Bree Runway

Brenda Wireko Mensah[1] (born 18 November 1992),[2][3] known professionally as Bree Runway, is an English singer, rapper and songwriter from Hackney, London. She signed to Virgin EMI Records in 2018 and subsequently released her first commercial EP Be Runway in August 2019, followed by her debut mixtape, 2000and4Eva, in November 2020.

Bree Runway
Birth nameBrenda Wireko Mensah
Born (1992-11-18) November 18, 1992
London Borough of Hackney, England
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Rapper
  • singer
  • songwriter
Years active2015–present
LabelsEMI Records
Associated acts
Websitebreerunwaymusic.com

Early life

Mensah was born on 18 November 1992 in Hackney, where she was raised.[4] She resided on a street given the nickname "Murder mile" due to high rates of crime and conflict.[4][5] Runway views her upbringing and experiences as her having to have "thick skin", resilience and "having instilled a fight in me" which she is thankful for.[5] At the age of 9, Runway experienced bullying and colorism which caused her to bleach her skin and have a negative chemical reaction to the product.[6] Runway credits those moments as shaping her both as a person and an artist.[4] Runway discussed the positive shift in attitude regarding her skin when she went to a college in south London where she met model Leomie Anderson who encouraged Runway to take pictures of herself and "take charge of our situations".[6]

Runway disclosed that she was only interested in music at school but never thought of herself as a musician. She enrolled in a Music technology subject which taught her the basics of music production. As a result, Runway started making beats and freestyling with her friends. Runway discussed that she purchased a "DIY home studio" setup with her first pay cheque which was where she was singing over self-produced beats and writing her own songs. Earlier material such as RNWY 01 was recorded with her DIY setup and explained that the self-sufficiency taught her what musical sound she wanted to pursue.[7] Runway revealed that Former First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama, once visited her school where she performed for her and was told to keep pursuing a musical career and that she wanted to see her performing at the White House to which Runway responded "Invite me then!".[6]

Career

2015–2019: Career beginnings and Be Runway

Bree Runway made her solo debut with the self-released EPs titled RNWY 01 and Bouji being released in November 2015 and May 2016 respectively.[8][9][10] Runway commercially released her debut single "Butterfly" in November 2016. A music video was released alongside the song, which was shot in Dubai, by model Leomie Anderson and directed by Runway herself.[10]

On 21 September 2017, Bree Runway released "What Do I Tell My Friends?" which debuted alongside a music video.[11] The video would gather major attention, being her first to pass over one hundred thousand views, and praise due to its serious message of exploitation of young females in the fashion industry.[12] Bree Runway was featured on British electronic duo Metroplane's single "Word of Mouth" which was released in February 2018.[13]

Bree Runway signed to Virgin EMI Records in 2018. In May 2019, she released the single "2ON" as her major-label debut.[14] The track would later be included on Paper's critics list of the Top 50 Songs of 2019.[15] Car company Toyota would also use the track in an advertisement for their C-HR Leave Ordinary Behind campaign.[16][17] In July 2019, the single "Big Racks" featuring Brooke Candy was released.[18] Both "2ON" and "Big Racks" had debuted with accompanying music videos. Bree Runway released her major-label debut EP Be Runway on 16 August 2019 which was preceded by singles "2ON" and "Big Racks" featuring Brooke Candy.[19][5] A video for the track "All Night" was released 5 days later, making it the third and final single from the record.

2020–present: 2000and4Eva

On 5 March 2020, Bree Runway released the single "Apeshit" which was met with critical acclaim and drew immediate comparisons to Missy Elliott who would later co-sign the track on Twitter.[7] A censored version of the song titled, "Ain't It", was included on the FIFA 21 VOLTA Football soundtrack.[20] During April 2020, Bree Runway was featured on the cover of Issue 87 of British magazine Notion.[21] On 28 April 2020, Runway announced that her next single would be titled "Damn Daniel" and would be a collaboration with American singer and rapper Yung Baby Tate.[22] The single was released on 30 April, alongside a "quarantine edition" music video.[23] The song was featured on Annie Mac's Future Sounds show on BBC Radio 1 as the "Hottest Record in the World" on 30 April.[24]

On 10 July 2020, Bree Runway was featured on a remix of Rina Sawayama’s single "XS".[25] In July 2020, Bree Runway released the single "Gucci" with American rapper Maliibu Miitch. She also released the single "Little Nokia" in September 2020, which would later go onto be ranked the fourth best song of 2020 by Time magazine.[26][27] In October 2020, Bree Runway was the cover star for the DIY issue of British magazine Hunger.[28] In October 2020, Runway announced the release of her debut mixtape, 2000and4Eva, which was released on 6 November 2020 via Virgin EMI Records.[29] The mixtape's release was preceded and supported by the singles; "Apeshit", "Damn Daniel", "Gucci", "Little Nokia" and "ATM". A music video for the mixtape's fifth single, "ATM" featuring Missy Elliott, was released on 11 January 2021.[30] A solo version of the song entitled the "Breemix" was released on 25 January 2021.[31]

Artistry
I always feel the need to correct people anytime they call me an R&B sensation. I’ve said it before, and I’ll repeat it. I’m not R&B. I need to keep reinforcing this because the world is so obsessed with labelling people and putting them in boxes that sometimes people lose who they are, and then they start obsessing and put themselves in a box. Then people don’t feel comfortable stepping out and being who they are because this is what they are being told is how they should be, and it’s so wrong.

