WUWY INTERVIEW: Mickey Guyton On Confronting Hate, Her Son's Near-Death Experience, Her Time with 3LW + More

What's up.

It's way up at Angela Yee. I'm here with I mean the biggest. We got Mickey guyon in the building.

Who are you.

I'm good? How are you?

I am so good?

I feel like we had a lot to catch up on right now. Oh you came in.

I said, the hair is hairing today. It looks beautiful with the little curtain bangs. What's going for now?

I first saw you and met you at Essence Festival.

Yes twenty one, I think was that twenty twenty one, It might have been twenty twenty two.

So you know what twenty two that is the day that I signed my contract for this show. Way Up with Angela Yee was the day that I met you. Wow, And you were at Essence Festival and I knew your name and I knew you were like a big deal. But also you know, you went and performed there and you were so amazing. And then I interviewed you, yes, right after that live for Hulu. So good to see you in person and have a real sit down.

And I am so glad and you know, like going to perform at Essence Fest that time, and I performed this year and seeing so many more country the art black country artist at the event has just been really really cool to see.

And let's discuss that too, because country music is something that you've always wanted to do, but we know that traditionally, country music hasn't always been the most welcoming when it comes to black women, when it comes to black people in general, even though there have been black country artists from the beginning. So for you getting started, how was that?

You know, initially it was really really great. I got my record deal right out of the gate, and things were going really well. I've got to do so many amazing things, and I'll never forget when I got signed. The president of the label that I was signed to, Capital told me, he goes, I'm telling you, Mickey, it's really hard in country music for women, and it's going

That feels good.

But then the real work came in and he was not lying.

It is.

Was and still is extremely hard for black women as well as women and country music.

You know, I mean, And then the real work started and just think about like for you going out there like that. Right now, you see a lot of people who are like, oh, I'm doing country music. I'm doing a country album obviously, and I know everybody's Beyonce, Beyonce,

It's also kind of like, this has been, yes, happening.

Yes, it has been happening, and I am really really grateful because I can only do so much with my little platform that I have, but Beyonce has. She is a world renowned superstar. She is literally the biggest star in the world, and for her to pursue country music it then encouraged her fans to start being like, well, wait a minute, let's go let's.

Support some support your time Grammy nominated artists. Let's not forget that you also performed at the d I did. How was that experience?

You know, there's been it was a dream come true, you know, I as we know and as your listeners know, there's been so much turmoil in this country. It's made us question so many things. But being at the DNC, there was just so much love and light and joy in that room. There are so many different nationalities all together, intermingled together, and it just felt like the America that I know that I'm so proud of that. I think

I mean, I still feel like that. We do still feel like that.

I mean every single day, it's like every single day we're triggered, you know, outside of the country. Yes, every side.

Of the country is what it should be called.

But yeah, you know, there's so many it was just such a beautiful moment to be there and support Kamala.

You know, I can't even imagine the kind of things that you might have experienced, so just going through what you've gone through and being a trailblazer for what it is that you do. And so there was a period of time though, when you weren't necessarily pursuing country.

I so yes, so I you know, I went to La to pursue you know, acting and to go to school, and so I wasn't pursuing country music like that because I literally didn't see anybody in that genre that looked like me, Like there was no Charlie Pride, there was no Darius Rucker, there was literally no one. So I just never I loved the genre. I just never thought

Because I remember there was a time when Adrian said you were actually.

Yes, yes, girl, we were called little women back in the day. Yeah, yeah, that, yeah, I think it was. I think it was because of that movie, right that we loved so much.

But how long was that for?

It was literally for like a summer because my parents asked too many questions. My dad is a businessman and wanted to see what these contracts were like. And he was like, huh huh, yeah, you need to thank God home.

Yeah, yeah, because a lot of people did.

And people act like it's a ride a passage, yes to that, like you have to in your first get yeah, but you don't have to.

