Photographer Breyona Holt Knows How To Catch Your Eye

COCO_JONES_JOYCE_WRICE(1024x450)
Via The Artist

Before photographer and Exquisite Eye Studios founder Breyona Holt captured the likes of music phenoms Coco Jones, Halle Bailey, Giveon and bLAck pARty, she got her drive from her hometown of Atlanta.

Currently based in Los Angeles, Holt credits the ATL scene for showing her the grind and hunger that she’d need as a burgeoning artist. It was in the mid-2010s that she kept SoundCloud selections on repeat, listening to acts Smino, Tommy Genesis, Raury, and Awful Records’ Alexandria. Even in her eight years spent on the West Coast, Holt’s mind hasn’t left her southern beginnings, which would come to shape the color theory and contrast in her commercial, editorial and cover artwork.

“We really grew up on dance cultures [in Atlanta], so the music really inspired a lot of the work that I was creating,” Holt tells Uproxx. “When I first started, my photography was very moody, and I think once I moved to LA, over time, I did see that my word got brighter, and I was kind of pulling away from what made me stand out as an artist. I had to take a step back like, ‘Okay, I don’t want to pull too far away like staying into the lines and following the trends and what LA has.’”

But while Holt would depend on her music playlists to soundtrack her mood while editing photos, she credits her father’s early film photography as an influence. Even as a singular visionary, Holt showcases that influence through grainy, analogue photography images of subjects like SZA and Normani.

Giveon

“I [loved] when I was going to his archive and what that would make me feel,” Holt says of her father’s works. “So even though I was mainly shooting on digital cameras at that time, I was trying to mimic that feeling that film made me feel. So the colors that you get with film is just a very organic type of feeling. I would say my dad was really one of my biggest inspirations at that time.”

Through her lens, Holt keeps an eye on individuals across entertainment, but viewers find her photos of Black women to be the most definitive. There’s an artist-to-subject unison where Holt channels the strength of Black womanhood and represents it with dignity. Holt’s portfolio exhibits crisp colors against genuine facial expressions and poses. Most of all, the Black femme energy radiates.

“I believe that it’s very important for us to be seen in a beautiful light and I think that sometimes, when Black women or Black men are the subject, we get the short end of the stick,” Holt says. “Whether it’s how we’re being lit–it doesn’t always represent us in the most powerful or the most uplifting way. Who I am at the core, I love art so much, and I want to make sure that we’re being documented and being seen in the best light, because these things will matter today and to generations to come.”

Since taking the cover art photography for albums like Joyce Wrice’s Overgrown, Coco Jones’ What I Didn’t Tell You, and Amindi’s TWYN, more recently, Holt shot the cover image of Halle Bailey’s new single “Because I Love You.”

“Her voice — she’s literally a siren; her voice is very angelic,” Holt says of Bailey, a fellow Georgia native. “Even just the instruments that she chose to use throughout the record. It was just something so refreshing and something I haven’t really heard before. When you hear a record like that, that inspires the colors you use. Just working with her on that project–the sound and the song is really what inspired the approach of the cover art, and I think it reflects the music video, which was incredible.”

Joyce Wrice

The commanding and vulnerable song would come to reflect Bailey’s confident stance on the artwork, which took on a life of its own. “Even down to the posing, all of those factors matter with the cover art. I’m so happy she chose that photo as the cover,” Holt continues. “I think it was empowering how you know her hands up, her chest out, the arms up–it’s just a very powerful image, and I’m just so happy to have this in my portfolio and to be a part of this.”

On capturing her muses, like the hair-blowing moment-in-time cover of Overgrown or 1970s funk ode on the cover of bLAck pARty’s Hummingbird, Holt likens the interaction to a “dance” between herself and the muse.

“These are real moments and actions for the most part. It’s not like ‘We’re going into these cover arts, and we want you to pose exactly like this,’ because I feel like it would come off a little forced and people would feel that,” she shares. “But these are real moments listening to the music on set, we’re in the vibe — this is a real emotion that they’re expressing through their body, through their face and the color is just there to amplify what’s happening.”

