Bebe Rexha began her career back in 2013 and has crafted some of the best records of modern times.
From "The Monster" for Rihanna and Eminem (which earned her a Grammy nomination), "All Hands On Deck" for Tinashe, and many more, the beloved, sexually fluid pop star has even achieved major success on her own with multiple platinum and gold records from "Me, Myself & I" with G-Eazy, "No Broken Hearts" with Nicki Minaj, "I’m A Mess," and "Say My Name" with David Guetta and J Balvin, just to name a few.
The 34-year-old has had some ebbs and flows in her career, but she continues to push her pen, her voice, and remain on a successful path. Now, the 4x ASCAP Pop Music Awards winner is teaming up with Captain Morgan, and instead of hosting a Super Bowl party at home, she will be Sports Illustrated’s special guest set to perform at their upcoming party during Super Bowl weekend.
Excited to share the news, Rexha spoke with Out contributor Ty Cole about her career so far, a collaboration she’s open to, her love for Lauryn Hill, and what she would tell her if she ever met her.
Out: The hair, the glam, and the fashions are 10/10! Who or what are some of your fashion inspirations? Do you have a favorite era of fashion that you try to embody?
Bebe Rexha: Okay, first and foremost, I do love classic Hollywood. People like Marilyn Monroe inspire me. I truly loved her, her look, and her makeup. I tend to gravitate towards glamour, but I like a slight rock and roll vibe. When I first started in my career, I was into grunge and loved Joan Jett from The Runaways. I also love Kate Moss ,so just intertwining glamour and a bit of rock has always been a vibe. I do love this new trend with the Mob Wives look as well. Growing up in Brooklyn and Staten Island, I love that vibe so much.
You were able to score a collaboration with Dolly Parton and even DM’d Snoop Dogg for a collaboration. Who’s someone on your bucket list you’re manifesting to snag OR anticipating on DMing for a collaboration for your next project?
I would love to do a song with Kylie Minogue and we've been messaging each other on Instagram a lot lately. We haven’t gotten into the studio yet, but maybe we can do something. I’m a big fan of her and I love how she’s growing in the dance genre, especially with her hit "Padam Padam." She’s built her name as a force in dance music so it would be very awesome.
I can see that. I’d say you’ve got to have David Guetta somewhere in the mix too.
That’s cute and I like that idea.
We heard that you’ll be the surprise guest performer at Sport Illustrated's The Party Presented by Captain Morgan. 10+ years in the game, how has your performance presence evolved and what can fans expect?
So it’s been 6 months since I’ve been working with Captain Morgan, having started the collaboration in September and it’s been so cool. I’ve never done anything around the Super Bowl as I’m the person who does the parties and waits for the halftime show (laughs). I'm excited to actually be in the mix, actually go to Vegas, perform at the Sports Illustrated party, hand in hand with Captain Morgan. My drink of choice has changed throughout the years as I am now more of a rum punch girl. I did a little trip to the Caribbean and I fell in love with the place and I fell in love with rum punch. Now I do like a spiced rum punch. I just want to bring the energy. That's my goal and ,of course, a great look with some great dancers and just, you know, have fun.
Is there a record that you wrote in the past that you wanted to keep for yourself but ended up in someone else’s hands?
It was the first record I wrote called "The Monster," which is now Rihanna and Eminem’s record. I remember playing it for a big CEO at this record label at the time that I won’t name and I remember playing the song for him. He said there’s something special here, but keep working and doing my thing. I was discouraged because I knew there was something special there with my songs. There was an opportunity where I could’ve given the record to Eminem, who loved it, or another rapper at the time who I won’t name. The other rapper wanted to be on it but I told him I’m going to give it to Eminem as I think that would be such a big moment and he’ll make it sound great. In the beginning, I was upset because I was younger, but later, it ended up earning me the respect I now have in the music industry and it opened many doors for me.
I guess sometimes being friends with a monster can get you in the door sometimes (laughs). Now, you and David Guetta collaborated a few times in the past . Would you consider him one of your musical soulmates?
Oh that’s a great question. I think for him and I, I definitely do think when we work together, there’s chemistry in our friendship and our music relationship. We have a very strong musical chemistry. I’ll send him something and vice versa and we’re very honest with each other. We tend to be on the same page and we’re really good at going back and forth. Sometimes I can get on his nerves and he sometimes refers to me as an annoying, younger sister, but I call him the annoying older brother which he doesn’t love (laughs). It’s been a great journey with our records reaching the successes that they’ve been able to reach as I didn’t expect that. I think we will keep working with each other whether I’m writing for his project, he’s producing something for me, or we’re writing for others. When you have that chemistry and that connection, it's something you should always nurture and let it grow. You hit it on the head as we have a very intense, amazing music relationship.
What’s one food Bebe can’t live without?
Pasta.
What’s one show Bebe can’t live without?
The Great British Bake Off.
What’s one thing Bebe can’t live without?
My dog, Bear.
One artist Bebe can’t live without?
Lauryn Hill. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill is my favorite album of all time.
Could you ever imagine a Bebe Rexha and Lauryn Hill collaboration?
Oh my goodness, I just want to meet her! That would be enough for me.
What would you say to Lauryn Hill if we were able to get you in the same room together?
I think I would just thank her. Her lyrical writing is impeccable and I love how honest she was on that album. She said what was on her mind and said things other people weren’t saying. It wasn’t very normal for females to speak on certain topics at the time and she just laid it on the line. She talked about her relationships, her pregnancy, and her child. I always aim to be an honest and real version of myself so I would thank her for being who she was because it’s inspiring me.
