I had the chance to speak to Bruna, aka Eerie Please, an emerging queer artist who just released her first song 'All of us Girls'. Bruna was born and raised in Brazil, but most recently lived in New York City. Bruna's song 'All of us Girls' is a story of queer desire, longing and being completely in awe of another person, something almost all of us can understand, queer or not. The song reflects Bruna's own experience as a queer woman, making it all the more raw and beautiful. Inspired by her emotional queer love story, I also wanted to hear Bruna's thoughts about the importance of queer representation in music, and in the media as a whole.
'All Of Us Girls came to life through sudden bursts of creativity'. Bruna writes. 'I've always written and composed my own songs, but I had no clue how to produce them. Then last year I bought my first synthesizer, came up with a random riff, and started experimenting on Garage Band. As I learned more about music production, I moved on to Ableton Live and eventually realized that my experiment was becoming a song that I actually wanted to release. When I came up with the first two lines (let me fall somewhere in between your desire / I want to know what stands on your fire), I didn't really know what I was talking about. But it all became very clear as I kept writing. Before the pandemic, I had only the skeleton of a song. Being alone (and safe) during the lockdown in NYC forced me to work on it until it was done.'
Bruna told me that All of us Girls is based on her own 'coming-of-age experience as a queer woman', something so personal and beautiful that is really reflected in her music.
'All Of Us Girls is about hidden desire. It's about when you love someone and you're desperate to let it show, but you can't, even though you know your feelings are reciprocated. You're painfully waiting for something to happen, but it doesn't. It's a very specific kind of longing. The song describes the experience of being queer and lovestruck when you still don't have things figured out. There's so much lost in between. But I think anyone who has ever been in love is familiar with that feeling, queer or not.'
I asked Bruna if she felt as if there is a need for more queer representation, both in music and in the media as a whole. I also wondered if she thought the presentations of queer characters and storylines was particularly accurate. Obviously improvements have been made in recent years, we live in a society that is more inclusive than ever. But does that mean that enough is being done?
'Yes, absolutely [there is a need for more queer representation].' Bruna responds. 'We deserve so much more than what we get. The media portrayal of queer relationships can be problematic; they're often overlooked and reduced to a background story. Queer storylines need to be given due attention and portrayed in all their diversity and complexity.'
'There's still a long way to go, but we need to celebrate the progress we've made. In music, queer representation is more present than ever. We have Phoebe Bridgers, Clairo, Arlo Parks, girl in red, and so much more. The same is true for television. Queer representation hit an all-time high last year: 10.2% of series regular characters were queer, according to GLAAD. I celebrate this victory, but I also acknowledge that it is such a small percentage. Still, I know we'll get there. I'm an optimist at heart.'
It shouldn't be underestimated how important representation can be. As children, and even young adults, we are so impressionable. It's so valuable to be able to understand the perspectives and battles of all kinds of people, but also being able to see stories that reflect our own identities and struggles undoubtedly helps us to feel less alone.
'Being exposed to different identities and kinds of love is extremely important, especially for those who come from unaccepting households. The portrayal of queer love stories in the media can send a clear message for the audience: there is love out there regardless of who you are and whom you want. There's something powerful in watching and hearing stories that resonate in your heart.'
'Carol is one of my favorite films. Carol and Therese's relationship blooms from a series of innuendos and subtle touches. Their latent love is evident in every silence. The tension between them is delicately unbearable. I'm fascinated by this unintentional and irresistible kind of love. The movie, very simply yet beautifully, recounts a love story between two women. Although the story is set around 1950 and the context may seem very different from 2020 (if you live in a country where LGBTQ+ rights are respected), I still think their relationship is realistic and relatable. Behind all the intricacies and societal barriers, there's something timeless and universal about love. The same goes for Portrait of a Lady on Fire, another great film.'
Finally, I asked Bruna what she wanted people to take away from her music, and the queer love story in envisions.
'Maybe someone will listen to my song and think about their own experiences. Music can be a way of understanding what you went through and holding on to that feeling a little bit longer because you're not ready to let it go. I hope the fact that it is a song based on a queer story will make that connection even more special to some people. Everyone deserves to be heartbroken at least once; I mean that in the best way possible. It's a formative experience, and it means that you've known love – the most revolutionary feeling.'
listen to 'All of us Girls' here: