new york – EllaThought

Singer: @MsOliviaGilmore

Another artist to feature today: Miss Olivia Gilmore! Hailing from Hollis NY, Olivia was born in a musical family. With talent in the genes, it’s safe to say that Olivia has been singing most of her life! At age 5, she had her first solo performance, and her first recording session at 8, recording a jingle in her father’s home studio. During her childhood, she went on to record background vocals for gospel artist Nancey Jackson on her single, “Free (Yes I’m Free),” and even performed live jazz at Diddy’s restaurant, Justin’s, when she was 16!

Singer: @ConstanceRenoir

Written by Brittany Shawnté

I have a lot of spotlights coming up, and even more submissions to look through soon. I plan to
hopefully have at least one spotlight a week for a bit, while I catch up (*fingers crossed*).As always, if you or your client is an upcoming singer, rapper, actor, designer, etc., please email me at BrittanyShawnte@gmail.com (Please give at least two weeks for response).

Today on The Spotlight, we have singer/songwriter Constance Renoir! Raised in Brooklyn, NY, Constance got into music at a very young age. “I would say, by 9 years old, I had written my first song, and I knew that I could really sing,” she said. In junior high, the singer had what she called “sort of a life changing experience,” when she was asked by her music teacher, Ms. Christie, to perform in a talent show. “I had never performed before, and so I didn’t know which song to sing, so she recommended to me that I perform Mariah Carey’s ‘Hero,’” Constance recalled. “Once I grabbed that mic, and sang those specific lyrics, I knew that was what I wanted to do.” From there on, she started following Mariah’s music, trying to match both her vocals and songwriting skills.

“No Matter How Much you Promise to Cook or Pay the Rent You Blew it Cauze Bill Bailey Ain’t Never Coming Home Again.” – by Edgardo Vega Yunqué

Written by Ella

While I was reading this book, there were times I had to hold my breath and force myself to turn the page. Near the end, I found myself sitting on the train with the book held up to my face, peeking through the spaces between my fingers, fearing the next sentence. “No Matter How Much you Promise to Cook or Pay the Rent You Blew is Cauze Bill Bailey Ain’t Never Coming Home Again,” by Edgardo Vega Yunqué, is as long as the title implies, and just as complex. But when you’re trying to describe the racial identity of a country like the United States, it will take a while… because it’s a bit scary.

“Matrix” by @MsOliviaGilmore

Written by Brittany Shawnté Almost a year ago, I had the great opportunity to feature talented singer Olivia Gilmore on The Spotlight. Now, she has dropped a new song, “Matrix” for us all to enjoy, and I’m loving it! She channeled her pain of infidelity in a relationship into this emotional ballad, writing and producing theContinue reading ““Matrix” by @MsOliviaGilmore”