Welcome back to the Velvet Runway and our “Inspiring Women” series, with this exclusive interview with TikTok sensation and singer Brooklynne Webb, who at just 18, has taken the social media world by storm. She has a large verified social media following on TikTok with over 742 million likes and 10 million followers as well as on Instagram with over 438,000 followers. 

She has done collaborations with top tier brands including Steve Madden, Loreal, Ulta, Benefit and more.

As an outspoken advocate who champions celebrating body positivity, she has been noticed by Good Morning America, TODAY, Nightline, Buzzfeed, NBC News, and the Daily Mail to name a few.

She also made her mark on the world of music with her debut single My Crown. Inspired by her rise as an influencer, it is a catchy track with a comedic twist. The song, which she co-wrote, also features the writing talents of rising pop artist Jillian Rossi, Alec Zeilon, and Frawley who is known for penning hits for Dixie D’Amelio and Tate McRae. 

The track is available now on all streaming platforms and has been streamed over 5 million times since its release. Following the single’s success, Webb released a parody EP, My Crown: The Album, featuring hilarious remixes of the song. It debuted at #7 on the Spotify charts and has been streamed over 7 million times. You can listen to the album here. She recently released her Christmas single My Sleigh, which is available now on all streaming platforms.

She also recently performed and was a panelist at Playlist Live as well as a panelist on The Wrap Power Women Summit Empowering Women in Music Panel.

She is a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community and recently came out as queer on TikTok. 

With her love for singing, dancing, fashion and beauty she constantly celebrates body positivity and she hopes to continue to grow her audience with her content. 

At the beginning of this new year, Brooklynne is focused on taking her career into additional areas of the Entertainment Industry including modeling.

Take a read of our exclusive interview and find out more about Brooklynne and what her next projects are: 

Exclusive Interview with Brooklynne Webb

Thank you so much for joining us, Brooklynne.  Can you tell us a little more about yourself? 

Thank you so much for having me! My name is Brooklynne Webb; I’m 18 years old and currently living in Los Angeles, California! I am well-known for my Tik Toks, but I have put out music, spoken at conferences about women’s empowerment and other key issues, and am working on releasing my debut podcast with my best friend, Nicole!

And, can you tell us a little about your ‘‘backstory’? Have you always been creative, and what inspired you to launch on the Tik Tok platform?

I was born in Canada in Victoria, BC, and was definitely a loud kid with a lot of energy growing up. I did a lot of dance, musical theater, gymnastics, and swimming. Dance was my main passion I did through my high school years.

Interview with Brooklynne Webb
Photographer: Dylan Lujano @dylanlujano
Hair: Mika Fowler @mikahairstylist
Makeup: Anton Khachaturian @antonmakeup
Stylist : Sophia Rahimi @spicysoph_

But I was definitely also a musical theatre kid at heart, which has shined through my content, especially my early POV Tik Tok videos. I started Tik Tok not taking it too seriously, but I soon found out it was a place where I could explore my creativity and create my own world or short little movies if that makes sense.

What qualities do you think make you stand out on social media and have contributed to your success? 

I think there are so many amazing creators out there that stand out to me and honestly deserve to shine too. It is so hard, and I am so lucky to have the success and career I have so far. I will say I put so much love and time into my craft, constantly being a perfectionist in making my content. I always want to try to put my best out there!

I think that staying on top of what type of videos resonate with people the most and paying close attention to trends before they’re the next big thing has also been a big part of it.

Why is advocating for body positivity so important to you?

The body positivity movement has been so important to me because there is so much content in media now and even growing up that’s edited not to portray reality, and it really contributes to body issues for people of all ages, myself included.

Everyone deserves love and respect regardless of what their body looks like, and if I can make at least one person feel a little bit better about how they look in the mirror, that means the world to me.

 What advice do you have for young girls struggling with self confidence and self-esteem issues? 

My advice is to try your best to cut off the negative people in your life who try to put you down or put images in your head that make you feel like you’re not enough. Surrounding yourself with positive people doesn’t solve everything, but it definitely helps lift yourself up in rough times!

I am a true believer that everybody is beautiful  in their own way, and knowing that being different is not only okay, but  what makes you so important to this world

Can you tell us about your debut single “My Crown” and what inspired it? And can you tell us a little more about the music video?

My debut single, “My Crown” on the surface, kind of exists as a fun, sassy pop song, but it was really a way for me to take my power back from trolls on the internet. I created the whole song and music video to be this satirical concept, playing a character that was completely unaware that she wasn’t actually the most amazing pop star to ever exist. I would post videos singing horribly and play the character as if she was completely unaware of her own hilarity in how bad her singing was. Pair that with a song that was very over-the-top, and it definitely riled some people up!

However, past the idea of the joke, I wanted to make something catchy, fun, and well-written that you can still listen or bop to. Music can be enjoyable even if it isn’t the most amazing, beautiful piece of art. It’s okay to love fun songs that just make you feel happy!

What message do you want listeners to take away from your music?