Except for the textured collage on the TWYN backdrop, Holt’s cover art is fairly minimal in practice, keeping the viewers’ gaze on her subjects, and the photography is a visual interpretation of their music.

“When I’m hearing the music, because I really enjoy color theory, it’s about ‘What is this making me feel?’” Holt says. “I think you can communicate a lot through color theory, you can evoke an emotion through the colors that you choose to use. I think using minimal backgrounds, for me, helps you focus on who the subject is. I love a moment where the environment is just an add-on, but like the eyes, the facial expression, the mood of the body language in the model, all of that really matters to me.”

Halle

Along with her photography, Holt calls it a “greater goal” to take her still images to the screen as a filmmaker, especially since she’s built her portfolio as a music video director and creative director.

“Although I started off, and I’m able to grasp people’s attention through my photography, I think people have taken a chance with me when it comes to these music videos,” Holt says of her budding path in filmmaking. “[I’ve] even shocked myself at what I’m able to create as a director, but as I continue to explore with music videos, I would love to grow in that field and do more short films and let that grow, as well, into longform video, movies and things like that.”

In continuing to document the culture, Holt also has her hands in tactile fashion projects under her Exquisite Eye banner, but presenting Blackness in an authentic lens remains integral to her purpose. Holt embraces her roots, and it shows in her life’s work.

“I just love my culture. I love being Black and I love how we always create such beautiful art no matter what,” she says. “To be in this day and age and be able to have the internet and be able to share my art and people gravitate to it, or they feel inspired by it, I’m just doing this for the bigger picture.”

Blxst Will Bring ‘I’ll Always Come Find You’ Across North America With Leon Thomas, Joyce Wrice, And Joony

blxst july 2024 press image
Amy Lee

I’ll Always Come Find You, Blxst’s debut full-length album, arrived earlier this month. According to Uproxx’s Aaron Williams, the LP served as proof that “The Rap Concept Album Is Back,” and Blxst will bring the immersive world to life.

On Monday, July 29, Blxst announced his 2024 I’ll Always Come Find You Tour, which will stage 30 North American shows. Blxst captioned his announcement, “PLAYING SONGS FROM ALL PROJECTS,” so that’s a bonus. Blxst will be joined in select cities by Leon Thomas, Joyce Wrice, and Joony.

According to a press release, tickets will first become available via the Citi pre-sale on Tuesday, July 30, and “additional pre-sales will run throughout the week” before the general public sale on Friday, August 2, at 10 a.m. local time. Find more ticketing information here.

The press release also relayed that Blxst partnered with Education Is Key to donate $1 per each ticket sold toward providing “scholarships for inner-city students in Blxst’s hometown of Los Angeles.”

Blxst’s 2024 Dates: I’ll Always Come Find You Tour

10/01 — Houston, TX @ House of Blues^%
10/02 — San Antonio, TX @ Aztec Theatre^%
10/03 — New Orleans, LA @ The Fillmore^%
10/05 — Orlando, FL @ House of Blues^%
10/07 — Dallas, TX @ South Side Ballroom^%
10/10 — Atlanta, GA @ The Tabernacle^%
10/11 — Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz^%
10/13 — Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore^%
10/15 — Boston, MA @ Citizens House of Blues Boston^%
10/16 — Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore^%
10/17 — New York, NY @ The Rooftop at Pier 17^%
10/19 — Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore Silver Spring^%
10/24 — St Louis, MO @ Pageant^%
10/26 — Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore Detroit^%
10/28 — Toronto, ON @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre%
10/29 — Chicago, IL @ House of Blues%
10/30 — Chicago, IL @ House of Blues%
11/01 — Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium#
11/02 — Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex#
11/03 — Las Vegas, NV @ Brooklyn Bowl#
11/06 — Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo#
11/08 — Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom#
11/09 — Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom#
11/12 — Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater#
11/15 — San Francisco, CA @ The Masonic#
11/16 — Wheatland, CA @ Hard Rock Live Sacramento#
11/19 — Phoenix, AZ @ Arizona Financial Theatre#
11/21 — San Diego, CA @ Gallagher Square at Petco Park#
11/22 — Los Angeles, CA @ YouTube Theater#%
12/05 — Honolulu, HI @ The Republik&

