Keedron Bryant

Last updated
Keedron Bryant
Born (2007-07-03) July 3, 2007 (age 16)
Sicily, Italy
Origin Jacksonville, FL
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
Instrument(s)Vocals
Years active2020–present
Labels Warner

Keedron Bryant (born July 3, 2007) is an Italian-born American singer. He is best known for his protest song, "I Just Wanna Live", which earned viral popularity following the murder of George Floyd in 2020.

Contents

Life and career

Keedron Bryant was born in Sicily, Italy on July 3, 2007, to Johnnetta Bryant, a minister and civilian worker for the United States Department of Defense, and Kendric Bryant, a minister and member of the United States Navy. [1] [2] He began singing at age 5, deciding he wanted to be a singer at age 7. [3] He grew up in Jacksonville, Florida, performing in his church choir and in school musicals, as well as watching DVDs of gospel singers given to him by his father. [4]

He first gained attention in mid-2019 after a video of him singing the gospel song "Brand New Life" went viral online. In 2019, he won the award for Youth Male Vocalist of the Year during the Gospel Choice Music Awards. [5] He appeared on the fourth season of the NBC variety series Little Big Shots in May 2020, where he performed the gospel song "Oh Happy Day". [6] [7]

The following month, Bryant's mother wrote the breaking hit "I Just Wanna Live" one day after the murder of George Floyd in response to seeing Floyd call out for his mother. [8] A video of Bryant singing the song a cappella was posted to YouTube and Instagram, where it quickly gained viral success, earning praise from former President Barack Obama, basketball player LeBron James, singer Janet Jackson, and actress Lupita Nyong'o. [9] [4] After seeing Bryant's video on television, American producer Dem Jointz released a reworked version the song, which was then discovered by the head of urban marketing at Warner Records. [10] [1] Bryant then signed a record contract with Warner Records through Dem Jointz's production company, UMUWWA, and released the Dem Jointz-produced version of "I Just Wanna Live" as his debut single alongside a lyric video. [11] [12]

Later that month, he appeared on the ABC television special Juneteenth: A Celebration of Overcoming and the virtually-held NAACP-run special Juneteenth Black Family Reunion: The Music, The Moments, The Movement to perform the song. [3] [11] Bryant also gave an opening performance at the 20th BET Awards and was invited to sing the national anthem during the sixth NASCAR Cup Series race of 2020. [13] [14] The police brutality-based music video for "I Just Wanna Live" and a remix of the song, featuring American singers Andra Day and Lucky Daye and American rapper IDK, were released in July 2020. [15] [16] [17]

On September 11, 2020, Bryant released his debut EP, I Just Wanna Live, an R&B record. [18] Also in September, Bryant released a gospel rendition of "I Just Wanna Live" alongside a music video. [19] [20] In October 2020, he released a cover of the Marvin Gaye song "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)" for the Hollywood Records album I Can't Breathe/Music for the Movement, and appeared on the Jermaine Dupri song "Change". [21] [22] He released his Christmas EP, The Best Time of Year, on October 30, 2020, through Warner. [23] On January 14, 2022, he released his third EP, Keedron, which featured his singles "Hello" and "Stubborn". [24] [25]

Public image

Billboard included Bryant on their "21 Under 21" list in November 2020. [26] Later that month, he was chosen as a finalist for Time Kid of the Year. [2] "I Just Wanna Live" was selected as the top song of 2020 by Associated Press, while Esquire named "I Just Wanna Live" as one of the greatest protest songs of all time. [27] [28]

Personal life

As of 2020, Bryant attends Oakleaf Junior High School in Orange Park, Florida. [7]

Discography

Extended plays

TitleDetails
I Just Wanna Live
  • Released: September 11, 2020
  • Label: Warner
  • Format: Digital download
The Best Time of Year
  • Released: October 30, 2020
  • Label: Warner
  • Format: Digital download
Keedron
  • Released: January 14, 2022
  • Label: Warner
  • Format: Digital download

Singles

As lead artist

TitleYearAlbum
"I Just Wanna Live"2020I Just Wanna Live
"U Got This"
"Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)"I Can't Breathe/Music for the Movement
"I Know I Been Changed"
(with Symba featuring Gary Clark Jr.)		2021 American Skin

Guest appearances

List of non-single guest appearances, showing year released, other artist(s) featured, and album name
TitleYearOther artist(s)Album
"Smile"2020 Yellopain Yello Is The New Black

