Country Singer Reyna Roberts on the Beyoncé Effect

Hey fam, Hello Sunshine. Today on the bright Side, we're going country singer, songwriter and the princess of Outlaw Country, Raina Roberts joins us to talk about her career and two features on Beyonce's new album, Cowboy Carter.

And Later, We're gonna keep the Cowboy Carter vibes going with a game of Beyonce themed this or that. It's Thursday, April fourth, I'm Simone Boye, I'm.

Danielle Robey and this is the bright side from Hello Sunshine. Here's what's popping on our feeds today. Taylor Swift is officially a billionaire Forres just released its annual list of the world's richest people, and she joins musicians like Jay Z and Rihanna. But here's the difference. She's the first musician to become a billionaire solely based on her songs and her performances like just artistry.

You go, Taylor, You go girl. Okay, Danielle listen, listen. It's an exciting time to be alive. Taylor Swift is a billionaire, and we might be able to offload our birth control burdens soon.

I don't know.

This is big news, Okay, according to The Atlantic, BC for men could actually be available on the market in the next few years. And we have options, all right, So we're talking a pill, maybe even a gel that men would apply to their shoulders daily. We can't even get them to apply sunscreen, so we'll see.

How that goes.

But the deal with this birth control is that it would just cause temporary infertility and supposedly it would have zero effect on mood or libido.

Wow, what a concept. Birth control that has zero effect on mood or libido.

We're gonna have to talk about this more at a later date because men have trouble following routines anything that has to do with their penises. They're not interested in.

You'd like, you know what I mean, any penis.

Okay, I'm moving on, okay, because I'm still stuck on that college basketball player Flage passionately defending her teammate Angel Reese at their press conference. That is shine theory and sisterhood at its best. I cannot get that video out of my mind.

I know it was really impactful. I love the way that she was talking about how Angel makes her a better player, I mean, true leadership, sisterhood in real time.

She was just like sticking up for her teammate.

Yeah, it's nice.

What's that phrase, like the trumpet blows or sounds louder when someone else rings it or blows it. What's that?

I don't know, but that sounds great. It's true somewhat.

Sometimes you need your neighbor, your sister, your friend to say something for you. It just is like received differently.

I'm gonna blow my trumpet for you, Danielle.

Daily, I'm gonna blow my trumpet for you too. Simon.

That's not a thing. It's definitely not a thing.

We're gonna make it a thing.

Okay, I have a topic that might be a little bit debatable for us.

Okay, I like that. Okay, I'm gonna get into it.

So Shakira has a pretty hot take on the Barbie movie. She told Allure magazine that her two sons quote absolutely hated the Barbie movie and that she kind of agrees with them. She said her boys, who were nine and eleven years old, felt like it was emasculating and that she wants her sons to quote feel powerful too while still respecting women.

Okay, this is a hot take.

It is a hot take.

I kind of agree with her. Woo. I know, Oh, I liked the Barbie movie. I thought it was like really well done, cool cultural commentary, but as women, we didn't like when femininity or womanhood was thought of as like this surface, pink, glittery thing. I think the way men were portrayed in the Barbie movie was really monolithic, like it was. It made them look a little stupid, basic, unintelligent,

So I think that men don't often feel comfortable talking about this in today's society because I think that they feel like they will be shunned or shamed for this. But I have heard men say for a long time that they're tired of the like dumb dad trope and commercials, or like the dufust husband you know who can't get anything right. And I do get that. I am sympathetic to that I'm a boy mom, so yeah, you have two boys. I have two boys, so a lot of

I agree with you, But I think about what an impact those movies, those like Disney princess movies or even the rom coms had more of an impact on me growing up. All these women, how they acted like so silly on dates or like we're always waiting for the man to call, like those definitely impacted how I perceived womanhood and what it meant to be a girlfriend or what it meant to be sexy and I'm like, kids really take movies seriously, and so I almost think that

Listen, Barbie is not a kid.

