Briannah Donolo – known by her stage name Rêve – has the potential to become a global phenomenon. To date, the songs of the Montrealer have reached 150 million plays. She won a Juno Award for Dance Recording of the Year with CTRL ALT DEL. And it will offer, on Sunday, the grand closing show of Montreal Pride. Not bad for an artist who has yet to release her debut album.
Even though she now lives in Toronto, Rêve does not forget her roots or the typically Quebec history of her beginnings. “When I was 6 years old, I heard My Heart Will Go On and said to myself that it was the most beautiful song in the universe,” she recalls enthusiastically. I memorized the lyrics and sang it to my mother, who started crying her heart out! She was convinced that I had a gift and she signed me up for singing lessons. »
At the same age, she also wrote her first compositions.
Writing became a form of outlet for his bubbling emotions and those of those close to him. “I was writing lyrics to help my friends when they were going through hard times. When I saw how deeply it touched them, I started to believe that maybe this would be an avenue for me. »
In 2014, the media talked about Briannah Donolo because of her notable performances during the national anthems at the Bell Center. At the same time, she dragged her keyboard in the bars of Montreal, every Friday and Saturday evening, in order to perform sometimes in front of very few people.
She has also sung in over 600 weddings! “I never got tired of singing love songs,” she laughs. I am an eternal romantic! And it was a good way to sing every weekend. »
It’s a safe bet that the thousands of people who have seen her at weddings will discover with delight that she has signed a contract with Universal, after years of effort. “For 10 years, I was going back and forth to Toronto recording material and handing it over to music companies, hoping they would want to take a risk with me. »
That chance came when Quebecer Guillaume Moffet heard it. “He told me he understood my vision and wanted to help me. Immediately I felt it was the perfect fit. He is the best creative partner in the world! »
The creative process is at the heart of the life of the one that a Quebec newspaper has already dubbed “the sexy singer of national anthems”. When we broach the subject with her, Rêve replies that she sees herself as a songwriter first and foremost. “I would love a thousand times more people to tell me that my words had a positive impact on their lives than to have compliments on my appearance. »
And do not think that the objective of his frenzied music is only to make people dance. “As a musician, my goal is as much to move bodies on the dance floor as it is to make hearts vibrate. When I release my album next October, I hope people will realize that it’s a soundtrack that can also exist outside of clubs. »
Known for the hit CTRL ALT DEL, as well as the catchy Headphones, Tongue and Whitney (number 1 on the American dance charts), Rêve says her debut album, Saturn Returns – due out October 20 – will also have poignant ballads. “They are literally pages from my diary. »
If she combines dancing rhythms with melancholic sweetness, she also likes to mix musical styles. “My spectrum of musical influences is very wide thanks to my parents,” she explains. My dad loves rock and folk a lot, while my mum, who has always been obsessed with music, listens to a lot of dance music, Motown and R
When we talk to her about the feeling of empowerment (self-determination) that emanates from her music, she immediately comes alive.
Delicately, we ask her if she is comfortable naming what she thought she had to hide. “I’ve been in several romantic relationships that made me feel terrible for being young and making mistakes. And then, I did not fully assume my sexuality. Before ending some unhealthy relationships and coming out of the closet, I felt like I was locked in a cage. »
A little over a year later, she will be celebrating her diversity and that of the thousands of people who will come to see her on the esplanade of the Olympic Park during the last big show of Pride Montreal, in the evening. “It’s such an honor!” Home shows are always the best, but being able to celebrate Pride as a member of the LGBTQ community is the most meaningful thing in the world! »
