Durand Bernarr

Last updated
Durand Bernarr
Also known asalcoholharmony
Born
Cleveland, Ohio
Genres
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter, producer
Instrument(s)Vocals, piano, keyboard
Years active2005–present
LabelsDSING Records (Independent)
Website durandbernarr.com

Durand Bernarr is an American singer-songwriter and producer. He frequently provides background vocals for neo-soul artist Erykah Badu and featured vocals for other artists such as Anderson .Paak, Kaytranada, and The Internet. In 2019, Bernarr was a runner-up on the BET reality music competition The Next Big Thing. [1] [2] He earned his debut nomination for 2025 Grammy Award for Best Progressive R&B Album for his album En Route and three 2026 Grammy Award nominations for his album Bloom. [3]

Contents

Early life

Bernarr was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. [4] [5] He was raised an only child by his mother, a professional music teacher and vocal coach, and his father, an audio engineer who worked with artists like Jay-Z, Beyonce, Rihanna, Jill Scott, and Whitney Houston. At 16, Bernarr accompanied his father on tour for Earth, Wind & Fire as a production assistant. [6] He attended church where his mother was the music director and his interest in music was further nurtured by the gospel music he heard there. [7] He cites Erykah Badu, Rick James and Little Richard as his biggest influences. [2]

Career

In 2008, Bernarr began to grow his digital fanbase by posting YouTube videos that incorporated singing, dancing, and comedic commentary. He also covered popular songs by artists like Kanye West, Amy Winehouse, and Gnarls Barkley. [6] In 2009, he released his first mixtape titled alcoholharmony: The MixT@pe consisting of studio versions of his popular covers from YouTube and original content via Bandcamp. [8]

In 2010, Bernarr released his second EP 8ight: The Stepson of Erykah Badu , a compilation of Badu covers and medleys. [9] [6] Shortly after, Badu messaged him through Twitter and, having heard 8ight, she hired him as a background vocalist in her band Nedda Stella in 2011. [6]

Bernarr collaborates with various mainstream and independent artists as a featured vocalist or providing backgrounds. He has collaborated and performed with Ari Lennox, Kaytranada, The Foreign Exchange, The Internet, Sam Sparro, Thundercat, Knxwledge, Qveen Herby, and Teedra Moses. [7] [8]

Bernarr competed on BET's 2019 reality music competition series The Next Big Thing. [1] He both rapped and sang, and eventually finished as one of the top three performers. [7]

He released the album DUR& (pronounced Durand) in September 2020. [10] In a review, Lucas Aubry of Numéro stated that the album "once again shows his incredible ability to go up in the highs like D’Angelo and down into the low and groovy frequencies of Nate Dogg in numerous rapped moments." [6]

Bernarr's album En Route earned a 2025 Grammy Award for Best Progressive R&B Album nomination, his first nomination. [3] He released the album Bloom in 2025, which is primarily about his appreciation for his "platonic friendships." [11] Meagan Jordan of Rolling Stone stated in a positive review: "Bloom pulls on Bernarr’s musical knowledge and appreciation of many genres, while still remaining unique and authentic to his own vocal style." [11] Bloom received three Grammy Award nominations. [12]

Personal life

Bernarr resides in Los Angeles. [2] He is queer. [9]

Discography

Studio albums

EPs

Mixtapes

TitleYearAlbumRef
"Hang on 2 Your Love"

(Sam Sparro featuring Durand Bernarr)

2013Quantum Physical, Vol. 1 EP [13]
"Freefall"

(Kaytranada featuring Durand Bernarr)

2019 Bubba [14]
"Self Aware"

(Qveen Herby featuring Durand Bernarr)

2020EP 8 [15]
"Facetime (Remix)"

(Ari Lennox featuring Durand Bernarr)

2020 Shea Butter Baby(Remix EP) [16]
"Red Aura"

(Tech N9ne featuring Qveen Herby & Durand Bernarr)

2023Bliss [17]
"Weird"

(Kaytranada featuring Durand Bernarr)

2024 Timeless

Awards and nominations

Grammy Awards

The Grammy Awards are awarded annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Bernarr has been nominated 4 times. [18] [19]

YearAwardNominated workResult
2025 Best Progressive R&B Album En RouteNominated
2026 BloomPending
Best R&B Song "Overqualified"Pending
Best Traditional R&B Performance "Here We Are"Pending

Miscellaneous awards

YearOrganizationAwardNominated workResult
2025 GLAAD Media Awards Outstanding Breakthrough Music Artist HimselfWon

References

  1. 1 2 Lynch, Joe. "4 Rising Artists You Should Know in 2019". Billboard. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 "Durand Bernarr: 'I don't look at music like a competition, I'm doing me.'". Loverboy Magazine. 2020. Retrieved 2020-10-14.
  3. 1 2 Monroe, Jazz (2024-11-08). "Grammy Nominations 2025: See the Full List Here". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2024-12-14.
  4. ↑ "Lena Waithe and AT&T Debut 4 Artists You Should Know". www.out.com. 2019-08-12. Retrieved 2020-10-14.
  5. ↑ Rodriguez, Anthony (2016-10-12). "Durand Bernarr Comes Back 'Around' | SoulBounce | SoulBounce". www.soulbounce.com. Retrieved 2020-10-14.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Aubry, Lucas (2020-09-25). "Durand Bernarr, le phénomène repéré par Erykah Badu sur Twitter". Numero.com. Archived from the original on 2020-12-05. Retrieved 2020-11-27.
  7. 1 2 3 Street, Mikelle (2019-10-30). "This Viral Singer Turns Gospel Into Bops About Fuckboys and Weed". Out. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  8. 1 2 "Durand Bernarr Is Soul Music's Best Kept Secret". Sound of Life. Retrieved 2020-10-14.
  9. 1 2 Francis, Glendon. "9 LGBTQ Artists to Discover During Black History Month". Billboard. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  10. ↑ Clark, Kevin L. "Kaash Paige Introduces Essence's Official Cuffing SZN Opener Playlist". Essence. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  11. 1 2 Jordan, Meagan (2025-02-19). "Durand Bernarr's New Music Is Rooted in Friendship and Collaboration". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2025-03-30.
  12. ↑ "2026 GRAMMYS Nominations: Song Of The Year Nominees | GRAMMY.com". grammy.com. Retrieved 2025-11-07.
  13. ↑ "Sam Sparro & Durand Bernarr Give Us Something To 'Hang On 2'". www.soulbounce.com. 2014-02-05. Retrieved 2020-11-28.
  14. ↑ "Encore: On 'BUBBA,' Kaytranada Captures Dance Music's Central Tenet". NPR.org. Retrieved 2020-11-28.
  15. ↑ "Sam Smith, MUNA, & 6 More New Songs by LGBTQ+ Artists You Can't Miss". www.pride.com. 2020-07-31. Retrieved 2020-11-28.
  16. ↑ "Ari Lennox drops 'Shea Butter Baby Remix EP' with Doja Cat, Smino and Durand Bernarr – Music News". KVSP Power 103.5. 2020-03-27. Retrieved 2020-11-28.[ permanent dead link ]
  17. ↑ Nevares, Gabriel Bras (2023-07-30). "Tech N9ne Is Feeling The "BLISS" On New Album". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved 2024-01-12.
  18. ↑ "Durand Bernarr Grammy Awards" . Retrieved November 7, 2025.
  19. ↑ Malia Mendez (November 7, 2025). "Here's the complete list of 2026 Grammy nominees" . Retrieved November 7, 2025.
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