^ with Leon Thomas
# with Joyce Wrice
& with Zacari
% with Joony

Blxst’s I’ll Always Come Find You Tour Poster

Courtesy of Blxst & Live Nation

Blxst Will Bring ‘I’ll Always Come Find You’ Across North America With Leon Thomas, Joyce Wrice, And Joony

blxst july 2024 press image
Amy Lee

I’ll Always Come Find You, Blxst’s debut full-length album, arrived earlier this month. According to Uproxx’s Aaron Williams, the LP served as proof that “The Rap Concept Album Is Back,” and Blxst will bring the immersive world to life.

On Monday, July 29, Blxst announced his 2024 I’ll Always Come Find You Tour, which will stage 30 North American shows. Blxst captioned his announcement, “PLAYING SONGS FROM ALL PROJECTS,” so that’s a bonus. Blxst will be joined in select cities by Leon Thomas, Joyce Wrice, and Joony.

According to a press release, tickets will first become available via the Citi pre-sale on Tuesday, July 30, and “additional pre-sales will run throughout the week” before the general public sale on Friday, August 2, at 10 a.m. local time. Find more ticketing information here.

The press release also relayed that Blxst partnered with Education Is Key to donate $1 per each ticket sold toward providing “scholarships for inner-city students in Blxst’s hometown of Los Angeles.”

Blxst’s 2024 Dates: I’ll Always Come Find You Tour

10/01 — Houston, TX @ House of Blues^%
10/02 — San Antonio, TX @ Aztec Theatre^%
10/03 — New Orleans, LA @ The Fillmore^%
10/05 — Orlando, FL @ House of Blues^%
10/07 — Dallas, TX @ South Side Ballroom^%
10/10 — Atlanta, GA @ The Tabernacle^%
10/11 — Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz^%
10/13 — Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore^%
10/15 — Boston, MA @ Citizens House of Blues Boston^%
10/16 — Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore^%
10/17 — New York, NY @ The Rooftop at Pier 17^%
10/19 — Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore Silver Spring^%
10/24 — St Louis, MO @ Pageant^%
10/26 — Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore Detroit^%
10/28 — Toronto, ON @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre%
10/29 — Chicago, IL @ House of Blues%
10/30 — Chicago, IL @ House of Blues%
11/01 — Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium#
11/02 — Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex#
11/03 — Las Vegas, NV @ Brooklyn Bowl#
11/06 — Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo#
11/08 — Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom#
11/09 — Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom#
11/12 — Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater#
11/15 — San Francisco, CA @ The Masonic#
11/16 — Wheatland, CA @ Hard Rock Live Sacramento#
11/19 — Phoenix, AZ @ Arizona Financial Theatre#
11/21 — San Diego, CA @ Gallagher Square at Petco Park#
11/22 — Los Angeles, CA @ YouTube Theater#%
12/05 — Honolulu, HI @ The Republik&

^ with Leon Thomas
# with Joyce Wrice
& with Zacari
% with Joony

Blxst’s I’ll Always Come Find You Tour Poster

Courtesy of Blxst & Live Nation

Mahalia Is Putting Herself First In Music And ‘In Real Life’

The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow, and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.

For someone whose debut album is titled Love And Compromise, there isn’t much compromising on Mahalia’s second album IRL (In Real Life). The British singer laughs as I make note of this during our Zoom call as she heads to LAX for a flight back home after a month in the States.

It’s been four years since Mahalia released Love And Compromise, and since that album’s release, the singer and the rest of the world have gone through a lot. In credit to things like the obvious effects of the pandemic as well as more personal experiences, Mahalia, now 25 years old, is far removed from the 21-year-old woman who released that breakthrough collection.

