Bridget Kelly is more than just a reality star, the singer and songwriter is also a Grammy Award-winning songwriter. The 32-year-old New York native recently hosted a listening party in New York City’s Lower Eastside where she led an intimate conversation about how her stint on VH1’s Love and Hip Hop Hollywood impacted her recently released album Reality Bites.
Kelly found herself in the hot seat this season after it was revealed that she cheated on her fiancé of 7 years. Fans criticized the singer and accused her of being a harlot despite Kelly showing a lot of remorse for her mistake. She said there is a double standard when it comes to infidelity.
“I think there is a lot to be said about the conversations I started, we are really quick to beat women down for things we accept from men,” said Kelly. In this album, there is a lot to be said about taking that beating and being open on reality television.” “But despite all of that the negativity that came my way in light of that, there are incredible records that came from that and a piece of mind and a thicker layer of skin that I’ve developed in the wake of all that.”
The listening party was comprised of New York press and influencers. The Wire’s Mack Wilds stopped by to show Kelly support along with other New York-based artist. The event provided cocktails sponsored by Ciroc and wings from the famous Wing Stop. After guests indulged in their hot wings, the attention went right back to Kelly as she performed several songs form her album.
My personal favorite is “In the Grey” an up-tempo track about “situationships.” The record opens as Kelly sings “So you don’t really want a serious commitment and everything I wanted, you say you wanted different.” The song speaks candidly about those infamous relationships that millennials are known for, when two people may seem like a couple, but in fact, you are both single. The rest of the album is filled with tracks about love, heartbreak, and healing.
Bridget spoke to NYGal exclusively about the state of R&B and what it means to be a singer in trap-music-obsessed culture.
“R&B is in the greatest space it has been in a really long time,” said Kelly. “Because it is honoring the truth teller.” “It’s honoring the self-aware, and I think there is no better place to be genre-wise because I find it more important to tell your story in a way that is about self-expression.”
Image: Courtesy of Rapfest