When I saw people taking their kids, their little girls and I don't know, maybe little boys too, to the movie, I was like, I don't think this is appropriate for kids. Maybe there are a lot of jokes that will go over their head, but I just I feel like this is one movie, and how many other movies are there like Barbie where this sort of messaging that you feel and Shakira feels is.

Okay, not lotteryny and with Shakira, please.

I am I'm lumping you in.

No, but how many other movies are there that have this portrayal of men in it? Is it a lot? Then maybe if it's a lot, we need to talk about that. But I don't know that there are a lot of movies that are that have this portrayal of mene where they're you know, more subservient or maybe not as intelligent.

That's actually a good point, like the Cultural conversation doesn't double down on that, so it's okay to have one film.

We can have one. Yeah, let's have one. Okay.

I think you convinced me.

Well that was easy.

Yeah, maybe not as debatable as we thought.

I'm gonna blow my trumpet for you, Danielle.

Okay, Simon, there's this trend on TikTok that has taken over. It's called the hear me out trend. Okay. So it's like an unconventional crush. So when you share it with someone, you share it and you're just like, oh wait, hear me out okay, because you gotta kind of explain it a little bit.

Yeah.

It's not like a Lenny Kravitz or a Channing Tatum where we can all agree they're hot, right, It's just like a little bit more obscure.

Do you have any of these First of all.

That Lenny Kravitz moment on stage where like didn't his pants come off or something?

That's my Roman Empire.

I mean, he's the hottest short king in all of the land.

He will forever be hot forever.

I turn that way about Idris Elba, Like this is not a hear me out crush, Okay, hear me out is like I gotta explain a few things.

I want to hear yours first before I say mine. You have to go.

Here's that hear me out? I don't know, Okay, I have a few. First of all, is Drake considered to hear me out? Crush?

Oh my god? He's that man is so corny. I think I like a little corny. I'm starting to learn that about myself, Danielle.

Are you serious? This is your hear me out? Crush? Have you seen his?

Horribly?

I've lost so much respect for you, Jim.

He's literally, I think, sort of like my dream man. He asks a lot of questions, Danielle. He's black and Jewish. He's literally he's.

For me, Danielle.

Simone's backing away from the microphone.

I gotta go, I gotta go.

No, no, no, no, okay, you gotta match me.

What's your hear me out?

Crush?

Wow?

Do I need to explain a little more?

Need to hear me out?

No?

No, no, Yours is way worse than mine.

Simon won't even hear me out.

I won't hear you out. I can't, wow. Mine is hear me out?

Okay, Adam driver, that's okay.

I'm getting I'm getting thumbs up from our producers.

I don't know if that's hearing me out? What makes him unconventional?

He's hot? You think, so he's a little weird.

I think, okay, So I think it's it's also the people who the characters that he's played, I feel like, shape the public's perception of him. So maybe that's why I feel like it's like a little bit of a hear me out. But yeah, I think listen, I think he is objectively hot.

Here's the thing. One thing I have learned about you is you love talent like you love somebody who is really good and passionate.

At what day Dale psychoanalyzing me right now?

It's true. I think that's part of the reason you love your husband. You really respect how he is as a writer and director.

I'm a sabio sexual.

There you go, and I think you look at Adham Driver and you're like, he's a really good actor. He chooses interesting roles. So hear me out. I have one more here, Okay, what is it? Jeff Goldbloom? Oh oh yes, yes, this A man's charisma is off the charts. He was in more Super Bowl commercials this year than any other person I've ever seen, and it's because he's the most likable human.

I think my favorite video or image of him from the Super Bowl time was actually just one of those cameras at the game when he was like in his box and he was just like vibing with the camera like the JumboTron was on him.

He's everything I love Jeff Goldbloom.

All right, I think we have to move on.

I think it's over. It's it's times up. You said Drake is your dream man. Wow, folks a lot We're gonna have to unpack that, honestly.

Bright Siders, can you please, like please support me in this. I need like somebody to write in either DM me or write in email. I need some support here because simone is really not seeing what I see.

You know what, Danielle, that's a great idea.

I can't wait to see what our bright Side audience says.

Hello at the bright Side podcast dot com.

Please support me and be honest.

After the break, we're joined by rising country star Raina Roberts. If you've listened to Cowboy Carter, you have definitely heard her beautiful voice on Beyonce's cover of Blackbird. She's gotten a ton of attention in recent weeks, which we love for her and she is truly a one to watch.

So stay with us.

We're back, y'all, and we've got royalty on the line today.

That's right. Today's guest, Raina Roberts, is known as the Princess of Outlaw Country. She's now also known as a featured artist on the tracks Tyrant and Blackbird, both off of Beyonce's new album Cowboy Carter.

But Raina's been crafting her own authentic sound and style since she was a kid. Growing up, she moved across the country from Alaska to Alabama, to California, and eventually to Nashville, where she lived today and where she is joining us from right now.

Raina, We're so excited to talk with you. We're trying to bite your whole country vibe. We want to know where you get your boots, your hats, your hot red hair. But first, this is your first feature and it's with Beyonce of all people, and we know you're not able to say that much, but we really just want to know anything. What can you tell us about the experience of working with her and just getting that phone call.

I can't tell you anything at all, but but what I can say is that she has shaped my entire like artistry, my voice, my career, and she's always been my biggest inspiration, my favorite artist.

So to be on her project and for her to believe in me enough to include me a part of her story and what she's doing and is still unbelievable to me. And I'm incredibly grateful and I'm so excited that she she's let me be a part of her world.

Well, we're excited for you. And I have to tell you, one of the things that I was really a scout was the camaraderie between all the amazing female country artists on your tracks, Tanna Adel, Tierra Kennedy, Brittany Spencer. What does that camaraderie look like behind the scenes.

Oh, we're all getting tattoos together tomorrow.

What is it that I think we're all gonna get little blackbirds and just just representing, like how, just like you're saying, our camaraderie, we lift each other up and we always try to give each other opportunities, and I think it's just a blessing, Like how we can literally go and hang out and just be friends and share our experiences together.

Okay, so I know that you said that Beyonce has inspired you. Something that Beyonce has said that has always stuck with me is this idea of design over default, meaning specificity wins the day as an artist and creative. And I know you have that mindset too, You've talked about it. But what's one thing that you learned from working with Beyonce that you will take with you in your career.

I will say that if she has a vision, she's not gonna let anybody get in the way of that vision. And I've always kept that with me throughout my career just watching her, like literally my whole life been watching her performances in her artistry. Is that when you're being specific or you have a specific vision and you have this idea in your head, not to let anybody talk you out of what that vision and idea is.

And nothing is impossible.

If you want it to happen, it can happen, and nobody can get in the way of that.

I'm like, if she can do it, I can do it.

And actually even if somebody hasn't done it, I can still do it.

Like That's what I've learned from her.

That's the lesson exactly. You know, so much of the language and the conversation around this whole album has been breaking barriers and opening doors for a new generation. And I think in theory we all know what that means, but what does that mean in practice? Like what does that look like in Nashville in country music?

It's looking like six of us are charting right now on Spotify if I'm not mistaken, and we are making history together because of the doors that she is opening.

What do you think is misunderstood about country music or the industry right now?

I think that a lot of people assume that country music is just one thing because you only really see one representation of it for the most part. And I think that most people think country music is about living in the South or wearing boots and short shorts and shotgun and beers and things like that.

When to me specifically, I.

See country music as like storytelling. I love the instrumentation behind.

It, but I believe great music is great music regardless of the genre. There's a lot of stereotypes when it comes to country music, and people think that it's just this one thing when.

There's so many different things to it that has layers.

I want to talk about this because you've mentioned how often you have to speak about being a black artist in country music, and I know that must get exhausting. So how do you view this moment in country music right now? As someone who's been in this space for a minute.

I think it's phenomenal. I'm so grateful and I'm so excited.

Like I would say, within the past month, I think I've gained probably over five hundred thousand bands.

Across all social media and people listening to my music.

Also, I think it's such a blessing, like this.

Is something I've been praying for, something that I've been wanting to happen, getting more people and more eyes on us than having the opportunity for my voice to be heard in a big way.

And that's what's happening now, and I think it's fantastic.

Do you feel like your voice wasn't heard before.

I feel like I didn't have the resources or the reach that I do now, So I don't think that it necessarily wasn't being heard before, but I think I didn't have a platform big enough for people.

Around the world hear me globally.

And my intention has always been not to be like a country star, but to be a superstar that does.

Some country music.

By her giving me this opportunity, it's give me the platform for people around the world to hear my voice as opposed to just in country music or limited spaces.

I feel like you're bringing a whole new swag to country music and the industry. I'm staring at you. You have your red hair. Simone and I were like, love it. We were going through your Instagram and we were obsessed with all your fits.

The superstar thing is already happening, by the way, like we're looking out at superstar right now.

Where did the red hair come from?

Oh?

Man, you know what, I've had red hair for probably at least five years, six years or something like that. It's kind of a crazy story, honestly. It came from wrestling. So I used to wrestle in high school. And there's a tradition to where like blonde tracks in your hair or to dye your hair blonde, but I wore blonde tracts.

I was like, I'm not going to sit out my hair blonde.

And then from that blonde, I started trying different colors. I try blue, red, and.

Then the whole just became red, and I was like, this is me.

This makes me feel like a lot more confident and powerful and a lot more like a badass. I'm an introvert, and so it gives me kind of that extra boost and that confidence to be who I need to be as Raina as the artist Rena.

I love your song Raised Right. It's about how your parents played such a huge part in your story, and I was reading about how even when your family went through a period of homelessness when you were a kid, they still made such a huge effort to have music be a part of your life. What do you remember about that time.

Yeah, so there's a certain time. I can't remember how old I was exactly, probably around like.

Eight or nine if I'm not mistaken.

When we lost her home and we were homeless, which I never even kind of realized, to be honest, because my parents are so great that I never felt like I was out of a home because I had my family with me. They sold I think basically everything except my piano. They kept my piano in a storage unit and they would take me there whenever they could to go and practice.

And to keep my dreams always in the warfront.

I think that's the moral of the story too, like the sacrifices that.

My family and my parents have made has always been to keep my dreams in the forefront because they.

Knew what my destiny is.

They knew that I was going to be a superstar, and they wanted to make sure that they could help me in.

Any way that they could and still do.

How involved is your mom and your career at this moment?

All three of them are my mom, my dad, and my bonus said, we make all the decisions together, so I definitely have my team, but before my team has always been me and my parents, and so any decisions that I am contemplating, any even down to the outfits I wear, I'm like, hey, like what or do we like this outfit?

Is it too much?

So all three of My parents are a part of like everything that I do, and I think that's really important because they know me more than anybody else does.

Is there a little bit of a Tina Knowles thing happening here? Like is your mom designing your clothes at all or anything?

Oh?

Well, they actually did come up with the rain of red and she does do my hair, so yeah, yes, literally, my parents will be in the kitchen die my hair, all three of them.

Oh my god.

There.

I think you have to put that out on Instagram.

Yeah, we got to see the behind the scenes process.

That's actually really cute. I should do that.

Your debut album, Bad Girl Bible, Volume one came out just a few months ago, and I love how you bring this sense of radical self expression to everything you do. When you look back on your journey of discovering yourself as an artist, what are the defining moments that come to mind?

I feel like I've been doing like my own music videos and my own creative expression, like as long as I can remember, and I'm proud of that artist and who I am now and what's taken to get me here. But like the music videos that I've done, and just

Make that dream become reality. When I went through and listened to the album from the to end and sall the visuals, I was really proud of that work.

But those are some of the defining moments that I was really proud of myself and my artistry. Definitely with Bad Girl Bible Volume one, and then yeah, some of the other visuals and other things that I've done.

You strike me as someone who is always confident. I don't know if that's right, but I feel like I can learn a lot from you about confidence. What do you do on the days when you don't feel confident?

I listened to Beyonce, I listened to Rihanna, I listen to sermons, and I pray about it, especially because the majority of my life I've not been confident, and I feel like it's only been really within the past probably half a year, that I really feel confident in myself, my vision, who I am as a person.

I feel like I didn't really have that in its entirety before.

I've always been very like shy and nervous and kept to myself, even though people see me on stage as like a big personality. I had to learn to be confident. I had to learn to talk to people. I had to learn to be personable.

I bet you got a confidence boof when you got the call from Riba to open up for her.

Oh yeah, I was.

And I'll say it this way, like, I've always been confident in my career and my aspirations in life. I've always known that I would work with my favorite artists like Beyonce and In et cetera. I've always known that in my heart and in my spirit. It's really the things outside of music that I had to kind of be more confident about. Like the way that I view myself outside of music is really where I had to learn and grow and trust in my vision for myself

When Reva called me, I was like, I'm ready for this.

I've been waiting for y'all to call me, like in a positive way, in a positive way, not not a confet way, but like I've been practicing my whole life, like I'm ready.

Yeah, you had that Grammy speech. Ready, That's what I'm hearing.

That's kind of exactly.

Yes.

You've gone from over one hundred thousand monthly streams to five million plus on Spotify. Just in the last few days you talked about gaining hundreds of thousands of news.

This has been a really good year for you, girl.

It's been a fantastic.

What is it like to be Rayna Roberts right now?

Oh?

Man?

This is a part of everything that I've always envisioned for myself, and I'm really just still blessed. Like I really prayed about it. I was like, God, can you please put me on a song with Beyonce? Can you please put me in front of a lot of people?

Raina. I heard you say in a past interview that you moved to Nashville to make history as an artist. Do you feel like you're doing that?

Oh, it's done. Now I'm on a song with Beyonce and some of my friends that shit. Yes, I've done it. I've been did it. It's been happened.

I definitely feel like that's happened, and I'm so excited about it and so grateful because I would tell people, I mean, anybody that I meet and I have conversations with that want to know about me and my aspirations.

That's like one of the first things I say. I'm here to make history.

And to create music that outlivets me, and that's what's happening now.

You mentioned the Blackbird tattoos. Paul McCartney has been clear about what that song, Blackbird meant to him. Originally, it was inspired by the Civil rights movement. Is there a tie between that and the tattoos?

I will say, for me, this represents all the history that the song is and all that it is about to be as well.

So for me, it's both things. It's everything that.

He created the song for, and also what's happening right now with us me, Beyonce, Brittany Tanner and Tiara making history and what our legacy is.

So it's all those things.

Wrapped up in one and I can't wait to get it.

I'm also a little nervous, but I'm also really excited about it.

Wait, why are you nervous?

I'm nervous because I want to get it in the back of my neck and I'm like, how's that gonna feel?

Oh yeah, probably till a little tingley, just.

Like a little bit.

But it's more excitement, and I love the fact that we're all about to do this together, Like we're just.

Really about to go and get tattoos right here. You're like, I love it for us.

I can't think of a better occasion. It's God's favorite, y'all.

All.

Right, after the break, we're gonna play a Beyonce themed game of this or that.

We'll be right back. We're back with Raina Roberts.

We love a good game on this show, so that's why we're gonna play a Beyonce themed round of this or that, and we're using her songs as inspiration Reina you ready?

Yes, hot sauce in my bag? Swag? Are you a Tabasco girl or Frank's red hot? All the way?

Crazy because I don't have either. I don't eat hot sauce.

No hot sauce, no hot sauce.

I don't got hot sauce and.

Bed.

It's okay, We'll forgive it because you got swag for days.

Yeah, you have enough swag to cover up. Don't worry, okay. Beyonce says, to release your anger, release your mind. Are you going with a meditation practice or a massage.

Meditation?

I feel like we have to add a third. I feel like you're a prayer girl.

I was gonna say honestly, when you said meditation, I was like, I'm just gonna.

Pray about it.

I love how she's rewriting the rules of this game as you should. No, no, do it?

Do it? Okay?

Telephone or video phone? Do we like phone calls or facetimes?