Growing up is just one of the things that allowed her to make IRL. “Therapy got me here for sure,” she adds. “Therapy was probably the biggest catalyst for me. I think it was the one thing that really allowed me to understand myself. That’s why making this album was so interesting because I really felt like I was reflecting the whole time.”

Throughout the 13 songs that make up IRL, Mahalia couldn’t be more aware of herself and her surroundings and both the good and bad within them. She’s so deeply in love with Stormzy on “November” that she fears missing a moment of this romance by blinking or dozing off into sleep. “Isn’t It Strange” highlights the contradicting moments in her behavior but she blankets it with nonchalance as to do nothing more than acknowledge its existence. It’s a level of honesty and bluntness that emphasizes the “real” aspect of the album title. “I think that’s why this album maybe means so much to me because I think it actually does feel like diary entries,” she says.

Elsewhere, we meet the new Mahalia, the one who refuses to compromise for the things she wants. The one who lays down “Terms And Conditions” for love and warns that a potential lover will have to endure a vetting process conducted by her closest girls. The same who one found the courage to say “It’s Not Me, It’s You” to a man who made her wrongly believe that she was insufficient for a relationship. Despite this, Mahalia admits that often slips back to her old ways. “Even sometimes, now I find myself compromising on things and going, ‘what the f*ck am I doing?” Mahalia notes. “Like this is not what I’ve agreed with myself.”

Mahalia doesn’t attempt to hide the moments she goes against her own terms and conditions on IRL, and it’s that authenticity that adds to the album. After four years without an album, the British singer could have presented herself as a flawless woman who learned from her past to conquer anything her future threw her way. Instead, we get the very real back-and-forth moments of laying firm rules on “Terms And Conditions” all to hopefully bend them on “In My Head” with Joyce Wrice. “Wassup” with Kojey Radical celebrates freedom from an insufficient lover with a fun night on the town all for “Lose Lose” to follow and present Mahalia’s reluctance to put herself first and end a relationship that is riddled with too many problems. Through these instances, you may think that Mahalia is a bit fearful of change, but it was quite the opposite for her.

“My partner and I have now been together for coming up on three years,” she says. “Before that, I only made it to about 10 or 11 months, three times. When I got to that point with my partner, I remember having an internal freakout because I was like I don’t think I can go past that point or I’m feeling like I need to change and feeling like I need to alter something so that I can grow artistically.”

That feeling didn’t last too long as Mahalia admits that she’s “very scared of change now.” She is currently working towards splitting her time between homes in New York and London, a transition that she admits “freaked” her out at its start. “As you get older and figure out your comfort and the things that make you bounce, I think you don’t really want to change that because it’s taken you 25 years to find that sweet spot.”

This relationship has also allowed Mahalia, for the first time in her career, to create an album from the perspective of someone in a stable relationship. Staying on the topic of change, it’s been quite an adjustment for her to write from this new point of view. “I’m so used to just writing about the guys that do the sh*tty things and the guys that leave,” she says. “This was the time to be able to talk about all the intricacies of long-term relationships. They are just as crazy as being single and dating and being in the streets.” It’s a change that Mahalia not only fully embraced, but enjoyed as well. “The process itself was really, genuinely fun. Like, just really fun,” she admits. “I laughed [and] cried a lot while I was writing and creating, and I think that’s maybe why I’m so proud of it.”

During an interview with Evening Standard earlier this year, Mahalia admitted that she “probably wouldn’t have written this same album” if not for the pandemic. It’s an unsurprising note from the singer for a few reasons. First, the pandemic change a lot of things in a lot of areas for people all over the world, changes that were temporary and others that were permanent. Secondly, Mahalia’s almost three-year relationship means that it began in the heart of the pandemic, so who knows how it would’ve existed, if at all, if not for this time that forced the world to come to a standstill. These points aside, Mahalia also credits the “post”-pandemic moments for helping her find a direction for her sophomore album.

