In August 2005, a 15 year old named Britney Christian was found on in the depths of Myspace Music and since then she has gone nowhere but up. She has set records in the now-defunct Rating the Music charts, spending the most weeks at no. 1 on the Digital 40 Tracks, holding along with one other act the most songs in the Top Ten, and the record for most songs on the chart overall.
Now, the 16 year old is on the cusp of superstardom, having signed a major advertising deal with the 'Milk Rocks!' campaign, effectively putting her face on millions of milk cartons all over the country's high schools. junior highs, and elementary schools. She also has deals in place with iconic guitar maker Gibson and did we mention her long-awaited debut album? You can catch her entire debut on iTunes or you can wait until early next year to get your hands on a copy...and to top 2006 off, pursued by a few major labels looking to snatch up this rare talent.
Here is our follow-up interview with the emerging teenage star. Dare we say she could top a list of young pop talent expected to make big things in 2007 that includes R.B.D., Belinda, Jordan Pruitt, Meg & Dia, Curtis Peoples, and Mozella? Sure we do!
Interview:
Alan Ho: Thank you for sitting down with us again! Since our last interview, how have you grown as a musician and as a performer?
Britney Christian: Well I have come a long way in developing the exact style of music I like to sing. I have worked with several different co-writers on the album and I think that experience has really helped me to decide what I like and what I don’t like.
AH: During the growing process, did you pick up any new styles, maybe some points for writing your songs?
BC: I always pick up new points for writing every time I write a new song with new people. I’m constantly learning how to get emotions or feelings across in the most unique way.
AH: Tell the readers a little bit about the your role with the Milk Rocks! Campaign and where do you expect to go with them.
BC: The Milk Rocks! campaign is a huge campaign that is active in over 52,000 schools across America. Basically my face is on about 200 million milk cartons a month that go into the schools. The whole idea of the campaign is to promote milk and healthy living by attaching milk to something everyone relates with, music. The most exciting thing about the campaign for me is getting to tour the different schools and put on concerts for the teens. I was in Boston a few weeks ago and the school concert had an amazing response so it really got me excited.
AH: Do you see this as a stepping stone to getting more endorsements in the future say with a major clothing company or store?
BC: That certainly would be nice! I’m always up to endorsement deals as long as they still go along with the morals and image I have set forth for myself. I’ve always wanted to do hair commercials…no idea where I came up with that.
AH: What's the typical day now for Britney Christian these days?
BC: Everyday certainly holds its own unique chaos, I would say a common day for me includes music rehearsals, meetings or auditions on top of finding time to answer my fans on Myspace, practice my singing and guitar and also finish up school work.
AH: Your new CD, tell us a little bit about it and what's the inspiration behind it.
BC: Every track was inspired by a different experience in my life. I wrote the cd over the period of about a year so when I listen to it its almost like a flash back to all the things I have gone through in the past year. Some of the memories are good ones, like “This is the Life” or “Everything to Me”, some of them come from a more difficult time like “Did You Forget” and “Make it Go Away”. Then there are those songs like “Stupid Boyfriends”, “Where You Got Me” and “To Be Me” that are just really fun songs that give a glimpse at the type of person I am and the sense of humor I have.
AH: What is the central theme to your new CD and what can we expecting from you?
BC: It’s hard to say a central theme because every song is about something different, but several of the songs go along with promoting self-acceptance and not changing to conform to what you think other people want you to be.
AH: What's the one song or two that will define your new album?
BC: Well the reason I named my cd “Everything to Me” is because that’s how I feel about all the songs. Throughout the album I talk about tons of things that mean everything to me and I think all of them collectively give a very accurate view of who I am and what I have gone through.
AH: What's the biggest and best story of your time out there promoting your music?
BC: Every time I get out there and perform I have a blast and get tons of new memories. One of my favorite times was just recently in Boston where I did my first school tour for “Milk Rocks!”. It was such an awesome experience because I was able to sing directly to my target audience and the response was amazing! They all started waving their milk cartons in the air during one of the ballads and after they were chanting, “Milk! Milk! Milk! Milk!” I had a huge line after every concert for autographs, which was super cool.
AH: As you edge closer and closer to the same arena as your more mainstream counterparts, what advice do you have for those trying to achieve the same goal you are achieving?
BC: Never ever give up on your dreams no matter how many times you are rejected and always make sure you are having fun! If things turn strictly business and marketing, the whole project will go down the tubes because the heart behind it is gone.
AH: What are your goals; where do you see yourself 5, 10 year from now?
BC: I see myself selling tons of albums and reaching out to as many people as possible. My goal is always to put a smile on their face and relate to them through music. The more people I can have an impact on, the better.
AH: Finally, when do most of us Chicago, New York, and/or Boston-based people at Musiqtone might get to see you in concert lol?
BC: New York and Boston you already missed me!! I was in Boston last month and New York the month before. Hopefully I’ll get to go out to Chicago during the “Milk Rocks!” tour this school year. You can always check out my website www.britneychristian.com or www.myspace.com/britneychristian for future show dates.
The Burn
The thing or things you’d be doing if it weren’t for music…
Lying in a grave! I can’t imagine doing anything but music; it’s all I’ve ever wanted to do.
What’s spinning in your music player right now?
Barefoot and David Martin, both new acts that haven’t released their cd’s yet, but they’re awesome!
The things you can’t live without as a musician
Paper to write down song ideas, a tape recorder to record them, my guitar, guitar tuner (I can’t stand untuned instruments!) and myspace!
Your ultimate venue and why?
Madison Square Garden because its HUGE, I can’t even begin to image how amazing it would be to do a concert to a packed out crowed there.
Music none of your friends (or fans) expect you to listen to
Older stuff like Queen, STYX, Elton John and sometimes even Elvis Presley! I also like to listen to music in Spanish sometimes like, Christina Aguilera’s “Mi Reflejo” cd.
Who would like to tour with or who would you bring on a headlining tour?
I think it would be cool to go on a tour with someone like Jesse McCartney.
Non-musical talents you have
Well I’m a blackbelt in tae kwon do along with my other 5 family members! I also make some pretty killer chocolate chip cookies… Mrs. Fields better watch her back!
Favorite food(s)?
I love sushi! I could probably eat it every night.
Favorite movies? TV shows?
Going to the movies is one of my favorite things to do. Some of my favorite movies are “The Notebook”, “Walk to Remember”, “Bruce Almighty”, “13 Going on 30” and “Zoolander”. I don’t watch a lot of tv, but I was really into “So You Think You Can Dance” this last season.
Favorite color
I’m pretty obsessed with purple, pretty much everything I own is purple, besides my puppy.
Your most embarrassing moment on stage.
Totally forgot the words to one of the songs I was doing one time so they went into the chorus and right as we were coming out of the chorus I finally remembered the words to the verse, I was so relieved! Apparently no one even knew I forgot the words because when I got off I told my sister about it and she was like, “Oh I was wondering why the intro was so long!” I was mortified though.
Your best moment on stage
That same show I looked down into the audience on one of the ballads and this little, probably 4 year old girl, was looking up at me with this huge smile on her face and she shaped her hands in the form of a heart and held them up to me. It was the cutest thing I have ever seen in my whole life and it really touched me.
