How often do you hear artists speaking about the realities of the music industry and entertainment business? Now, how often do you hear them using those truths as motivation for their musical creations? We caught up with Blu Lyon at “Go Crazy Festival” in April of 2023 and fell in love with his stage presence and energy. In this interview we discuss his musical beginnings, his feelings on the music business and industry, and touch on his plans for the rest of 2023.
Meet Blu Lyon
Photobombshell: Hey, Blu Lyon! Thank you so much for agreeing to take some time to discuss your music career with me and share your story with the community at Photobombshell.media. We first connected after I saw you perform at the “Go Crazy Festival” in April 2023. Since that time, I’ve learned quite a bit about you. For the people new to you and your music, describe your sound and how you got started in the music industry.
Blu Lyon: Blu Lyon, the artist, does dancehall music with elements of hip-hop. I am not exactly in the industry yet. That is a hard club to get in. I started making music on my own until the universe led me to other creatives similar to myself. We mostly did open mics and competitions to get the Blu Lyon name known.
Photobombshell: You come from musical blood, with your father being famed Calypso artist, Super Blue, and sister Fay-Ann Lyons, a well-known Soca artist. What was that experience like being related to these artists?
Blu Lyon: No one knew Blu Lyon’s background as far as who the old man or sister was. I did not mention it and did not care to be associated with it or attempt to use it as a crutch. There was not much family there anyway. I didn’t grow up with most of my siblings or the old man. We also don’t do the same genre of music, so there was not much connection there. I just wanted to do music and be successful at it. There were no expectations from other people.
The Impact of Music
Photobombshell: You’ve previously stated and shared a love for the impact of music on someone’s life. Do you feel your music is impacting people? If so, how exactly?
Blu Lyon: Music seems to be impacting people in a negative way for the most part. There is always a positive, but so much fuckery will have you thinking otherwise. Blu Lyon music is impacting a small number of people for now. Things have changed. The music business has turned into the entertainment business, and it is more about who you are sleeping with, your style, what trouble you are getting into, or drama. Talent is damn near the last thing on the list.
Photobombshell: I think a lot of people will agree with you there. There is an entertainment portion and sensationalism to promoting an artist instead of a primary focus on the music.
Blu Lyon’s Career Highlights
Photobombshell: As an artist and creative, you’ve done incredible things, performing with some of the greats in soca, dancehall, calypso, and more. What have been your favorite moments of your career so far? Which artists have you enjoyed working with the most?
Blu Lyon: My two favorite moments were shooting the “Super Sexy” and “Link Up” music videos. It was a lot of work, planning, and money, but fun. Those days just felt right.
How Blu Lyon Got His Start in Acting
Photobombshell: That’s awesome. There is nothing better than doing things that you love to do. Speaking of doing what you like, I recently learned that you are an actor. Talk about that. What sparked that interest?
Blu Lyon: I was approached by the director about doing it. I performed at one of his artist showcases, and he explained that my aggressiveness on stage was perfect for the role. It is a cool process, and we have fun while doing it. Sons Of Kingston has helped with my visibility.
How “Walk with the Vybz” Came to Be
Photobombshell: That’s so cool! Now, if we change gears for a moment, I want to talk about your music and how you got to where you are in 2023. “Walk with the Vybz” has had incredible success and is addictive to listen to. What is the story behind this project?
Blu Lyon: It’s just a description of the energy in the room when I am performing, a lot of vibes and crowd interaction. The line “walk with the vybz,” however really comes from my DJ. I was booked for a show, and when the promoter saw my DJ, he asked him where his laptop or controller was to play the music. My DJ looked at him and said, “I don’t need to carry that. I walked with my vybz.” The light bulb instantly went on in my head.
Blu Lyon’s Connection to His Music
Photobombshell: I love that! It’s such a dope line and a great story. Of all of your work, which project do you feel best represents you as an artist and why?
Blu Lyon: I would say my song “Bu$$ Fare” because it just explains the problem with the music industry that I and many other new artists coming up didn’t know. Talent doesn’t work like it used to anymore. It’s all about money and hype. The situations played out in the song are all things from personal experience.
Photobombshell: There is a lot of truth to the song, and I love that you shared your personal experiences and frustrations in it. I believe that is why so many people, particularly fellow artists, relate to it.
His Greatest Accomplishment
Photobombshell: To date, what do you feel has been your greatest accomplishment as a musician?
Blu Lyon: That’s tricky and seems like a bit of a grey area. There are plenty of big music platforms I have been on, but they were pretty much purchased, or there was some type of trick done to accomplish the accomplishment. The music industry is the entertainment and con industry right now, so it very roughly nudges you to follow suit. The one fully pure accomplishment I can come to mind would be being in the finals of a competition that allowed me to go to California and shoot my “Super Sexy” music video. It was all expenses paid and solely based on talent. That was a cool experience.
Plans for 2023 and Onward
Photobombshell: Wow! That’s amazing! I love the honesty about the behind the scenes of some of these placements, but also that you earned such an incredible opportunity. What can we look forward to from you in 2023?
Blu Lyon: You can look forward to seeing and hearing “Walk With The Vybz” often and in different forms. We are looking into all the creative ways it can be marketed and promoted. There are some other releases to come before the year is up, but the concentration is really on Vybz.
Connect with Blu Lyon
Photobombshell: I am looking forward to that and excited to see some creative marketing plans. Thank you again for sharing with us. I appreciate the interview and your perspective on the music industry and business. For readers and listeners who would like to connect with you, how can you best be reached?
Blu Lyon: Readers can connect with me by following @blu_lyon on Instagram and subscribing to the YouTube/Vevo page: blulyonvevo.