“Through the pandemic, we obviously couldn’t go into studios and stuff,” she recalls. “So when, when that time was over, I was working with loads of different people. I wasn’t really taking the time to sit and think, ‘This is my second album, what do I want to say?’ So after that immediate rush of being outside again, I decided that I kind of wanted that. I missed that feeling, I missed the four walls, I miss seeing the same people every single day.”

What came out of that was the decision to work with a small circle of three people to create IRL, and through that, comes an album that she feels is more cohesive than her debut. “[Without that], I would have just been going in the studio with everyone and just making a bunch of music which is kind of how Love & Compromise felt to me,” she admits. “I love that record and I always will because it was my first, but it definitely felt disjointed to me because I wasn’t learning with people and I wasn’t creating with people in that way. I was just creating to create.”

So what is it that Mahalia wants to say on IRL? Through all the changes she’s experienced in her life (multiple managers, boyfriends, and friends), Mahalia wanted to showcase her newfound independence and the benefits that come from it. “I really wanted people to get a sense of independence from this record,” she says. “Even though there are moments when I talk about relationships and people that I do depend on, I think you can really hear that I am depending on myself to get through this life and human experience.” She later adds, “I’m in that phase of my life where I’m like, I can do this sh*t on my own.”

Compromise is a thing of the past for Mahalia. Now, she’s putting herself first, both in her music and in real life.

IRL is out now via Atlantic Records. Find out more information about it here.

Mahalia’s New Album ‘IRL’: Everything We Know So Far

It took almost four years, but at long last, British singer Mahalia is set to release her sophomore album IRL. The gap between her debut Love & Compromise and her upcoming release is reasonable, considering that a whole pandemic took place among other things. With that being said, Mahalia is ready to showcase all the ways that she and her artistry have grown in the last few years. So, before IRL arrives, let’s get you up to speed with all the details about it.

Release Date

IRL will be released on July 14 via Atlantic Records. The project is the singer’s first full-length release since 2019’s Love & Compromise. More information on IRL can be found here.

Tracklist

The tracklist for IRL can be found below.

1. “Ready”
2. “In My Bag”
3. “Terms And Conditions”
4. “In My Head” Feat. Joyce Wrice
5. “Cheat” Feat. JoJo
6. “November” Feat. Stormzy
7. “Hey Stranger”
8. “Isn’t It Strange?”
9. “It’s Not Me, It’s You” Feat. Destin Conrad
10. “Wassup” Feat. Kojey Radical
11. “Lose Lose”
12. “Goodbyes”
13. “IRL”

Features

Through the 13 songs on IRL, listeners will hear guest appearances from Joyce Wrice, JoJo, Destin Conrad, and fellow Brits Stormzy and Kojey Radical.

Singles

Mahalia released three singles ahead of the arrival of IRL. She began with “Terms And Conditions,” a record she worked on with Raye. Next was “Cheat” with JoJo, and finally, she delivered the album’s intro, “Ready,” a week before the album’s release.

Artwork

You can view the artwork for IRL below.

Tour

Mahalia will embark on a UK and European tour later this fall. You can check out the dates for those below and stay tuned for North American dates.

10/08/2023 — Leeds, UK @ O2 Academy
10/10/2023 — Glasgow, UK @ SWG3 Galvanizers
10/11/2023 — Manchester, UK @ Academy
10/13/2023 — Dublin, IE @ Vicar Street
10/14/2023 — Belfast, UK @ Mandela Hall
10/16/2023 — Bristol, UK @ O2 Academy
10/19/2023 — London, UK @ Eventim Apollo
10/20/2023 — Birmingham, UK @ O2 Academy
10/31/2023 — Paris, FR @ Trianon
11/01/2023 — Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso
11/02/2023 — Brussels, BE @ La Madeleine
11/04/2023 — Cologne, DE @ Gebäude 9
11/05/2023 — Utrecht, NL @ Ronda
11/07/2023 — Berlin, DE @ Columbia Theatre

More Details

Mahalia shared details about IRL about the album in a press release. You can read it below

This is a real reflection of the journeys I’ve had, what actually happened, and a celebration of everyone who got me there. There are names and family members I mention because it all helped in shaping who I am. I’m so proud of this album, and so proud of how much I challenged myself to just let those stories out.