—Bree Runway on genre categorization[32]

Bree Runway has expressed her sound as "genre-bending" as well as "genre fluid" with her material experimenting with a multitude of genres including; pop, trap, dance, R&B, rock, hyperpop and country. Despite being signed to a major label, Runway revealed that she is entirely in charge of her creative process.[6] Runway explains that she tries to study genres that she doesn't listen to on a daily basis quoting that there is "inspiration everywhere". When discussing Runway's sound, she emphasizes her disapproval with genre labelling.

She cites Lil' Kim, Britney Spears, Madonna, Missy Elliott, Pharrell, Kelis, Lady Gaga and The Neptunes as her biggest influences.[7]

Discography
Main article: Bree Runway discography

Awards and nominations
Organization Year Category Nominated work Result Ref.
MOBO Awards 2020 Video of the Year "Apeshit" Nominated [33]
BBC 2020 Sound of 2021 Herself Nominated [34]

References
  1. "BBC Music's Sound of 2021: The longlist". BBC. 7 December 2020. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  2. "Brenda Wireko Mensah (England and Wales Birth Registration Index, 1837-2008)". FamilySearch. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  3. Runway, Bree (18 November 2016). "Happy Birthday 🎉to me ; this year is all about [...]". Instagram. @breerunway [verified account]. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  4. Tyrell, Nicolas (20 July 2020). "Tell Your Friends: Bree Runway". DIY. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  5. Dunn, Frankie (5 March 2020). "10 things you need to know about Bree Runway, the Hackney star making hot girl pop". i-D. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  6. Pennant, Felicia (31 March 2020). "'I was 9 when I first bleached my skin': Bree Runway on overcoming hate". Dazed. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  7. Aubrey, Elizabeth (17 March 2020). "Bree Runway: Meet the Missy Elliott-approved rising star whose fearless pop is challenging colourism". NME. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  8. "You NEED to listen to Bree Runway's debut EP 'RNWY 01'". Certified UK. 25 November 2015. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  9. Fernandez, Malachi (15 May 2016). "[Review x Stream] Bree Runway - Bouji". Certified UK. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  10. Fearon, Anna (1 December 2016). "Getting To Know Miss Bouji Bree Runway". Indie Magazine. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  11. Ali, Jon (3 October 2017). "Queer Necessities: Billboard Pride's October Playlist". Billboard. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  12. Knight, David (26 September 2017). "Bree Runway 'What Do I Tell My Friends?' by Fred Rowson". Promonewstv. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  13. Evans, Steph (22 February 2018). "Metroplane and Bree Runway's "Word of Mouth" is worth talking about". Earmilk. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  14. Murray, Robin (24 May 2019). "Hackney DIY Pop Phenomenon Bree Runway Returns With '2ON'". Clash. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  15. Love Michael, Michael (17 December 2019). "PAPER's Top 50 Songs of 2019". Paper. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  16. "Toyota C-HR Leave Ordinary Behind". Tunebubble. 8 March 2020. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  17. Lewis, Tia (1 February 2020). "2020: The year of pop/R&B/rap artist Bree Runway?". RNBRIT. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  18. Murphy, Sam (17 July 2019). "Bree Runway's 'Big Racks' Is An Oddball Flex". The Interns. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  19. "Bree Runway's Debut EP 'Be Runway' Is A Genre-Twisting Trip". The Interns. 21 August 2019. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  20. "FIFA 21 Soundtrack - EA SPORTS Official Site". Electronic Arts Inc. 28 September 2020. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  21. "Notion 87 Bree Runway". Notion. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  22. Love Michael, Michael (4 May 2020). "Bree Runway Interview on "Damn Daniel" With Yung Baby Tate". Paper. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  23. Valentine, Claire (30 April 2020). "Premiere: Bree Runway Shares Ultra-Fun "Damn Daniel" Video Featuring Yung Baby Tate". Nylon. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  24. ･ﾟBree Runway ☆ [@breerunway] (30 April 2020). "YOOOO!!!! 'DAMN DANIEL' IS @AnnieMac's HOTTEST RECORD IN THE WORRRRLDDD TONIGHT!!! AHHHH" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  25. Triscari, Caleb (12 July 2020). "Rina Sawayama shares Bree Runway remix of 'XS'". NME. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  26. Bruce, Jasper (24 September 2020). "Bree Runway drops retro-inspired single 'Little Nokia'". NME. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  27. "The 10 Best Songs of 2020". Time. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
  28. ･ﾟBree Runway ☆ [@breerunway] (19 October 2020). "PUNK POP☆ BREE RUNWAY, YES TO MY SECOND COVER OF THE YEAR @HUNGERMAGAZINE" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  29. Langford, Jackson (28 October 2020). "Bree Runway announces new mixtape '2000AND4EVA', with guest artist Rico Nasty". NME. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  30. "Watch Bree Runway and Missy Elliot's glamorous "ATM" video". The FADER. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
  31. ATM (BREEMIX / SOLO VERSION) - Single by Bree Runway, retrieved 25 January 2021
  32. Johnson, Shakeena (24 September 2020). "#PLTFRM: Bree Runway". Clash. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  33. Keith, James (24 November 2020). "The MOBO Awards Are Back For 2020, Nines, Headie One, Ms Banks & More Nominated". Complex. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  34. O'Connor, Roisin (7 December 2020). "BBC Sound of 2021: Longlist tips Dutchavelli, Alfie Templeman, Bree Runway and The Lathums for success". The Independent. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
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