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Wanna Be Adored</span> 1989 single by the Stone Roses

"I Wanna Be Adored" is a song by the British rock band the Stone Roses. It was the first track on their debut album, The Stone Roses, and was released as a single. The US release charted at number 18 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart in 1990. In 1991, the single was released in the UK, Germany and Japan featuring previously unreleased B-sides.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">There's Got to Be a Way</span> 1991 single by Mariah Carey

"There's Got to Be a Way" is a song recorded by American recording artist Mariah Carey for her eponymous debut studio album (1990). Columbia Records released it as the fifth and final single from the album in the United Kingdom and several European countries on May 20, 1991. The song became a minor hit in the UK as well as becoming a minor hit in many European countries. A five-track digital extended play containing remixes of the song was released in July 2020 as part of the 30th-anniversary celebrations of her debut album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Wanna Be Your Lover</span> 1979 single by Prince

"I Wanna Be Your Lover" is a song by American recording artist Prince. It was released on August 24, 1979, as the lead single from his second album, Prince. The song was Prince's first major hit single in the United States, reaching number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 on January 26, 1980, holding the number 11 position for two weeks, and peaking at number one on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart for two weeks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denaun Porter</span> American rapper and producer (born 1978)

Denaun Montez Porter, also known by the stage names Mr. Porter, Kon Artis, or Denaun, is an American rapper and record producer. He was a member of Detroit hip hop group D12 until its disbandment in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shaggy (musician)</span> Jamaican reggae musician (born 1968)

Orville Richard Burrell, better known by his stage name Shaggy, is a Jamaican-born reggae musician, singer and deejay who scored hits with the songs "It Wasn't Me", "Boombastic", "In the Summertime", "Oh Carolina", and "Angel". He has been nominated for seven Grammy Awards, winning twice for Best Reggae Album with Boombastic in 1996 and 44/876 with Sting in 2019, and has won the Brit Award for International Male Solo Artist in 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Cossom</span> American singer and songwriter

Kevin Bryant Cossom is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Born in Philadelphia and raised in Orlando, Florida, Cossom has written hit songs for prominent music artists including Keri Hilson, DJ Khaled, Rihanna, Beyoncé and Mary J. Blige, among others. His songwriting is often accompanied with production by Florida-based producer groups The Runners, The Inkredibles, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, DJ Nasty & LVM, and The Monarch, as well as Virginia-based producer Danja.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Edwards (gospel musician)</span> Nigerian Gospel musician

Frank Ugochukwu Edwards is a Nigerian artiste, producer, sound engineer, worship singer and songwriter from Enugu State. He is the founder and owner of the record label Rocktown Records, which is home to recording artists such as Edwards himself, Gil Joe, King BAS, Nkay, Dudu and, among others. He lives in Lagos, Nigeria.

Dwayne Allen Abernathy Jr., better known by his stage name Dem Jointz, is an American record producer. He has produced tracks for numerous artists including Rihanna, Anderson .Paak, NCT, and NMIXX, among others. He also co-produced four tracks on Compton (2015), the third and latest studio album by Dr. Dre, as well as several tracks on Janet Jackson's Billboard 200 number 1 album Unbreakable (2015). Abernathy has also worked extensively on the album Donda (2021) by Kanye West, providing production work or additional vocals on songs such as "Jail".

Candice Pillay is a South African singer-songwriter based in Los Angeles. She is best known for writing songs for artists including Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar, Calvin Harris, Christina Aguilera, Dr. Dre, Eminem, ScHoolboy Q, Why Don't We, Rita Ora, Sevyn Streeter, Logan Paul and Tinie Tempah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tauren Wells</span> Musical artist

Tauren Gabriel Wells is an American contemporary Christian singer, songwriter and pastor from Houston, Texas. Wells was the frontman of former Christian band Royal Tailor.

