your self-worth and not relying on others – be they individuals or society – to, as you say, ‘tell me I’m pretty.’ Was there a specific spark of inspiration that led to “Tell Me I’m Pretty,” or is this something that you’ve wanted to say for a while?    

Brynn Elliott: There were two sparks that inspired “Tell Me I’m Pretty.” The first was an experience I had while attending Harvard in 2016. The men’s soccer team rated the physical appearance of various members of the women’s soccer team in a leaked group chat. These men literally gave a numerical rating on their “hotness” and used some of the most horrific language to describe these women. This experience really stuck with me, and I always knew that I wanted to write a song about how I felt in that moment. So, when I wrote the line “Maybe I’m worth more than some numbers or a score,” I was thinking of my friends on the women’s soccer team and moments where I personally have felt rated on my appearance and objectified.

The second spark was when I was on tour with Why Don’t We. It was the most exciting tour for me because I got to perform my songs every night for a primarily female audience. I just kept thinking about how these girls are growing up in the age of the internet amidst an image-obsessed culture. While the internet is good for so many things, it can also really take a toll on how women view themselves.

There’s so much pressure to look a certain way or live up to unrealistic standards of beauty. So it was really after the tour that I finally sat down and wrote this song. I want to write a song of inspiration to those girls and to me that our worth is not found in or defined by how we look in our selfies or our social media ratings as it were. It’s about who we are – that’s where true beauty is found.

The video for the song is quite extravagant. How was it to film such an ornate visual? Was wearing that corset as painful as it looked?

It was very exciting for me to film such an ornate visual. Going into this shoot, I had very specific ideas on what I wanted to be happening in the video. With a song that’s about self-image and the internet, the first thought for the video would be to somehow make it about selfies, make-up, or modern beauty standards. But I wanted to show that it’s not the internet that started the objectification of women. This is something that has been here throughout history.

So, the ornate setting was really meant to show how even in this world that looks so pretty and almost like a romanticized Jane Austen mini-series, women were actually struggling back then in very similar ways to the way women struggle now. They had corsets to change their bodies, we have filters.

And yes, I kid you not, the corset sucked.

What happened to that portrait that was painted of you?

I have the portrait, and I plan on giving it to a fan!

LAUREN DUNN

You’re dropping a new ep, CAN I BE REAL?, later this year. What can you share about this new project? You’ve said that the title track is your “most vulnerable song to date,” so I’m curious what led to this openness in your songwriting. 

I am so excited to share this next chapter. I graduated in 2018 and then was immediately on the road for two years touring and promoting my first project. Then it came time to start writing the next project. At the beginning of that process,  I had to sit with myself and all the experiences I had over those two years. A lot of it felt very glamorous, like playing the Today Show and Kelly and Ryan and being on stage every night.  I love performing so much. But I wanted to check in and make sure that I wasn’t performing from an inauthentic place.

I want to be totally “me” in every sphere of my life. If I am honest, that’s something that has been hard for me to do. I can live out of a posture of people-pleasing that is exacerbated by living in the performative culture of the internet.  So, this project really began by asking myself the question, CAN I BE REAL? I hope that this project stands as a promise to myself and my fans that I will always be the most honest version of myself in my music, warts and all. And above all else, I hope that this music encourages people to be themselves no matter what. I hope they are encouraged to be honest in every part of their lives and that they feel the true freedom that comes with that authenticity.

Your debut, TIME OF OUR LIVES, was inspired by your philosophical studies at Harvard. Is there a philosophical element in this new music? Will there always be some deeper subtext to your music? I imagine that your philosophical mind is not a part of you that you can nor would want to turn off when it comes to writing? 

There will always be a deeper subtext to my music. I am an overthinker, so it’s virtually impossible for that not to come out in my music. Like I said, this EP started from this desire to be authentic. That concept is discussed in some of my most beloved philosophical works. For example, one of my favorite philosophers, Soren Kierkegaard, once wrote, “The most common form of despair is not being who you are.” I drew inspiration from those words as I was writing. That’s why the title, CAN I BE REAL? completely sums up the project as a whole.

“With a song that’s about self-image and the internet, the first thought for the video would be to somehow make it about selfies, make-up, or modern beauty standards.” LAUREN DUNN

You recently moved to Los Angeles. How has life been since relocating to the West Coast? 

