Don’t try to put Black Swan in a box, you’re wasting your time.
Black Swan is a genre-defying alternative artist from Brooklyn, New York. He dabbles in grunge, alternative rock, trap, R&B, and hip-hop using pinpoint precision with every move. While comparing this artist to anyone is actually a disservice to his unique aura, the Brooklyn native does remind me of Scarlxrd, the $UICIDEBOY$, XXXTENTACION, and Lil Peep. At least on his latest release ‘Solitude’. Aside from all of these artists blending hip-hop and rock, they are all truly fearless. There is no where that they won’t go vocally, no emotion that they won’t touch in a song, and nothing that they’re afraid to say lyrically. Even hip-hop purists who may initially be surprised by the metal influence on Black Swan’s latest single ‘Solitude’ have to respect his raw delivery and energy. Black Swan is not hiding behind auto tune or over produced instrumentals. He makes the song his by pushing the limits of his voice.
The dictionary definition of ‘black swan’ is an unpredictable or unforeseen event, typically one with extreme consequences. With such a meticulous approach to his artistry, it’s possible that Black Swan is trying to tell us something with his artist name before you ever listen to a song. Black Swan is either a recluse, outcast, underdog, or all three. But one thing is for certain. Every time you cut on one of his songs, you will not know what to expect. He doesn’t ride any waves or trends and he’s not chasing any sound. Swan’s overall goal is to get you to understand him, a tall feat for someone who may have felt misunderstood their entire life. If you’re up for the challenge of getting to know Black Swan and seeing life through his eyes, you will quickly become a fan of his music. If you are just looking or a quick song to turn up to, I’m sure Swan can satisfy that need as well. But his real intentions are much deeper.
Check out our conversation with the emerging Brooklyn artist below.
Everything about your artistry seems very intentional, from your lyrics to your cover artwork, to your overall style. Would you agree?
Black Swan: Yeah everything is very meticulous. I’ve always been a perfectionist, and a very visual person overall. It’s important to me to be able to mesh every aspect together to paint an overall picture. Each facet plays an important role in creating a cohesive theme from the clothes I wear, to the colors I use in the visuals, to the imagery that I ‘m creating through the sounds and the music. I want all of that to resonate with the listener and take them to a special place.
Did you always know that you would be an artist?
Black Swan: I think I’ve always known that I would be an artist in some capacity, because I’ve always been an artist in general. As a kid I was really into the arts and would paint/draw, dance, play instruments, or make things. It’s always been in my nature. I remember being in kindergarten and painting a big spider, and being so proud of it. As I got older I got really into film and expanded on my love for movies. Learning how to incorporate visual storytelling has also been big for me. It took a while to figure out exactly how I wanted to bring my talents all together, but I knew deep down that I would be doing this in some way or another.
What has been the best moment so far in your career?
Black Swan: Although things are just getting started, there have been quite a few special moments. One of the most rewarding things that’s happened is seeing people overseas resonate with my music. Seeing most of my streams come from obscure cities in Russia, Germany, France etc and having some of those fans reach out to me has been incredible. It’s astounding to see the reach that your work can have out there and it’s such a special feeling. I’m so appreciative of that. Also, linking up with many similar creatives as myself recently has been fun. Building community is important.
If you had to pick a genre, where would you say you fall?
Black Swan: As cliché as this may sound, I really don’t like to box myself in because I have some stuff in the vault that’s completely different from the stuff I have now. I’d say I mostly fall into the sub-genre of darker/gothic rap, but I can easily switch it up and do some somber r&b type stuff haha. I’m excited to show people the versatility. My taste touches so many different regions of music, ranging from grunge, to indie folk stuff, to all types of rap, to stuff like Adele etc. I like what I like.
What does the single ‘Solitude’ mean to you?
Black Swan: At this point it’s almost bigger than what I picture it as, if that makes sense. In a thematic sense, at least. It’s such a contradiction of ideas, but makes so much sense at the same time. Initially, the concept was a representation of how I felt so alone, and almost angry at the world for feeling like an outcast, but angry at myself for allowing myself to feel that way. It represents sitting in isolation, doing the inner work to grow as a person and understand that it’s important to process your feelings, but do so in a way that allows you to evolve from them. Yet, there’s this eerie comfortability in dwelling in those darker emotions. Maybe because it’s easy to subject yourself to things that feel familiar. There’s this morbid sense of romanticism to it. However, overall, it’s a statement about overcoming the darkest moments, and stepping into the higher version of yourself. Use the darkness to find the light.
Is there one thing you want the listener to walk away with after streaming ‘Solitude’?
Black Swan: Honestly, I just hope they feel inspired. Although I have my own interpretation of what it means, I hope that people can apply their own subjective experiences to it. That’s what art ultimately is. I want people to really listen to it and develop their own concepts in relation to their lives.
What are some of your favorite lyrics from ‘Solitude’?
Black Swan: The whole track is full of lyrics that I absolutely love, but one of my favorite parts is: “I stitch up the gash and take out the trash, then look to the past, no running away. I’m staring at glass and switching the path and I see at last, was stuck in my ways. This solitude ain’t for free.” This all represents facing my problems straight on and not running away from them. Taking the steps to do the emotional healing by revisiting the darker feelings. Staring at my reflection and understanding who I am as a person, in order to be able to move forward and understand what it is that I want to change about myself. This solitude isn’t for free in the sense that although I’m doing it for the better, it comes at a price. Forcing myself to feel some things I may not want to. Sometimes it’s imperative to be uncomfortable with yourself for the sake of growth.
You are clearly fearless in the booth, balancing an aggressive delivery with a more chill rhyme scheme when you really want to be heard. Where does that come from?
Black Swan: I think it comes from the contradiction of emotions that I was feeling. Sad, full of sorrow and depressed. While also angry, motivated, and determined. It’s almost a back and forth between those two states, in an attempt to try and understand myself. It wasn’t even something that was conceptually thought out that much, it just kind of happened. It makes sense in hindsight, though. I think that it also just subconsciously comes from my diverse music taste as mentioned before.
Do you feel like growing up in Brooklyn, New York has influenced your personality and expression?
Black Swan: Yeah, for sure. I’m black and white so growing up I always saw two completely different spectrums of society. Because of that, it allowed me to see that not everything is literally black and white. There’s nuance to most things. Because of my ethnicity, I often felt a struggle with my identity, not really having a sense of who I am. However, I got to explore this in such a diverse city, and appreciate different perspectives. Because of this, there’s a lot of duality in my music, sonically and thematically. Being in New York is also such a motivator because there are so many amazing artists out here, and it just pushes you to stand out more and go even harder. Greatest city in the world.
Why is it important for people to follow your journey as an artist?
Black Swan: Because I bring something different to the table. I have something to say. Don’t get me wrong, not everything needs to be deep, that can be just as boring sometimes, but I feel as if I’m genuinely offering something unique to the game. This will only be proven even more over time. I have some amazing ideas in development. Stay tuned.
Where can people follow you and support your music?
Right now Instagram is the main spot @Black333swan (Twitter & TikTok in the works). Black Swan on all streaming platforms. Thank you to all. Much love.