IRL is out 7/14 via Atlantic. Find more information here.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Joyce Wrice Dances The Pain Away In Her New ‘Bittersweet Goodbyes’ Video

On her latest EP, Motive, which was released last October, singer Joyce Wrice delivers an emotional collection of tracks, set to groovy, dance-ready beats. Today (February 7), Wrice has shared the latest video from the EP for a song called “Bittersweet Goodbyes.”

On the track, Wrice seems to have let go of a relationship that was not good for her, however, the turbulent emotions continue to come back and forth in waves.

“Why you always inconsistent? / Look at me / Close the space, don’t give me distance / ‘Cause if you’re looking for the worse that’s what you’ll find / Bittersweeet goodbyes,” she sings over the intoxicating, pulsating beat.

In the song’s accompanying music video, Juliann McCandless and Ashley Bone, Wrice is seen dancing alone — never missing a beat. She is then joined by a group of equally talented dancers, who nail the choreography arranged by Brian Drake, and display impeccable chemistry on the dancefloor. Also in the video are Kiana Ledé, ESTA, and Mack Keane, the latter of which co-produced the song with Kaelin Ellis. Toward the end, as the rest of the dancers begin to walk off, Wrice maintains her momentum, as she dances the pain away.

Check out the video for “Bittersweet Goodbyes” above.

Joyce Wrice Announces ‘Motive,’ Her New Kaytranada-Produced EP

Joyce Wrice plans to kick off October with new music. Following her critically acclaimed debut album, Overgrown, Wrice is set to drop her new EP, Motive next month. The EP will primarily feature production by Kaytranada.

Ahead of the EP, Wrice shared the Kill Bill-inspired video for “Iced Tea” yesterday. The song “Iced Tea” arrived this past March, exactly a year after the release of Overgrown. With Motive, Wrice wanted to create a project with more uptempo tracks as a bridge between her debut and her sophomore albums.

“In between coming off of my debut album and brainstorming ideas for my sophomore album, I was motivated to create an EP that the world could dance to,” said Wrice in a statement. “This new project is experimental, fun, carefree, and sexy. After Overgrown, I was inspired to be free-spirited and to let loose and during this process, I was consistently asking myself, ‘What’s your motive?’”

In addition to Kaytranada, Motive will also feature production by Kaelin Ellis and Osinach Nwaneri, as well as songwriting by Trey Campbell, Miraa May, and Mack Kaene.

Check out the Motive cover art and tracklist below.

Joyce Wrice Motive Cover Art
A. Chong

1. “Iced Tea” Feat. Kaytranada
2. “Spent”
3. “Looking For Ya”
4. “Bittersweet Goodbyes”
5. “Pace Yourself”

Motive is out 10/7 via Joyce Wrice Music. Pre-save it here.

Joyce Wrice Seeks Revenge In Her Feisty Video For ‘Iced Tea’ With Kaytranada

They say success is the best revenge, but for Joyce Wrice, it’s going to take a lot more than a hit single to avenge her past lovers and enemies. She much rather get it back in blood with cool sword tricks, cute outfits and surprisingly pressed hair for kicking butt all day.

Wrice is steadily riding the wave of releasing notably one of the best R&B projects last year, Overgrown. Even though she released “Iced Tea” with the help of production by Kaytranada back in March, her momentum hasn’t slowed down since.

Now, the fan favorite has a half-anime, half-motion picture set of visuals to accompany the groovy ditty. The visual is directed by Xavier Tera and creative-directed by Ashley Bone. It stars Wrice seamlessly blending aspects of her Japanese and Black cultures amid a dance number in the rain with a few other ladies. Dancing in the rain is a common R&B video theme that’s been missing in heartbreak videos of today. It’s great to see slip and slid efforts of Usher in “U Got It Bad” and Ray J’s “One Wish” acknowledged and cherished.

Dancing aside, anyone on Wrice’s revenge list should be very afraid. Peep the video above.