Laura Bryna Talks Topping Billboard Charts and Going Viral
If you take a scroll through Laura Bryna’s Instagram page, you’ll see a bubbly brunette, with a big smile and even bigger hair. The bombshell beauty posts numerous pictures of herself dressed in glitzy costumes, showing off her fabulous life. However, if you dig a little bit deeper, you’ll find just as many photos of Laura goofing off in her workout clothes, supporting our military troops, or kissing her parrots. Yes, she has parrots, three of them to be precise. Laura’s influence on social media extends from Instagram onto the platform made popular by Gen Z: TikTok. With almost one hundred thousand followers and over 2 million likes, Laura has made a name for herself on the social media site best known for lip singing. But Laura has no need to lip sing, quite the contrary in fact. Laura Bryna’s got a great voice, one that has put her in the Top 10 on the Pop Charts in America and around Europe. This would have come as a surprise to Bryna’s younger self, who first got her start in Nashville as a country artist. Fast forward to 2020, and she would be releasing her first dance track with Grammy-winning songwriter, Damon Sharpe.
The viral song “Stars Are Falling” was a breakout hit that reached over 1 million views on TikTok, and over 2 million views on YouTube. The music video, directed by Eli Sokhn, sets the stage in a world experiencing a disaster of apocalyptic proportions. The song itself is about love and faith being able to overcome all obstacles. The song and accompanying music video struck a chord with viewers upon its release in April of 2020. Right at the beginning of the pandemic. The video’s apocalyptic theme coincided with the panic and fear many people were experiencing at the start of the worldwide crisis. According to Bryna though, that was just a coincidence, “We recorded the song and shot the video way before the pandemic,” she says. “This was before we had any idea what was going to happen.”
In fact, Bryna and Sharpe even questioned whether the song should be released, “We didn’t want people to think we were capitalizing on something so horrible.” Luckily, they took the chance, and fans quickly embraced “Stars Are Falling” as a positive anthem for dealing with the dark days of the pandemic.
The song was even dedicated to the heroes and first responders at Mount Sinai hospital in New York City. Bryna says she “never dreamed it (the song) would ever mean that.” Although she never expected “Stars Are Falling” to inspire so many people in the way that it did, Bryna was touched by the outpouring of positive messages she received in response. She was honored to hear from listeners, some of them first responders, that her song helped them get through their darkest moments. This should come as no surprise though, as Bryna’s main mission as an artist is to help and inspire others through her music.
Bryna aims to relay positive messages through her songs, including her new single “The Way That It Was.” The song, which was also co-written and produced by Damon Sharpe, quickly garnered attention for encapsulating the exhaustion with the current state of the world. Bryna believes the song touched so many people because many of them are wishing life would soon go back to “the way it was” pre-pandemic. Although the song is written about a breakup, it has since taken on a universal meaning in the wake of the “new normal.”
Working with Damon Sharpe on both “Stars Are Falling” and “The Way That It Was” has been a positive experience for Bryna. Collaborating with the award-winning songwriter was an opportunity to challenge her musical capabilities. Bryna says she is always open to new challenges when it comes to her music. Damon knew she was a country girl at heart when they met, but he envisioned what they could create if they married dance and country together. The result, which Bryna describes as “Country EDM,” has since paid off in millions of views on YouTube and chart-topping singles worldwide. Bryna thanks Sharpe for having given her inspiration for her music going forward. When asked which artists have inspired her in the past, Bryna cites Elvis Presley, Etta James, and Chris Stapleton as some of her favorite musicians. She has also been heavily influenced by blues and sultry rock artists like Christina Mullins. Fellow TikTok famous star, Bella Porsche, and pop artist Lady Gaga, are on Bryna’s current list of musical inspirations.
Bryna admires both Porsche and Gaga for doing their own thing and pushing their music to the edge. Bryna relates that to her own mindset of continually pushing forward, musically, and otherwise. Bryna is a dreamer, and her dreams have always been big. Bryna credits this to being blessed with great parents who encouraged her to pursue her dreams. They were always there to support her, “like a good bra,” she jokes. Bryna is from a small town called Mount Airy, Maryland. As a child, Bryna enjoyed performing songs for others and making them smile. She got her first start in music doing high school plays, then later attended music and theater school at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. She would go on to perform in various Off-Broadway productions before eventually moving to Nashville. Bryna found success in the Nashville music scene as a country singer, where she had a successful run as a recording artist. She had an exciting career that included touring the world with mega stars like Taylor Swift, Emmylou Harris, Clint Black, Carrie Underwood, and Tim McGraw.