You don't have to, And it's hard when you see something that you're a part of go and become successful school and I had to see that. But you know, I've talked to Adrian and we you know, we encourage each other all the time, and it's just crazy, like we were so young and babies and we got to just connect in such a beautiful way like that, like we have something together that nobody else has, like we were babies together.

I never thought about that that you had to go on and see them do yeah.

Yeah and be really humbling.

Were you mad at your dad? Like why did you not?

I'm not a confrontational person, so I internalize a lot of things and I held it in I guess maybe I was, But like in the scheme of things now, the way that life has worked out, I'm really happy the way that it did.

You know what, Yeah, obviously looking back it was the right decision for sure. Sometimes those sacrifices you can't see ahead of that, especially when you're young and like wanting something.

Yes, and there was not like you didn't have like social media to like keep it up with things, So you're just like imagining how amazing they were doing.

You know what's done well for you too, being yourself and telling your story too. And so even I know you have the album coming out on Friday, Yes and m twenty seven Scary Love. Yes, you talk about your son and experiencing, you know, something that could have been horrible horrible? So can you talk about that because I can't even envision what that must feel like.

So back in twenty twenty one, when my son was nine months old, he got really, really sick and then had sepsis, and we found ourselves in the ICU and I was literally watching my son's life slip away from him. It was one of the most terrifying things I've ever experienced. And I remember when we were in the er. I choked out the words I said, is he.

Going to die?

And the nurse says to me, she goes, I'm not going to lie to you right now. I am very concerned. He is the sickest person in the er right now. And this was during the height of COVID, and I just remember falling to my knees and just praying to God, like help my baby, like just please, I'll do anything, Just help my baby. And after going through something like that, I now understand why our moms were so crazy over us. Like when we were growing up, I'm like, hell, that's wrong with my mom?

Like why is she like chill out?

Yes, you know what I mean. And so then I just understood it so much more. And like when I get in the car, when I go anywhere, like I'm just praying, like, Lord, just get me safe, get me home safely so I can be there for my son, like just make sure that he's okay. Like I'm just constantly praying. I pray more than I ever did.

Maybe I got to ask fromire and nestay, were you a bad kid? Because you said your mom?

Well, I mean I wasn't listen. I know, as a kid a lot of times we took chance. Yeah, yeah, I mean chances.

But I was really sheltered, Like I came up on a very Southern Baptist like you know, that old Southern Bible belt, I know, and my dad was a deacon and my mom was a deacon. Yes, nothing nothing.

So was it tough for them to have you enter into this music business?

Yeah, but it was crazy, Like maybe I should have given them more credit because as protective as they were, they saw that this was a passion for me and a dream for me, and they allowed me to pursue that, and maybe, in my mind, like thinking about it now, like I should have given them a little bit more credit and trusted them with a lot of the shit I went through in my life.

Kids never give their parents credit at the time that is happening because instead what we're.

Like, why are you doing this to me?

Yeah? Yeah, exactly, like they would ever understand.

Yeah.

Now, Black Like Me, that's another song that was huge for you. But also I think I opening for a lot of people. So I would love for you to discuss the process of you doing that song.

Yees.

So I wrote Black Like Me in twenty eighteen. This song I was nominated for a Grammy for Best Country Performance. I was the first black woman to be nominated for Best Country Performance.

Can you imagine it's twenty eighteen?

Okay? And I was nominated in twenty twenty. And I wrote that song just so. There's a book called Black Like Me written by a white man named John Howard Griffin who threw radiation, darkened his skin to look like a black man, and go down to the Deep South during the Civil Rights era. And he really did, you know when that phrase walk a mile in my shoes, he actually did do that, and he became a changed man because he saw the true walk of what it's like to be a black man in America. And it's

Yeah, because you know, we think about country music, we're like, ooh, we don't see none of that, said the awards, and you posted yes the country music. Let me ask you this, so, do you feel like the first time, you know, when you were nominated and all of this, did you feel accepted. And when you did black like me, was there people like saying crazy things to you?

Yes, okay, you know, being a trailblazer, as you know, in any respective industry, it comes with the price, and there was a lot of that. There was a lot of encouragement, but there was also a lot of you know, hate that came with that as well. I'm still recovering from that.

