BXB LOVE - ‘LOSERS’
BXB LOVE — the nom de plume of Canadian-born, Los Angeles-based singer, songwriter and artist Natasha Pheko — releases her new single, "Losers."
Photographed by Kobe Boateng
Through genre-bending musical production, reflective lyricism, and multidisciplinary creative works, BXB LOVE captures the charm, discomfort, and introspection of being 20-something in the year 20-something. She steps outside the proverbial box, allowing her artistic expression to honestly reflect the world around her. By choosing a purposefully ambiguous and androgynous pseudonym, LOVE is able to explore the fluidity that is the human experience and liberate herself from the unspoken expectations placed on women of color in the music industry.
For her third single “Losers,” LOVE invites the people of planet earth to cast off their masks, and take a good hard look at all the parts of themselves — the good, the bad and the ugly — with acceptance, love, and compassion. “’Losers’ is my claim that we are all really just losers trying to fit in,” LOVE says. “I believe, if we really committed to being who we are, and loving that unconditionally, we might all feel a little more free and a little less anxious about the potential perception of us that others may have.” Created with fellow songwriters and producers Jaime Estalella and Michele Canova, a mere few weeks before COVID-19 changed life as we know, “Losers” came together as a synchronistic dance of lyrics and sounds, entirely unrestricted by trends or genre limitations. “There was no goal or destination in mind, only a shared commitment to be in the present, in the process and following the joy, the excitement, and the inspiration,” LOVE writes.
One of the most magical things about the BXB LOVE project is that you never quite know what you’re in for — it’s always enthralling and the messaging is loud and clear, but LOVE plays with genres and sounds so boldly and effortlessly. With each new release, she explores new musical dimensions and breaks down personal, projected and perceived barriers. Released in April, LOVE’s first single, “matrix,” was a soft, acoustic-led number that instantly landed on Spotify’s highly coveted New Music Friday and Fresh Finds playlists. Her follow up, "IGNORANCE SONG," was released in May and described as an "in-your-face punch" that "perfectly captures her generation's feelings about our ever-evolving identities" (PAPER). With her next single "Losers" on the horizon, this is really just the beginning of Natasha’s journey as BXB LOVE as she continues to reveal bits and pieces of the inner workings of her mind and invites us all to come together to explore the most vulnerable parts of ourselves.
Listen to "Losers" on all streaming platforms: https://ffm.to/bxblosers and follow BXB LOVE at @4theloveofbob
