by danielle holian
photo courtesy of abigail barlow
Abigail Barlow is the mastermind co-creator of the Bridgerton Musical that has gone viral online, especially on the likes of TikTok. Alongside this she has an astonishing musical discography of her own to-date. From being a social media sensation as she shares sneak peaks of her music, to documenting the progress of the aforementioned musical with her musical partner Emily Bear with big dreams of turning it into a full-scale production, she's been turning heads with her effortless talents. We caught up with Abigail to discuss all things music below.
You have an edgy, poppy sound to your music. What or who inspires your musical abilities?
Abigail: “I take inspiration from everywhere. I love a good top 40 track as much as the next girl, but I also love deep diving into my Spotify recommended and finding artists and sounds I’ve never heard before. It’s so inspiring to hear my peers breaking boundaries in pop music and it constantly inspires me to do the same.”
How have social media platforms played a part in regards to your music? Especially in the last year during the global pandemic of COVID-19 when musicians couldn't play live shows?
A: “I’ve been posting my original music on TikTok since I was 16 and it was called Musical.ly. I figured out early on that social media could be the perfect vehicle to find an audience on my own as I went on the pursuit of making music professionally. The better I got, the larger the audience of people who wanted to hear what I had to say. Social media is SO personal and it’s very special to have that intimate connection with my listeners. I love hearing how my music helps them get through hard times, because writing it did the same for me.”
You are the co-creator of the Bridgerton Musical, and went viral sharing snippets of the progress on TikTok — what inspired this project? And how did you create the partnership with Emily Bear?
A: “Emily and I had met writing another musical a year and a half prior, so our collaboration was nothing new. However, during the pandemic, we were both equally as frustrated in our solo careers and were looking for a change of pace. Feeling pretty hopeless after hearing multiple ‘no’s’ from the industry, I turned to Netflix to get me through my depressive episode. When I stumbled upon Bridgerton and subsequently binged the whole show in 12 hours, I was BUZZING with inspiration. I ran to my piano and wrote the first song from the perspective of the main character, mainly as a songwriting challenge to get out of my head. When it blew up on TikTok, I knew if Emily was on board we could create a big project to at least keep us busy through quarantine. Little did I know… what started as a passion project to break the pattern of ‘no’s’ we had been hearing would change our entire lives. FINALLY, we had a resounding YES!”
And what draws you into Broadway musicals in general?
A: “Musical theatre is inherently genre-less. If the music moves the story along, whatever the story may be, it is musical theatre. That freedom of genre is so unlike any other form of music media. Pop music is very structured and formulaic, and can get monotonous to write sometimes. When I get to write for characters in a story, I get to exercise my acting skills and put myself in someone else’s shoes. I get to decide the moments where words aren’t enough to describe a character’s emotions. They have to sing! I think that’s my favorite part.”
What drives you forward as a songwriter, compared to a performance artist?
A: “As a songwriter, I love finding new ways to say the things that have been said in music a million times before. I love exploring my perspective of the human experience to find universal truth and relatability. Everyone lives life differently… but at the same time, you’d be surprised how shared the human experience can be, especially when it comes to love and heartbreak. As a performance artist, I pride myself on my optimism in trying new things. I’m a big believer in reassessing when something isn’t working for you and changing things up constantly. Taking risks and being fearless has been SO important in my growth as a performer.”
Can fans expect an EP/album from you this year?
A: “Yes! Emily and I have announced we’re releasing our ‘Unofficial Bridgerton Musical’ concept album on September 10th 2021!”
What do you want the listeners to take away from your music?
A: “I want people to feel like they’re on a journey when they listen to my music. I want them to laugh, cry, smile, frown, as long as they feel an emotional connection to it. If my music can help someone cope with whatever they’re going through, I’ve done my job as an artist.”
Who are you listening to at the moment?
A: “I’m currently in a very serious Paramore phase. Revisiting their whole discography has got me so excited to explore that pop/rock perfection in my own music.”
And finally, what’s one fun fact about yourself for our readers?
A: “I can sing with my mouth closed! It’s my freakiest party trick. ;)”