
Hailing from New York City, the emerging pop artist and singer-songwriter Stephanie June releases a tribute to inner freedom with her latest single, "Cry Baby Cry."
Born of Persian immigrant parents, Stephanie June felt deeply compelled to surround herself with music at a young age. Through influences like Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Jackson Browne, and Lauryn Hill, Stephanie June later took her stylings to study theater at NYU while also acting Off-Broadway.
In terms of her music career, Stephanie June recently released her single and music video for "Cry Baby Cry." When speaking upon the meaning behind the single, Stephanie June mentioned, "It's about a moment of catharsis, about taking a break from seeking answers, and giving yourself the thing you want most."
Delving into the single "Cry Baby Cry," we're met with a bright and upbeat piano arrangement, smooth drum breaks, a plucky electric guitar, and Stephanie June's soulful vocal stylings. As she begins depicting scenes of an ex making their way back into her life after a long and hard healing process, Stephanie June later elaborates on the feeling of seeing someone crawl back on their knees after all is said and done.
We truly admire the upbeat, empowering, and energetic feel of this single, as Stephanie June perfectly describes the feeling of freedom one meets when leaving a troubled relationship in the past. As the lively pop banger glistens and gleams until the outro, Stephanie June closes the track on a note of motivation and freedom, leaving anyone inspired to sharpen their independence tool.
Find Stephanie June's recent empowering single, "Cry Baby Cry," on all streaming platforms, and watch the song's music video on YouTube.
Welcome to BuzzMusic, Stephanie. We love the lively and empowering feeling you captured in the "Cry Baby Cry” video. To us, the song brings up themes of freedom and healing. What inspired you when writing the song? Thank you, so happy it resonated. I love the feeling people get when they hear it. I actually wrote it a year ago in quarantine. That time felt pretty isolating, so I think I was looking to feel freedom in the music. I was writing incessantly, and this song poured out without stopping. It was such a gift to be able to get it all out. I wrote it on guitar, singing stream of consciousness for two days straight. The moment it came together was cathartic, I felt so much lighter. I think a lot of us have this inclination to decide exactly what we feel about certain relationships. We like to put them in boxes - it’s easier. But I didn’t want the relationship in the song to have a clear connotation of “good” or “bad.” Because we only do that when we’re in our heads. So when I wrote ‘Cry Baby Cry,’ I gave myself the freedom to express messy feelings. And I’m so grateful for that, because now when I sing it I feel empowered. Did you collaborate with any producers or engineers on "Cry Baby Cry?" Yes! The best producers I could have ever dreamed of - Daniel Alvarez and Jordan Dunn-Pilz. They also make up the band, Toledo - they’re insanely talented. Finding them felt like kismet. I heard their music on SoundCloud and basically fell in love with their sound, so I sent them a direct message on Instagram. Within a couple of weeks, we were recording in their basement studio in Bushwick. They created such a fresh, layered sound. I wrote the song as a pure ballad and really wanted them to elevate the sound. I wanted people to dance like crazy to it. They exceeded my wildest expectations. Then it was mixed and mastered by Robbie Soukiasyan, who absolutely smashed it. What inspired the scenes within your music video for "Cry Baby Cry?" Why did you decide to capture New York in this moment of rebirth? What does that mean to you? I wanted this video to reflect the energy and message of the song. I wanted to embolden people to be vulnerable and own their experiences. I asked my friend Seth Hagenstein - such a brilliant director - if he wanted to make this video. We talked a lot and both wanted to expose this singular moment in New York. The reality of the city opening back up right now mirrors the unpredictable energy of the song. There is so much beauty in embracing that uncertainty. I had an image in my head of people dancing full out to the song - but not choreographed. I just wanted it to feel authentic to this moment in time. Seth had his friend Gilaad Amir organize a “Dance Walk” for 100 of their friends. It ended up being so much fun - it definitely did not feel like a video shoot. People were joining left and right. Seth captured it all so beautifully. There are certain moments in there we couldn’t have planned. I feel grateful for how it turned out. You've mentioned that you create music for your audience to participate in rather than listening to. How do you write your lyrics so that listeners can find a piece of themselves within your concepts and music? When you write from the truest part of yourself when you say the thing you’re scared to say - that’s usually the thing people most relate to. So I try to get myself in an honest space whenever I write. I like to hone in on specific details and people’s idiosyncrasies in my music. Because we all do that, right? We all remember little details about relationships - so somehow when you hear something so specific in a song, it feels so personal. l can’t really turn my writer brain off. When I meet someone interesting or someone says something compelling, I sneak off and write. To me, there’s no city more alive and full of nuance than New York. I’ll never leave this city because there is no shortage of captivating people. The brilliant one-liners I catch just walking down the street make their way into my music constantly. So if you see a girl mumble-singing into her phone while walking, there’s a good chance it’s me.