Cydni Brionne Confronts Anxiety and Finds Hope on Powerful New Single “bye bye!”

Faith-based indie artist Cydni Brionne brings vulnerability to the forefront on her new single, “bye bye!,” a soul-blues release that confronts the exhausting reality of anxiety while searching for hope beyond the noise.

“bye bye!” captures the desperation of wanting to escape a turbulent mind and the emotional weight that comes with fighting an internal battle others may never see. Rather than approaching that experience from a distance, Brionne positions the song as an empathetic hand for listeners navigating their own difficult seasons.

Brionne's classically trained voice is an essential part of that emotional pull. Her sound bridges traditional blues instrumentation with contemporary soul and funk, drawing inspiration from artists ranging from Stevie Wonder and Donny Hathaway to Amy Winehouse, Norah Jones, and Samm Henshaw. The result gives “bye bye!” a foundation that feels soulful and lived-in rather than overly polished.

Faith sits at the center of the record, but Brionne doesn't use it to dismiss the complexity of mental and emotional struggles. Instead, she pushes against the stigma surrounding those experiences, particularly the idea that struggling or seeking help somehow reflects a failure of faith. Her message is rooted in reassurance: difficult moments don't place someone beyond God's presence or compassion.

That perspective aligns with the larger purpose behind Brionne's artistry. Since debuting in 2023, she has performed with Sofar Sounds and Breaking Sound and taken the stage at the House of Blues, while focusing on building a community around listeners searching for something deeper than passive fandom.

Arriving alongside an official music video on VEVO and YouTube, “bye bye!” feels like a defining introduction to what makes Brionne compelling. She doesn't pretend anxiety disappears with a simple answer. Instead, she meets listeners inside the struggle and reminds them that darkness doesn't have to mean abandonment.

“bye bye!” comes from a deeply vulnerable place. Was there a specific moment when you realized the emotions surrounding anxiety needed to become a song?

Yes, to start off, this song took about 5–6 months to complete. When I first began writing it in November, the lyrics were very different and weren’t as heavy. At the time, I wasn’t really connecting with them, so I decided to take a step back from the song for a while.

Around late March, I decided to commit to finishing it. I scrapped the previous lyrics and felt led to be more transparent about my experience with anxiety. I wanted to simply express how it made me feel, how it kept me up at night, and the exhaustion that came from constantly fighting it, rather than trying to dress it up.

When I finished the song, I was initially afraid to share it. I even considered keeping it to myself. But after sharing it with my mom and receiving encouragement and motivation from her, I found the courage to release it. I realized that people needed to hear something honest, and I wanted those who specifically struggle with mental health to know that they aren’t alone in their pain—that there is someone out there who understands.

Faith is central to your artistry, but “bye bye!” also acknowledges how complicated mental and emotional struggles can be. How do you write about faith without minimizing the reality of what someone may be experiencing?

It gets tricky sometimes, in all honesty. Unfortunately, society often places this expectation on Christian art to project an image of unwavering spiritual strength, when that simply isn’t the truth. I love God with all my heart, and I’m still a human being who experiences pain, sadness, anger, exhaustion, doubt, and every other complicated emotion that comes with the human experience. If God created reality and the human experience, then who are we to say that He isn’t present in those experiences with us? I believe it’s a disservice to not be honest about the struggles that life brings. It’s in those dark moments when we truly see the loving, faithful character of God, and we will rob ourselves of seeing that when we refuse to acknowledge reality. This is a sentiment I try to hold onto in my writing. It gives me the courage to continue to be honest about how painful life can be sometimes. 

There can still be stigma surrounding mental health within certain faith communities. What conversations do you hope “bye bye!” can help open up?

As I mentioned in my previous answer, I hope “bye bye!” can start conversations about the hardships of reality while walking with Christ. Life is full of unexpected twists, turns, and difficult transitions that eventually take a toll on everyone. I want our communities to not be afraid or ashamed to admit that mental health is a very real part of life and something that needs to be discussed, especially among people of faith. Struggling with mental health shouldn’t be seen as a lack of faith. Instead, it should be seen as a normal part of the human experience and an opportunity to extend compassion and support to those in need.

Your sound brings traditional blues together with contemporary soul and funk. How did you use the production and your vocal performance to reflect the emotional tension behind “bye bye!”?

Producing the song was a very fun part of this experience. Working with my producer, Roderick “BassHeavy" Tillman, I believe we really captured the intensity of the emotion in the song by incorporating noticeable dynamic changes and variations in the arrangement. As a singer, I also made sure that my vocals told the story by intentionally articulating certain words and incorporating dynamic changes. The genre of the song also plays a huge part in conveying the message because it’s another way of showing the exhausting reality of dealing with anxiety while also highlighting the resilience and courage it takes to not remain in that place.

You’ve said you’re more interested in cultivating a community than simply building a fanbase. What do you want that community to represent, and where does “bye bye!” fit into that larger mission?

I want this community to represent a sense of safety and love. I want people to feel safe with God, safe to be themselves, and safe to tell the truth. I want people to feel loved and seen when listening to the music I write. “bye bye!” fits into this vision by unashamedly telling the truth and encouraging others to do the same, so no one feels alone or alienated in their pain. I believe this is only the beginning of establishing that foundation.