Moving to LA has been really wonderful and really strange at the same time! It’s been nice to be in the environment of LA – it feels so artistic and inspiring. I love the people I write songs with and my friends out here. It was also just strange to move in the middle of the pandemic. But I’ve had a lot of quiet time in my apartment to continue cooking up songs!

When last you spoke to HollywoodLife, you mentioned that T.S. Eliot was your favorite poet. You’ve also done #nerdgirlsunday on your Instagram, where you’ve shared a quote and discussed it with your fans. So, what Eliot quote would you say sums up your past year, and which of his lines would you hope shapes your 2021? 

I love this question, and I love T.S. Eliot!  The T.S. Eliot quote that sums up this year would be, “ I have measured out my life with coffee spoons,” because 2020 was a year that we all got to try some new things due to being at home. One of my new things was making the perfect cup of coffee (I love coffee).

The Eliot quote for 2021 comes from his famous Four Quartets, where he writes, “For last year’s words belong to last year’s language and next year’s words await another voice.” I think we all need the fresh start of a new year, and these words make me hopeful that, although there will be hard things in 2021, there is also hope for new and good things.

—

“Tell Me I’m Pretty” is out now.

 

Click to Subscribe to Our HollywoodLife Daily Newsletter to get more celeb news.
  • Share This Article
  • Reddit
  • LinkedIn
  • WhatsApp
  • Email
  • Print
  • Talk

More Related News:

  • Billie Eilish Teams With Rosalía & Sings In Spanish In Their Haunting Collab ‘Lo Vas A Olvidar’ – Watch
  • CC Clarke Helps Break Down The ‘Stigma’ About Men Owning Their Emotions In The Aspirational ‘Boys Do Cry’
  • Elle Winter Finds Herself Trapped In A ‘Sad Girl Heaven’ Full Of Basic Boys In Her New Music Video

Most Read

Chelsea Handler Wears Nothing In Sexy New Hot Tub Video After Selling $10.4M House — Watch

Chelsea Handler

Dakota Fanning, 27, Stuns In A Bikini As She Raps To Cardi B’s ‘WAP’ In Birthday Tribute Post — Watch

Dakota Fanning

Halle Berry, 54, Rocks Short Shorts & High Heels While ‘Soakin’ Up The Sunday Sun’ In New Pic

Halle Berry

Beyoncé’s Mom Tina Knowles Writes ‘Love Letter’ To Son-In-Law Jay-Z: ‘You Are A True Man’

Tina Knowles Love Letter Jay-Z

Britney Spears Flaunts Weight Loss & Reveals How She Shed Lbs. In Seductive New Dance Video

Britney Spears

Have news, pics or video on a breaking news story?

Send us your Tip

Have news, pics or video on a breaking news story?

Send us your Tip

More From Our Brands

  • Katy Perry, Nikki Bella, Ashley Graham, & More Celeb Moms Helping to Normalize Breastfeeding & Pumping in Public
    SheKnows

    Katy Perry, Nikki Bella, Ashley Graham, & More Celeb Moms Helping to Normalize Breastfeeding & Pumping in Public

  • This Is What Aaron Rodgers’ Ex Danica Patrick Thinks of His Fast Engagement to Shailene Woodley
    StyleCaster

    This Is What Aaron Rodgers’ Ex Danica Patrick Thinks of His Fast Engagement to Shailene Woodley

  • Ratings: Superman & Lois Debut Gives CW Time Slot a 2-Year Audience High
    TVLine

    Ratings: Superman & Lois Debut Gives CW Time Slot a 2-Year Audience High

  • Ian MacKaye Talks ‘Woodstock’ Soundtrack Obsession in New Book Excerpt
    Rolling Stone

    Ian MacKaye Talks ‘Woodstock’ Soundtrack Obsession in New Book Excerpt

  • Kith Is the Latest Retailer to Join the 15 Percent Pledge
    FootwearNews

    Kith Is the Latest Retailer to Join the 15 Percent Pledge

    HollywoodLife

    • About Us
    • Accessibility Statement
    • Advertise With Us
    • Careers
    • Scoops & Corrections
    • Contact Us

    Legal

    • Privacy Policy
    • California Privacy Rights
    • AdChoices
    • Terms of Use
    • Data Policy
    • Do Not Sell My Personal Information

    News

    • Celebrity News
    • World News
    • Exclusives
    • Celebrity Babies

    Connect

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
SheKnows Media - Entertainment
© Copyright 2021 HollywoodLife, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media, LLC.
Powered by WordPress.com VIP
ad