<i>I Just Wanna Dance</i> 2016 EP by Tiffany

I Just Wanna Dance is the debut extended play by South Korea-based American singer Tiffany. It was released by S.M. Entertainment on May 11, 2016. Lee Soo-man, former president of S.M. Entertainment, served as executive producer on the EP. The EP marked the official solo debut of Tiffany after having been known as a member of South Korean girl group Girls' Generation for nearly nine years. Musically, the record is a primarily synthpop album with elements of trap and R&B that draws heavy influence from American female artists of the 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joji (musician)</span> Japanese musician and entertainer (born 1992)

George Kusunoki Miller, known professionally as Joji and formerly for playing the characters Filthy Frank and Pink Guy, is a Japanese singer-songwriter, rapper, internet personality, and record producer. Miller's music has been described as a mix between R&B, lo-fi, and trip hop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mason Ramsey</span> American singer (born 2006)

Mason Ramsey is an American singer. In March 2018, after gaining Internet fame from a viral video of him yodeling "Lovesick Blues" by Hank Williams at a Walmart, Ramsey was signed to Big Loud. He is known for his single "Famous".

Daniel McLoyd, better known as IceJJFish, is an American internet personality, singer, rapper, and dancer known for his vocals and his song "On the Floor", which has reached over 89 million views on YouTube as of June 2022. The popularity that he gained from the song's virality led to him becoming an internet sensation and being featured in various TV shows and internet podcasts. The attention that his music received led to him being comically labeled as the "King of R&B" and a meme by various notable figures and outlets. In 2019, he decided to pursue gospel music, due to it reflecting the style of music that he wanted to make. He has officially released three studio albums, three EPs, and three commercial singles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milck</span> American singer-songwriter

Connie Kimberly Lim, professionally known as Milck, is an American singer-songwriter. A child of immigrants from Hong Kong, she initially performed as an independent artist for several years, and rose to widespread attention after a video of a performance of her song "Quiet" at the 2017 Women's March became popular, and became embraced as a feminist anthem for the movement. She was eventually signed to Atlantic Records, and released her debut EP This Is Not The End in 2018.

"Shelter" is a song by American singer-songwriter Finneas from his debut EP, Blood Harmony (2019). The song was released by OYOY as the third single from the EP on August 22, 2019. Finneas had heard that Avicii was looking for songs to produce. Afterwards, he wrote the song and sent it to Avicii's team. Lyrically, the song is about a lover that brings Finneas peace, but also trouble.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kick It (NCT 127 song)</span> 2020 single by NCT 127

"Kick It" is a song recorded by South Korean boy band NCT 127. It was written by Wutan, Rick Bridges and Danke of Lalala Studio, composed by Dem Jointz, Deez, Mayila Jones, Rodnae "Chikk" Bell, Ryan S. Jhun and Yoo Young-jin, and arranged by Jointz, Deez and Yoo. Described as a "high-energy" song with "inspirational lyrics" that portrays the group's musical identity, it was released as the lead single from their second studio album Neo Zone on March 6, 2020 by SM Entertainment. An accompanying martial arts-themed music video premiered two days prior.

"Cherry Bomb" is a song recorded by South Korean boy band NCT 127, the Seoul-based unit of boy group NCT, for their third eponymous extended play (2017) under SM Entertainment. The song was written by Jennifer Decilveo, Deepflow, Lim Jung-hyo, Oh Min-joo, Taeyong and Mark, whilst music composition was handled by numerous producers, including Dem Jointz, Deez, Michael Woods, Kevin White, Andrew Bazzi and MZMC. It has been described as a hardcore hip-hop track that contains a "colorful" composition, utilizing "complex synth and bass-infused" instrumentations. The accompanying music video premiered alongside the release of the single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wash Us in the Blood</span> 2020 single by Kanye West featuring Travis Scott

"Wash Us in the Blood" is a song by American rapper Kanye West featuring fellow American rapper Travis Scott. It was produced by West, Ronny J, and BoogzDaBeast, while co-produced by FnZ and A.G., with additional production from Dem Jointz and Israel Boyd. The producers wrote the song alongside Travis Scott, Aaron Butts and KayCyy Pluto. The song was released for digital download and streaming as a standalone single on June 30, 2020, through GOOD Music and Def Jam. Will Welch teased the song during an interview with West in April 2020.

Garth Andrew Best, known professionally as Tokyo's Revenge, is an American rapper and singer-songwriter. He rose to fame with the songs "GoodMorningTokyo!" and "Thot!", both going viral on TikTok and amassing millions of videos on the platform.