Face times?

Yes?

All the way.

It's officially April. We're heading into spring and summer. So are we single ladies or on a cuffet mentality?

Aka?

Are you single or taken?

Single?

Ladies?

Thanks to do yeah, that's why your dms are flooded.

I was gonna say.

This one's a little bit self explanatory. But naughty girl or church girl?

Oh well wait, wait wait, oh man, I'm reforming.

I don't know you're a naughty church girl.

Yeah, that's okay.

Exist, I like that. I'm reforming this game.

We're both.

Yeah, we need to take up space. Yeah, that naughty church girl representation.

Okay. On Cowboy Carter, Queen Bee has two songs, Texas hold Them and O Louisiana. Which state are you booking flights to first?

Oh? I'm actually going to Texas this weekend. So Texas.

Oh, but my songs called Louisiana and if I oh, we don't say Louisiana Louisiana.

I'm glad you didn't disappoint me. I thought you were gonna say that.

I almost messed up. I'm so close.

Okay, six inch heels or Levi Jean's six inchles.

I see, I can't. I can't go with you on that one.

That's what's a journey. You're gonna have to go alone. I'm gonna Levi's Jez Girl too.

That's the only one we we differ on.

I do not like to wear jeans whatsoever. Any time I'm like, no people trying to put me in due salt.

Tom, that's because you're dancing on stage. I think that's fair.

Thank you.

Okay, here's another one from Cowboy Carter. Are you going off like a tyrant? Or do you need someone to hold you back like a protector?

Tyrant? No, tyrant? I love that song. I listened to that daily.

If you had to describe yourself, are you a me myself, an I person or a party person?

Basically? Are you an introvert or an extrovert?

Introvert? Me myself and I. I'm in my old little imagination and in my ol little world.

Okay, this is the last one, Reina. I'm sad that we have to let you go. Okay, As we inch closer to the weekend, energy or plastic on the sofa? Are you staying in or are you going out?

I'm going out this weekend. I gotta celebrate.

What does that look like for you?

Funny enough, I'm going to do karaoke.

I love Karry not there.

Professional singers are not allowed to do karaoke. True, I can do songs that I'm not good at whatever doesn't exist.

What's your go to karaoke song?

Lady Marmalade?

Oh wow, wait, tell that story.

Honestly, I've been seening him a whole life. So the first time I ever sang in front of like a whole bunch of people, I was three years old. My mom said me to a bar in Alaska and she had me singing Lady Marmalade. But I just I love that song. I've always loved that song. So anytime it's karaoke time, that's my song.

You know, I heard you say that Christina was one of your inspirations, and so I hear that girl and your voice. I love that.

Yeah. Yeah, it's so interesting too.

Like when people will be like, oh, you remind me, like your voice reminds me of these artists, I'll be like, it's so interesting because they're a completely different artists.

But I'm like, I love that we're rooting for you, Reina. You have two fans over here.

Thank you guys for having me. I appreciate you so much.

Check out Raina Roberts' debut album, Bad Girl Bible Volume one, streaming wherever you get your music.

I am such a huge fan of hers. I can hardly put it into words, can tell. I just love her.

I love anyone who has that freedom to be different, to be a maverick in their field.

She just she's different, you know.

I loved her belief in herself. It's so it's contagious to be around. Right Like, I think there are a lot of gems in the conversation. But if there's one idea that you and I keep talking about, yeah, it's that confidence. And confidence isn't about being perfect. It's about having confidence because of all those imperfections and they're part of what makes you you.

Naughty church girls, stand up.

We will be back tomorrow and we'll get up to speed on all things March madness and why this year is a historic moment for women athletes.

Listen and follow The bright Side on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts, and don't forget we love to hear from you. We listen to and read every single message. So email the show at Hello at the brightsidepodcast dot com or hit me up at someone Voice on Instagram and TikTok.

I'm Danielle Robe and I'm at Danielle Robe on Instagram and TikTok and all the socials. That's ro o b a y.

We'll be back tomorrow.

Until then, keep looking on the bright side.