A song’s lyrics can be written to speak about many different things. These include material things or feelings and emotions. With his music, Atlanta artist Burgundy brings his own experiences to life through lyricism.
Burgundy was introduced to music creation in a similar way to his peers. With tools for music creation being more accessible than ever and a lot of inspiration, he began to make music.
“I got my name from that one Earl Sweatshirt song off [his album] ‘Doris’ when I was in middle school or high school,” Burgundy said. “Technically, I started making music since I was in high school, I never took it seriously because I was in a group, and I wasn’t really a part of it. I really started taking it seriously when I made ‘I Been Feelin’’ last year.”
Burgundy finds inspiration through life experiences for his music and what he writes. He uses the medium as a form of self-expression and release.
“Burgundy uses the vehicle of music as a catalyst to express himself,” Elle Alexzander, Burgundy’s boyfriend, said. “As a means of self-expression, I find that listening to his music is an insight on how he maneuvers and navigates through the problems that he faces in his life while also providing a means of escapism from these daily stressors.”
Burgundy’s experiences correlate with many feelings of love and reminiscence, and experiences young adults face when facing big life changes, either spoken or unspoken.
“I feel like all my songs are just about what I’m going through,” Burgundy said. “My whole album was about what I was going through with my life — the homelessness, being in love, stuff like that. I feel like I rap about things that people don’t say but are also going through.”
Furthermore, Burgundy’s experiences and songwriting can relate to anyone going through the same things as him.
“He talks about the struggles that come with transitioning into adulthood, like feeling lost, aimless and, most of all, being broke,” Tasmia Milkey, another close friend of Burgundy, said. “He also talks about experiencing love for the first time in his new album, so people our age who are struggling with or beginning to feel that kind of thing could totally relate.”
Through many trials and tribulations, Burgundy has still managed to put out a solo album and a joint album with friend and collaborator Ren Haze. Not only that, but he has also released an EP and a myriad of singles.
“I see it as if I can keep doing it, then you can do it too,” Burgundy said. “It took a lot for me to do it, but as long as you’re determined, you can do it.”
Overall, Burgundy sets an example of what most modern musicians are. Difficult times can arrive during a person’s life, and Burgundy deals with these issues by rapping over melodic beats, glazed over with distorted guitars and trappy samples and others made with arpeggiating synths and booming 808s.
“I think several people have the same or similar stories to me; I just put mine over beats. I only make music for myself; it’s how I process things, but I find it awesome that people are really starting to gravitate toward it and can also relate to the things I’ve been through,” Burgundy said.