Yeah, I can't imagine because people say like nasty things say to me online all the time, but in a genre that you're in, I feel like that's got to be.

Yes, and with the Bible Verse, with the Bible Verse and their bio and American flag and they're saying, get it, get your ghetto ass out of country music. Yeah, it was a lot of that. I mean I've had them come after my son. It was a lot death threats, everything that.

People have no idea what you've had to go through.

I mean people women, black women do and we do.

But I just you know, I know that this is such a hard business and people will tell you, oh, you've got to be prepared for it. Everybody knows that, like when you come in you're you're never prepared. And sometimes people don't understand like the breakdowns that could happen, but you are happily married.

I am happily married girl.

Now, you had a long distance relationship for a while, how like eight years?

Eight years? But you were were you traveling a lot?

I was traveling a lot. You know, the distance makes their heart grow.

Fonder, right, And I think sometimes because you're so busy, it's not like you would have been at home even if you guys were in the same place.

So how did you guys maintain that things listen?

There was a lot of hard times. There were more hard times than there were good times. Like it was a lot. You know, we had to start going to therapy. We really chose each other every single day. I mean, I'm not saying that everything was perfect, but once we got past like the bad, the bad, bad, bad bad shit and still chose each other. That's how I knew that this man was my person because it's so easy to, you know, go through life with someone when things are good.

It was not just about you, bab.

He's like, what, we're not going to do country music.

So when you did finally put out your first feature, that full album, yeah, how did you feel that?

I felt? I had waited for years and years, almost a decade to put my first album out, which is Wild, and I was terrifying. But I got nominated for a Country Album of the Year and I got three nominations from that album, Grammys and Grammy nominations. Let me clarify that, and it it changed my life. And in that you know, I want to say this for your listeners. You know, my mom always said, like, find your purpose within your purpose.

Oh no, absolutely, you've definitely shined a light on all of that and even you know, and your songs, even though you're a country artist, I feel like you play around and yeah done.

Absolutely absolutely. I'm a black woman. I listen to all things come on making me, Yes, make me. I listened to Brandy and Monica as well as Dolly Parton. Yes, those are my girl, Those are my girls. Like they're just such you know, gentle sweet people.

I like that and they love you too.

That means a lot to know that.

And then it's this is your first headlining tour that you're in the God I love now too. I can't believe this is your first time headlining.

Yes, I can't believe it either.

And it's only been like a weeks and two started the time. Yeah yeah, So tell me about how that's been going for you.

So congratulation, Thank you so much. So I start tour this week on Thursday, on the twenty sixth, and I've been in rehearsals and working through everything and it is going so well. My band, I just am ready to slap people in the face with just beautiful and giant sounds in my set, Like I'm really really excited to perform for.

How do you prepare? Like even before that, how do you know?

You know? I got my vocal coach, I've got an excellent music director, Dez, and we just all just look through all of my catalog and try to find the songs that are going to touch people, because for me, I want people to feel the music. Like it's not always about just like how well you can perform, but like the vocals and like the music music moves people. You know, what's the first song I am good, so I'm gonna do Remember her Name, okay, And that's song

And you also, you know what other song is amazing women?

Yeah? Women? You know women are after giving birth? Man, I listen like we are miracle workers. That was one of the craziest experiences of my life. And I just wanted to celebrate women like people. I love women. I celebrate women. I'm not one of those women that are just jealous. And if I see someone that is beautiful, I'm going to compliment them, like.

You know, you came in here with all the compliments, like that's just what I do.

You know, because.

I frle spirit.

That means a lot, because I beat myself up after our first meeting.

So why, oh yeah, what a time that was. How did you feel when they even asked you to come, like you said, because they don't normally do country music at Essence festivals.

That was a couple of years ago.

I have been elated that so many black publications are starting to take an interest in country music. Like that's my whole goal, Like it's for black people to see a presence and to go out there and to support because it's so so so important.

