Cristal B. is an independent pop singer-songwriter based in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Music has been her passion since Cristal was a child. This passion led to her songwriting, performing in musicals, playing guitar & piano, and most recently - producing her own songs. Cristal’s music is pop with elements of soul and alternative music (think Adele meets Lana Del Rey meets Taylor Swift). Cristal’s latest single, “Bittersweet,” is an extension of who she is as a person and artist. She’s not afraid to be real and raw with her listeners as she successfully takes them on an intimate musical journey with her honest lyricism.
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
Hey Cristal B., super nice to have the chance to chat with you. What first got you into music?
Hey Kamil, thank you for having me! You could say I inherited my love for music from my family. Most of them love to sing, dance, write songs, and play instruments. I remember singing and putting on performances every chance I got when I was a kid. My parents were always very encouraging of it. I got into songwriting and playing guitar in my early teen years. I didn’t start producing and releasing my music until this past year though. The pandemic made me realize life is too short to not do the things you love, and for me that’s making music.
What jobs have you done other than being an artist?
Aside from being an independent artist, I’m also an oncology nurse at my local hospital. Before that, I spent many years working as a waitress in restaurants all over town.
Your latest song is 'Bittersweet'. Can you tell us more about the making of it and if there were any unusual things happening during the process?
“Bittersweet” was my song baby, so I took my time with her. I started working on that song back in August 2020 and produced a few different versions of it before I figured out what direction to take it in. I wanted it to be more commercial, but it never felt right with all of the added production and instrumentation. I was so worried I wouldn’t get it just right, that I just kept putting it off. My friend and co-producer, Stephen Dunnam, ultimately helped me to make “Bittersweet” into the piano ballad it is today. We teamed up back in November to work on several songs. This one felt really special to both of us. We’re both huge fans of Adele, particularly her songs that are just piano and vocals. We figured if it’s good enough for Adele, then it’s good enough for us, haha.
What do you dislike about the art world?
There’s a lot that needs to be improved upon in the music industry. For starters, how artists get paid and how much is a big one. Especially songwriters, who rarely receive fair compensation for their work. I also dislike how superficial the industry is, but that’s certainly not new by any means.
Describe a real-life situation that inspired you?
Most of my songs are inspired by real-life events and situations. They’re not always necessarily about me directly, but all of my recent releases have been. “Bittersweet” is about my worst heartbreak and how I moved on from it. It took a few years for me to truly process it because there was a lot of anger and shame involved. It took a long time for me to feel “lovable” and “good enough” again. Writing that song gave me closure.
What accomplishments do you see yourself achieving in the next five to 10 years?
In five years, I’m hoping I’ll be making music full-time, hopefully with a couple albums under my belt. I know I want to keep releasing music for myself, but I definitely want to write with other artists for their own projects. Within ten years, I see myself being involved in artist development, maybe with my own label, and/or writing and performing in musicals. That sounds random, but I love musical theater, so I hope to get back into it at some point in my career.
What’s your scariest experience?
My scariest experience has been dealing with panic attacks most of my life. It makes everything so much scarier than it actually is. There isn’t necessarily one experience that stands out to me because my anxiety has made even normal things seem terrifying at some point or another. It’s under control now, but it comes and goes.
How would you describe the music that you typically create?
My music is usually very emotionally-driven and focused on the songwriting. It’s definitely pop with elements of soul, alternative, and orchestral music. I often lean into my musical theater background, so my songs tend to sound a bit theatrical or even cinematic.
Have you ever taught or mentored another musician?
I haven’t mentored anyone just yet, but that’s something I really look forward to in the future. I started a small indie artist “support group” of sorts with some friends, which has been fantastic and slowly expanding. We give each other advice, input, and support as we all learn to navigate the industry. I feel very fortunate that we get to learn from each other.
What is the best advice you’ve been given?
Someone once told me “There is an audience for everyone, just create what you love, you’ll find your people.” It completely changed my perspective. I used to think my music wasn’t commercial enough, that I didn’t meet certain criteria to put out music, and that people wouldn’t listen to it. That bit of advice was a game changer for me because it made me realize that my fear of judgment and failure was my own biggest roadblock to success.