Singer-Songwriter, Motivational Speaker, and Influencer Bri Hall Discusses Her Transformation Into the Musical Artist La Hara
Bri Hall (Photo Credit: Louis Browne at WMA)
Back Story – Hailing from Washington D.C., rising multi-talented artist Bri Hall is ready to reveal her true self with the launch of her alter ego La Hara and musical debut. At only 24-years old, the singer-songwriter, influencer, and motivational speaker has amassed over 700,000 subscribers and over 36 million total views on her YouTube channel. Using YouTube as an outlet for her art during college, everything on her social platforms has since been inspired by her unique take on life, beauty, and art. Hall never aspired to be a YouTube sensation but family, friends, and fans gravitated towards her down to earth appeal, humility, and compassion towards humanity – her beauty videos were just an extra perk.
Overall, Hall uses her platform and reach to address a wide range of social issues from abuse and wellness to black feminism and self-love. In 2018, she gave a TEDx Talk at TEDx Bethesda, “Just Give Up. It’s for the best.” which detailed her own journey working in the retail industry during her college years and how she followed her dreams to achieve the success she’s experienced since. Hall also has 255,000-plus followers on Instagram, working with brands ranging from Calvin Klein, Google Pixel, and Suave to Kellogg’s and Vaseline; she also assisted in launching ads for Freeform’s Black-ish spinoff Grown-ish (both featuring Tracee Ellis Ross and Yara Shahidi). After achieving such a massive level of triumph in the digital age, most would be content to settle on their laurels – but not her. Possessing a natural inclination towards music, Hall started exploring another side of her creative personality, drawing from her formative influences of the ’80s and ’90s R&B, including Denise Williams, Lauryn Hill, and Sade. ~ Bio excerpt by Larry Fitzmaurice
La Hara just released the visuals to her latest single “Mindful” which is a masterpiece of sound and reflective timbre…dig it!
The Hype Magazine got Hall to weigh in on her transformative project and her new artist persona La Hara!
From the outside looking in, who is the new musical artist La Hara?
From the outside looking in, the new musical artist La Hara is the alter ego of Bri Hall. La Hara is a representation of the immense potential one person can have when they are in love with music and the arts. La Hara is dreamy, effervescent, and a little bit edge. She has a story to tell much deeper than what Bri Hall could tell.
What brought you to the entertainment industry, music specifically?
My love for music began with the clarinet when I was 8. I’ve always been drawn to music, even in college and high school I would join rap ciphers. The guys in the circle would vouch for me saying, “nah bro, she can spit, Bri can rap,” and I loved making people’s facial expression change. Especially as a woman of color, my whole world is about being underestimated. I’m drawn to the craft most, the industry seems like the scary part. I’m committed to learning and growth, I believe anything is possible.
What do YOU get from music?
I LOVE the challenge music presents me. Art comes so naturally to me to the point that my talent has become paralyzing to me as an artist. Knowing that I could spend 1/5th of the time on a painting and still present something amazing made me complacent. It was never like that with music, there was always something challenging me, always something to learn. I always felt this feeling of ‘not belonging,’ in music. In my piano class in high school and in the primary school band, I couldn’t read sheet music, which made me spend so much time playing by ear. I wasn’t brought up singing or performing, I wrote in private and practiced in private. Music is like that popular person in school everyone likes, and each day I learn something I gain the confidence to speak, to write, and to make more.
Tell us about your current project.
My current project started as a collection of poems. I would revisit some of my poetry in 2017 and think, “what would this sound like with a melody.” I would hum the words to myself in different ways, and some just stuck. This project is about my journey to becoming a woman and the self-reflection I’ve had to do. The world is something no one is truly prepared for, and there is so much to write about. I’m particularly fascinated with how the past and the present intertwine to create us, and how we create ourselves.
For new listeners, what song of yours would you pick as an introduction to you as an artist?
My first single “Mindful” would be my introduction to myself as an artist. I knew the first time I heard the song it would be my first single. Not because it was my best record or my most heavily produced record, but because it showed everyone a vulnerable side of myself. I can’t expect audiences to be open to my music if I’m not willing to be more open with them. Mindful is a story of mental health and being forgotten in a busy world that never stops. It’s about being Mindful of others on your busy days, being mindful of yourself, and having compassion.
Tell us a bit about your work and passions OUTSIDE of music…
Humanitarian work is a huge part of my life outside of music. Compassion is the understanding of suffering, and some of the most compassionate people have suffered a lot. I feel like I have gone through such a diverse series of painful experiences for the purpose of helping people from many walks of life. This February I completed a Humanitarian trip to Ethiopia. I traveled with a non-profit organization to help create free content for local organizations to help stimulate local economy. I also plan this year to work with some brands and donate portions of my sponsorships to communities and causes I am passionate about. I’m also an artist, I love to draw and paint, it brings me so much piece. Art has also allowed me to collaborate with talent at some record labels to promote their music. I can’t wait to integrate art into my music.
Last but not least, HYPE wants to know…What’s your CRAZIEST “Where they do that at?!” aka WTF?! moment…
The craziest, “Where they do that at?!” moment I’ve had recently was probably being at a fancy hotel in NYC and feeling so sleepy the first day. My schedule was jam-packed, and I was literally SO tired even after full nights of sleep. I was eating healthy meals from places I’ve eaten from before, but I was getting SO sick and couldn’t hold anything down. Randomly at 4am the night before my event an alarm sounds, but it’s only in my room, it turned off after a few minutes. The hotel staff sent their engineer in 4 hours later to check it out. Turns out it wasn’t the smoke alarm, it was carbon monoxide!! I ended up getting a full refund for my stay, definitely a WTF moment!
Featured Image: La Hara (Photo Credit Shaughn Cooper)
TweetAbout the Author
Dr. Jerry Doby Editor-in-Chief of The Hype Magazine, Media and SEO Consultant, Journalist, Ph.D. and retired combat vet. 2023 recipient of The President's Lifetime Achievement Award. Partner at THM Media Group. Member of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, the United States Press Agency and ForbesBLK.
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