References

  1. 1 2 Fekadu, Mesfin (June 18, 2020). "Singer of black anthem song signs record deal". Associated Press . Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  2. 1 2 Soergel, Matt (November 25, 2020). "Even in 2020, there are things to be thankful for, says young 'I Just Wanna Live' singer". The Florida Times-Union . Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  3. 1 2 Macias, Ernesto (June 19, 2020). "Keedron Bryant Is Ready to Change the World, One Song At a Time". Interview . Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  4. 1 2 Wheeler, André-Naquian (September 21, 2020). "Keedron Bryant: "People need to hear Black people's cry"". i-D. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  5. ↑ Baptiste, Brooks (July 3, 2019). "Jacksonville 12-year-old becomes gospel singing sensation". First Coast News . Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  6. ↑ Haneline, Amy (June 1, 2020). "'Little Big Shots' star from Jacksonville Keedron Bryant's moving song after George Floyd's death: 'I just want to live'". The Florida Times-Union . Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  7. 1 2 Baptiste, Brooks (May 22, 2020). "Jacksonville child superstar to appear on 'Little Big Shots' Sunday". First Coast News. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  8. ↑ Tracy, Brianne (June 17, 2020). "Andra Day Breaks Down in Tears While Watching Keedron Bryant Sing: 'You Are a Beacon of Hope'". People . Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  9. ↑ "Keedron Bryant: Warner Records signs black protest singer, 12". BBC News. June 18, 2020. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  10. ↑ Shaw, A.R. (June 19, 2020). "Dem Jointz shares how his collaboration with Keedron Bryant led to record deal". Rolling Out. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  11. 1 2 Cicchiello, Christopher (June 19, 2020). "12-year-old who went viral with 'I Just Wanna Live' song signed to record deal". Today . Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  12. ↑ Jones, Jiggy (July 7, 2020). "Keedron Bryant Sings BLM Anthem 'I Just Wanna Live' for Dr. Dre". The Source . Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  13. ↑ "12-Year-Old Gospel Artist Keedron Bryant Performs National Anthem for Sunday's Nascar Cup Series Race from Atlanta Motor Speedway on FOX and FOX Deportes". Fox Sports . Charlotte, NC. June 6, 2020. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  14. ↑ Respers-France, Lisa (June 29, 2020). "BET Awards 2020 opening was fire". CNN . Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  15. ↑ Legaspi, Althea (July 29, 2020). "13-Year-Old Viral Star Keedron Bryant Confronts Police Brutality in New 'I Just Wanna Live' Video". Rolling Stone . Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  16. ↑ Harris, LaTesha (July 27, 2020). "Black Children Grow Up Too Fast In Keedron Bryant's 'I Just Wanna Live'". NPR . Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  17. ↑ Kaufman, Gil (July 31, 2020). "Keedron Bryant Recruits Andra Day, Lucky Daye and IDK For New Version of His Viral Hit 'I Just Wanna Live'". Billboard . Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  18. ↑ Arnold, Chuck (September 19, 2020). "Viral sensation Keedron Bryant drops 'I Just Wanna Live' EP". The Florida Star . Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  19. ↑ Ju, Shirley (September 11, 2020). "Keedron Bryant / New Gospel-Inspired "I Just Wanna Live" Visual". Flaunt. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  20. ↑ Rashed, Ayana (September 4, 2020). "Keedron Bryant Lifts Spirits With Heavenly "I Just Wanna Live" Gospel Spirit Mix". Respect . Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  21. ↑ Alston, Trey (November 24, 2020). "Jermaine Dupri's "Change" Is For This Moment … And Much More". BET. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  22. ↑ Nwulu, Mac (October 16, 2020). "The Undefeated Music Companion Piece "I Can't Breathe/Music for the Movement " Set for Release October 16". ESPN. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  23. ↑ Rashed, Ayana (October 30, 2020). "Keedron Bryant Releases Joyous Holiday EP 'The Best Time Of Year'". Respect. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  24. ↑ Samuels, Keithan (January 15, 2022). "Keedron Bryant Releases New EP 'Keedron'". Rated R&B. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  25. ↑ Hynes, Hayley (November 6, 2021). "Keedron Bryant & Curly J Team Up For New Song & Video, "Stubborn"". HotNewHipHop . Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  26. ↑ "21 Under 21 Ones To Watch: Jawsh 685, Tate McRae, Keedron Bryant and More". Billboard. November 6, 2020. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  27. ↑ Fekadu, Mesfin (December 9, 2020). "AP's song of the year: Keedron Bryant's 'I Just Wanna Live'". Associated Press. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
  28. ↑ Lee, Anna Grace (January 23, 2021). "The Best Protest Songs Represent the Universal Fighting Spirit of Music". Esquire . Retrieved March 23, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.