Riding on the fast lane

RISING star Miriam Bryant definitely has a voice that is all her own, but if you have to describe who she sounds like, it’s probably a mix between Amy Winehouse and Adele, but a touch poppier.
The Swedish singer, who turned 27 on International Women’s Day (March 8), finally had the global debut of her music video, Black Car, on March 2 after tasting initial success in Scandinavia two years ago.
Inspired by her time spent in Berlin, Bryant sings of a relationship gone south with a guy who she was obsessed with at the time.
In a phone interview held on her birthday, Bryant said of the relationship “as very intense and like a roller-coaster".
In an earlier statement, she described Black Car as a representation of the place they met: "The club we always go back to and where we had our first kiss. It’s the moment when you look at me like nobody has ever looked at me before, and the moment you know you’re in love.
“But it’s also the arguments, the passion, the tears. It’s when you’ve given up but you don’t want to leave. It’s the realisation that nothing is forever."
Speaking of the music video that never materialised even before its global debut, the uber-stylish singer said that multiple treatments were proposed before eventually settling on director Oscar Sansom’s moody but powerful theme.

The initial video for Black Car also had a scene where Bryant had her hands tied in the trunk of the car, “to represent like an older, weaker version of myself”, who she sets on fire.
That scene did not creatively go as how it was envisioned and was substituted with an equally impressive take of her setting the car ablaze.
“We actually took [the scene] out and just had to burn up the car, which was cool and powerful because the car is kind of, I guess, like a metaphor for the relationship," she said.
Hailing from the picturesque city of Gothenburg in Sweden, but currently based in Stockholm, Bryant reflects that a lot has happened in her career, from the time she was 20 until now, and how music has been a plus while becoming more mature.
“I’m grateful but I think it’s more about evolving as a person, not only as an artist, but also, emotionally as a person."
However, what’s for certain is her dedication to her chosen craft. “I think it’s always been my passion in life. I never really had a plan B or anything like that. It’s just what I always wanted to do."
And that’s exactly the kind of refreshing advice that Bryant hopes young fans understand, admitting that she feels a bit stressed when it comes to being considered an inspiration, especially to women.
“There’s this pressure on women, especially, to inspire other women, like, we constantly have to feel like we need to be good role models,” she explains.
“There’s really nothing self-fulfilling about having to constantly be a good role-model or be like a big inspiration to others.
“I think it’s important for all women and young girls today [to] just focus on themselves and like, I want to make music for me. I want to do this for me and not for the next generation of girls.
“Of course, I love being inspired by strong women and I’ve always been inspired by strong women … but at the same time, I think it’s important to focus on yourself and remember that everything you do is for you.”