If you haven’t heard of BB Diamond yet—just wait. After all, the up-and-coming British pop star is managed by the same group who manage the likes of Zayn Malik (of former One Direction fame), Ellie Goulding and Rita Ora. But as far as new acts go, Diamond isn’t completely green; in fact, you may have already heard her voice singing back up.
Growing up in Essex, UK, Diamond spent a lot of time with her tight knit family. As a girl she was always surrounded by music. She knew early on that singing was her passion, “I just always wanted to sing, it was never anything else for me.” As a young girl she performed in front of her family, her mom often introducing her from behind a curtain. She sang every chance she got but remembers her choir days, “funnily enough I was in the choir, but I got kicked out because I was singing too loud!”
BB moved to London to pursue her dreams, first, by studying music in university, then singing backup vocals. “One of my friends started playing keys for Katy B,” she notes, “at the time she was looking for a back-up singer.” BB auditioned and played a few gigs. The musical director for Katy B was also working with Jess Glynne, one thing led to another and she began singing backup for her as well.
Nothing was going to stop BB from eventually achieving her dream, “you get so many knockbacks and so many times where you think ‘maybe I should give up’ because you can’t keep grinding and not see any results.” But she drew strength from her mom stating that, “I think she’s been the inspiration I needed when I was feeling down to keep going.”
BB sites Michael Jackson as her biggest inspiration, stating that, “when I am writing music in the back of my mind I always think, ‘what would Michael Jackson do,’ or say, or write.” But her inspiration really comes from anywhere. She explains, “writing music, I can get inspired by anything, a film and there is a story I really connect to or a lot of the time when I‘m on the tube I listen to people having arguments or couples having a moment, sharing their love for each other.”
When it comes to personal style, BB states that she’s the type of girl who just likes being in PJs drinking tea. But she does support local brands and can often be found wearing a bold print. One thing you won’t catch the singer in? Heels. “I’m a girl that can’t manage heels.” So you’ll find her in trainers and what she likes to call her “masculine meets feminine” style.
Her sound has been more pop/dance with tracks like Praying and Feeling heavily rooted with electro-dance beats. “I’m at the stage where I’m taking each day as it comes.” She mentions, when thinking about the future. “I’m just going to keep putting out music and seeing where it takes me. I’m definitely heading towards more of an R and B pop sound and will lose more of the dance sound. The ultimate goal is to produce an album.”
The UK has always produced strong music and BB Diamond is no different. Her soulful voice is flawless like her namesake. It’s no wonder she was scooped up by such a heavy hitting management team. But she notes it isn’t without its worries. “Obviously it is scary to think that Rita Ora, Zayn and Ellie Goulding are all on the same management team as me, it makes me feel that I’ve got to step up. I feel like I am in safe hands, and it’s a massive compliment, the pressures on though.”
Words by Jentzen Michael Shea