Bryna’s dreams have taken her down roads and given her opportunities she never saw coming. She credits this in part to her musical theater teacher, who told her to take every opportunity that came her way, no matter how hard she’d have to work. It has since been a rule she’s lived by. So far, it’s worked out well for Bryna, as she has accomplished quite a lot. Bryna describes her life and career like a “tree with many branches that keep sprouting up with new opportunities and challenges to face.” But when asked if continually pushing herself is ever overwhelming, Bryna doesn’t seem to think so. “I thrive on the hustle and bustle of life, I’m always ready for a new challenge,” she says. Learning, and growing through challenges, has been an important aspect in Bryna’s life. Every day is an opportunity to try something new, and Bryna is prepared for whatever life has in store. It’s this positive mindset that she aims to instill in fans of her music. Bryna believes that music should be about bringing people together and inspiring hope.
Thus began Bryna’s viral TikTok videography that features the brunette stunner singing covers of popular music, performing quirky “shower concerts” (don’t worry, she performs them fully clothed), and carpool karaoke with her pet parrots. Bryna sees TikTok as a new opportunity for sharing her creativity with the world, during a time when performing live for an audience is not an option. Although she misses the connection and emotional feedback, she receives from performing live, she’s found that TikTok has helped her feel that in a similar way. Her “Popcorn Duets” and “The Voice Audition” videos get thousands of views on TikTok, which has helped her build a supportive following of fans across all social media platforms. Although, Bryna doesn’t like to refer to them as her fans. She instead prefers to call them her fellow “Bryniacs.” Bryna has used social media to connect with her “Bryniacs” in a much more intimate way during the pandemic. The lockdowns in 2020 were a dark and lonely time for most people. Social media apps were, for many, their only way of safely interacting with the world. Bryna used this time to develop her social media presence and get to know her followers better.
Bryna considers social media to be her public diary. She shares the good, as well as the bad with her online family. So, while Bryna uses her platform to promote her singing talents, she doesn’t consider herself to be putting on a show. What her followers see on her Instagram or TikTok, is who she is in real life. It’s important to Bryna to be her authentic self whether she is online or offline. Maybe this is the reason her recent chart-climbing singles have touched the hearts of millions. Bryna’s authenticity and sincere desire to be a positive force for good is noticeable to her fans. Her contagious personality, and silly “shower concerts,” are a bright spot in her TikTok followers’ day. But Bryna also acknowledges how much her fellow “Bryniacs” have given her. “We’re really just there to support each other,” she says of her social media family, “the relationships I’ve built with my followers, that’s real.” While Bryna has yet to meet many of her fans in person (due to current travel and social distancing restrictions), she can’t wait to “give everyone a hug” when she sees them. Her plans for a future music tour are uncertain, but most definitely a possibility. Until then, you can find Laura Bryna singing in her shower, one viral “shower concert” at a time.
Fun Facts About Laura You Didn’t Know
She Has Parrots. Yep, Laura has 3 pet parrots that make regular cameos in her TikTok videos. Tyler, Harmony, and Snuggles are also the inspiration behind a series of children’s books Bryna’s been working on. She plans to launch the book sometime this year. How she manages to juggle writing books about parrots, making viral TikTok videos, and climbing international music charts, we’ll never know. But, as if that weren’t enough, Laura has decided to pick up playing the harmonica. “I like the challenge of learning new things,” Laura says, “Plus, I think it sounds like so much fun!”
Although she can’t picture herself being anything but a musician, Bryna thinks in another life she might be an archaeologist. “I can just picture myself out there digging around in the dirt looking for stuff. That sounds so interesting to me,” she says. Bryna and her family traveled to Hadar, Ethiopia most recently (pre-pandemic) to see the site where Lucy, the 3.2-million-year-old fossil skeleton of a human ancestor was discovered. “It was fascinating to be there; I just love that kind of stuff.” Bryna likes to travel, she has since she was a kid. Her parents thought it was important for her to see the world. Bryna agrees and believes it’s part of why she can relate more easily to others. “When you have more life experiences, you can better understand where others are coming from.”
This may be part of the reason why Laura has been so heavily involved with different charitable organizations. She likes to help people and has always been a big supporter of our military. Without the brave men and women in our military, Laura recognizes that she wouldn’t be able to live her dreams. Laura has given back by showing her support and/or raising funds for military-related organizations such as: Folds of Honor, Walter Reed Medical Center, Mt. Sinai Hospital, Homes for Our Troops, and the National Guard Youth Foundation. She is also a board director for Make-a-Wish Foundation and even wrote and recorded a song for them titled “Make A Wish” which debuted at #7 on the Billboard Streaming Chart.
Originally published at https://modernprofessional.co.
