talking creative direction and queerness with kort blu
Written by Daphne Bryant
All images provided by Kort Blu
Kort Blu is a chameleon of an artist, constantly bending genres and defying expectations. Her music is a little bit of everything: R&B soul, jazz, hip hop, pop, rock: the list goes on and on, and this is part of Blu’s musical appeal.
Blu cites her mother as a huge inspiration growing up.“ She always sang, and she had a voice like Barbra Streisand,” says the artist. It was not unusual for her to take a bus to shows and perform, which is what really introduced Blu to the world of music. Even as a child, Blu would listen to anything that simply sounded good to her: Run-D.M.C., Britney Spears, Queen; "I don’t like to put a limitation on creativity and music.” By the age of 8 she had picked up songwriting.
The artist’s most recent single“ Leave her in tears” has a nostalgic, old-school beat that’s easy to bang your head along to, but the lyrical genius should not go overlooked. The track is about an ex of Blu’s who was a narcissist and weaponized words; Blu’s clever manipulation of cadence in this freestyle-esque song flips the narrative back on this negative relationship.
Another song, the“ SHE’S SO HAWT (REMIX)”, has a music video coming out in the near future.“ I love [music videos]! Oh, I absolutely love it! I feel as an artist, it’s really important to be a director as well, and to [be able to] convey your vision to other people,” says Blu. When she started out she just made music videos for herself, and now she has other people working on them as crew members. This past experience with creative direction means Blu is incredibly comfortable guiding videographers on certain clips or articulating the mood she wants to create, which is a necessary skill for anyone trying to authentically build and cement their brand.
Speaking of, Blu is always looking to evoke sapphic vibes.“ It’s empowering as a woman when you can be provocative in a sense,” says the artist, and doing this in a queer context is even more powerful and divine. Blu hopes that by putting her experiences into her music, other people within the LGBTQ+ community who have experienced the same or similar things will feel heard. In summary, Blu’s songs give listeners, especially queer listeners, a safe space to feel their feelings.
As far as future goals for the artist, Blu plans to release a new album and hopes to headline a tour one day. Blu also leaves us with some advice, encouraging new and upcoming artists to be careful with their music and educate themselves on the industry. It’s good and important to dream big, but your art is your art, and you should always be protective of it.
If it’s your first time listening to Blu, sit back, let your mind run wild, and be open to the idea of an artist who will always stun and surprise.