Exclusive Interview with Brooklynne Webb
Photographer: Dylan Lujano @dylanlujano
Hair: Mika Fowler @mikahairstylist
Makeup: Anton Khachaturian @antonmakeup
Stylist : Sophia Rahimi @spicysoph_

I’m not sure if more music will come in the future, but I think the main message of my music out so far is to not take yourself too seriously, and know that it’s okay to try new things and have fun exploring your creativity!

If you could perform with any musician  (living or dead), who would you choose and why? 

I definitely think I might be better suited watching some of these legendary artists perform instead of singing right alongside them (laughs) but if I could even have the opportunity to meet Lady Gaga, I would be so happy I wouldn’t know what to do with myself!

What is the most difficult part of the writing and/ or content creation process for you? 

I was extremely nervous about a lot of different things, from recording in the studio to getting behind the mic for the first time. I was nervous about the music video and the dance rehearsals, doing all of that in such a professional setting. Turns out, finally doing that for the first time was amazing.

It took a lot for me to say, “Calm down, you’re not going to die or anything. This is just anxiety! You’re going to be fine, just put in the work and you’ll be good.” And that’s exactly how it turned out. It has definitely given me a brand new, greater appreciation for music.

How do you deal with the trolls and haters in the industry?

To be honest, it changes every single day. Some days I really struggle with it, and this year I really want to prioritize really showing the real me in my content and on my socials: I am a teenaged girl who struggles every day with getting through life and dealing with trolls on the internet. There are some days where I can laugh it off, or turn some people’s mean words into something creative and special, but sometimes it does really get to me.

And I think that’s okay! I think we as content creators should be more open about that, and show a real, important aspect of our lives, because it’s something that so many other people go through, and many unfortunately go through so much worse.

It seems like you have a lot on your plate, with singing, dancing, modeling and content creation. How do you manage to balance your time between all these creative activities? 

I definitely do dabble in a lot of different things, and sometimes I can’t even keep up! I think one of my goals this year is honing in on the things I’m most passionate about, conquering those and not letting myself get too overwhelmed with trying too many things.

It is part of what makes me different, so I don’t think I’ll ever really stop experimenting creatively and pushing the boundaries of my content, but I do think honing in on my strengths is something I really want to work on this year.

What tips would you give to other women in your industry to help them to avoid  “burn out”? Are there any self-care routines, practices, or treatments that you do to help you stay grounded? 

interview with Brooklynne Webb
Photographer: Dylan Lujano @dylanlujano
Hair: Mika Fowler @mikahairstylist
Makeup: Anton Khachaturian @antonmakeup
Stylist : Sophia Rahimi @spicysoph_

I have suffered through burnout so many times, it is such a real problem and finally the concept of burn out is being introduced to popular culture which is so important. Early on in the tik tok days, I was making 4-6 tik tok videos a day, every single day, without taking a day off. I think those days have caught up to me a bit as I can really burn out creatively, or just burn out in terms of energy.

I always try, in those times, to rediscover the things that made me fall in love with choosing this path and career in the first place. Sometimes the best thing to do is go back to basics and don’t be afraid to press the reset button.

What do you want to be known for in your life and career?

I want to be known as someone who makes others feel better about themselves in their daily lives, whether it’s about helping people feel better about their body image, their mental health, or knowing that nobody is perfect, and that’s okay.

What has been the biggest challenge/ hurdle you have faced so far? 

The biggest challenge for me so far, and something that has been on my mind so much recently, is finding out who I truly am.  I want to discover what I want to bring to the world and this industry as I continue to grow.

Since I started posting and gaining a large following at 16 years old, which is something I am immensely grateful for but also makes it a little different growing up with your life being so public from such a young age. Growing up in that way is something I can’t change.

What are you most proud of so far ?

I think I’m most proud of the messages and comments I get on Instagram, Tik Tok, or honestly when I meet my fans in person. Every comment I get from someone who says that I make them feel better about themselves and their body, or I help them go through rough times by entertaining them through my content makes me so grateful and happy. That matters more than any accolade or any following or financial number to me.

What are your aspirations for the future? Where would you like to see yourself 5 years from now and are there any imminent plans that you’d like to share? 

I am excited to launch my first-ever podcast with Nicole Stephens (@nico1eodeon on tik tok), which is a big goal for me. I also would love to get more into public speaking and public advocacy because 2022 is definitely a year I discovered that was a passion of mine, and I want to keep getting better at it!

Finally, what advice do you have for other women, who are aspiring to launch a career in the entertainment industry? 

My advice for other women trying to launch a career in entertainment is to trust your gut. So many times in my career, I’ve made it so much farther than I’ve thought by trusting myself and trusting my gut instincts more than anything negative someone has to say.

The good news is that the industry is starting to change, and so many amazing women are making an impact and getting into positions they deserve, which is extremely inspiring. However, I think there is so much more room to grow and I am so excited for the next generation of women truly make a big impact to better the industry going forward!!

Is there anything else you would like to share with us today, Brooklyne ? 

I’m really grateful for you taking the time to interview me! For all updates in my life you can follow me on Tik Tok (xobrooklynne) or Instagram (brooklynnexo). I love interacting with new people, so I would love to see you all there!

I hope you enjoyed this inspiring interview with Brooklynne Webb, and don’t forget to check out our other inspiring women posts. 

 

Featured Image Credit : Matthew McCormick