Brittney Chantele: Featured Artist
Think back to February 17th. Right before we shut down the world. On that day, only months ago, Brittney Chantele released the album, The Golden Opportunity, detailing her military experience and the reality of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, rampant in our military. The album also shines a light on how the military promises everything to the youth that they recruit, signing their lives away before they even get to experience it fully. Lyrics throughout the project cut deeply and quickly to the point. "I have what it takes so they take my decision with the wool on my eyes that I thought was the vision." Click the image below to listen and purchase The Golden Opportunity on Bandcamp. This Friday, artists receive 100% of their album sales.
To supplement the release of this project, Brittney recently released a beautiful visual for "Jedi (ft. Remy Vega)", a song speaking on military suicide that features lyrics on the hook, "I can feel The Force from my girls’ home when a Jedi calls my cell phone. It’s 3AM so something must be dead wrong."
Prior to The Golden Opportunity, Brittney released another impactful project in the spring of 2019, a fire on Venus. In October, the entire project was performed at the New Hazlett Theater thanks to the Community Supported Art Series at the theater. You can watch the performance and an interview with Brittney below.
On top of her musical output, Brittney has consistently been on the front lines of advocacy and activism in our city for years. As a part of the 1Hood collective, Brittney is constantly speaking on issues facing our local community and our country at large. To keep up with Brittney, follow her Twitter here. Our city needs artists to step up and demand change. Pittsburgh is better because of Brittney, 1Hood, and so many other artists who are speaking up and taking to the streets in protest.
We spoke with Brittney about the near future and any projects that may be on their way. Brittney said, "My next work in progress is taking my recent album, The Golden Opportunity and transforming it into a play. I feel like it's important to tell these stories through theater because it will better paint the picture of what the military is and isn't." With the success of the live performance of a fire on Venus, we're excited to see the results of Brittney's creative efforts and how the play is able to further spread a message that needs to be heard.
Edit: Brittney's message of military assault in The Golden Opportunity rings even clearer today. Pfc. Vanessa Guillen's body is presumed to have been found 30 miles from Fort Hood in Texas. The family's attorney states that the Army is "covering up for each other" at the base.
Link to story and more information: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/vanessa-guillen-missing-fort-hood-soldier-believed-dead/
As of early this morning, Brittney Chantele tweeted the following. The song "Fort Gordon (AIT)" details the sexual assault that Brittney survived. Listen to the track here. Thank you Brittney for having the strength and courage to share your reality with the world in such a way.
Keep up with Brittney Chantele!
Linktree - https://linktr.ee/brittneychantele
IG - https://www.instagram.com/brittneychantele/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/B_Chantele
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/brittneychantele
Thank you reading.
- Ryan
Do you want to be featured as our next Featured Artist? This monthly series will dive into Pittsburgh art and bring recognition to some of the hardest working, most inspired talents in Pittsburgh. No matter your artistic medium, send us an email at contact@highfivemusic.co so we know about the work you are doing to grow Pittsburgh's already incredible artistry.