It's a not a great storytelling. Yeah, it is country music more than.

Yes, and they're in country music. They all have trot beats in their songs, So why can't we make a trap beat country music song?

And then when Little nas X did come on, it's like changes, Like.

But people try to act like that wasn't a country song.

It was a country song.

But remember there was like so much controversy over that. It was wild to have other country music artists when you first started. How how were they accepting of you? How was it for you like getting to work with other country music artists.

You know, for the most part, the community is really really great. The country music community has been very loving to me, and I've been very lucky to have that. I mean, there's underlying things that we obviously need to

As they should because it's bringing listen, you bring in this money to the.

Expanded.

Yeah, it's like there's they someone said it's a country music renaissance, Like everybody is wanting a taste of country music because it is America's music, Like it's all of our music. It's not you know, designated to one person. When we all live in America and we all go through hard walks of life and we're just trying to make it like why can't we write about that?

Now? What do you do to de stress in the midst of all of this?

You know? I, you know, I just got to I'm working on that. I take I take these you know, natural anxiety supplements called stress shild that are really great to natural it's a natural supplement because I've been really scared to take like I feel you on that like anxiety meds because they really scare me because I tell everything and I always got to make sure because Steff would be like natural, I'm like, what is yeah, this

Oh yeah, because this is a great time for you and you got to make sure that to present in it. And I really do celebrating yourself.

I do because I do suffer from what's that? What's what do they call it? Imposter syndrome. I'm so bad. I have it so bad where I don't think I'm deserving. I don't think it's true and and it's something I definitely need to work on.

You know how.

You know you're deserving though, because this is not something that anyone else has ever achieved. You know, you've been the first in a lot of different respects and for anybody like you know, beyond, like you said, the biggest around the world. She definitely said thank you to Mickey Guyton for yeah, breaking downe of it.

That's still What was the effect after that, well, I.

Mean it was, you know, I just saw so much love from the country music community because you know, I've known these people for years, like you literally like over a decade, and seeing their happiness over it, you know, and Beyonce doesn't do anything small like they were just big ass flowers that were just so amazing. And it's just been just having that acknowledgment has been just such a blessing.

No, because and like you said, and past the syndrome is a real thing, but I feel like you've had to overcome so many more obstacles in the average person that you know that you have to above more deserve than anybody else. And I think for a lot of black women, you know, that's the space that we end up putting ourselves in because we do end up having to work harder than everyone still, and people who can be mediocre or you know, not put in the wearing.

Yeah, and then here you are, like I can do that.

I'm like, hello, I'm here. Yeah, that's that's really hard. And I think that that's why I really it's really important you know that I want to talk to your listeners about being intentional with your consumerism and making sure that you really go out there and support black art and make sure that this continues, this momentum of country

And House on Fire is out September twenty seventh. Now we've heard some of the singles. Now I got to ask you about the title Deserve. Yeah, what is that song?

Because I feel like we just talked about that. Yeah.

You know, I've again let imposter syndrome. But you know, I've gone through a lot, and so often I feel like, especially as black women, we feel so unlovable and get triggered to feel like we're unlovable and to find someone that says that you're exactly what I want and I don't want anything else, Like that's exactly what each and every single one of us deserves. I don't care who you are, and that's what that song is about.

Ooh okay, well, I am excited for all of this. I'm so happy that you were able to come.

So we've had some missus. We have had some misses on purpose.

But you know the last time I was supposed to be here, like I got we got here on time. We were here Angela's and we were not here. They were like, we're downstairs and we did.

Not fairness, the building is so bad.

I felt bad, thank you for but no.

They were like, she's going to be back and you're going to swim back around.

And yes I did. Of course. I was so looking for I had a cute outfit and everything. I will thank for you.

That I do.

I'm in my fall spirit.

Well, congratulations on everything again. House on Fire this Friday, September twenty seventh. The store the tour starts isn't in DC on the twenty sixth, so y'all make sure you get your tickets. You will be blown away. I am so excited and thank you for having me.

Thank you

Well,