MEAWW's Basement Tapes: Bellsavvy is a body positivity icon who is here to help you love yourself
Pop singer Bellsavvy is an artist with a unique sound. Her latest release, 'Queen of My Mind', is a bold and unapologetic self-empowering anthem about overcoming inner battles, based on the artist's experiences with being body-shamed by the modeling industry.
Bellsavvy is a pop singer/songwriter with a strong attitude and musical identity. Based in London and raised in Brazil, the artist learned to combine her Latin roots with European influences to create a unique sound unlike any other. With the encouragement and backing of her mother, Bellsavvy discovered her love for music and despite her start in the entertainment industry coming in the form of acting and modeling, the singer knew her true calling lay with songwriting and performing. Eventually, she took a leap of faith and dove headfirst in creating music, honing her art until she crafted a sound that blended strong vocals, catchy toplines and a powerful edgy-pop style with compelling, emotionally-charged lyrics.
The world was first introduced to Bellsavvy via the MTV Brazil singing show 'Studio Acesso Girls MTV', earning the support of over 1.8M live viewers who voted for her following her performance. She was soon catapulted into the limelight, landing roles in movies, musicals and numerous musical projects across Europe. Not long after, her debut single 'Queen of My Mind' followed, but instead of playing it safe with a track that was more generic, Bellsavvy decided she was going to honor her cultural roots as well as respect her own struggles within the industry and tell her story without filtering her words.
The track thus sees Bellsavvy narrating her own life experiences in the modeling industry and the devastating effect it had on her mind and body. Despite finding success as a model, Bellsavvy was not impervious to how quickly that success was being stripped away from her when her body began to change. Suddenly, she was being rejected by casting agents who shamed her for her change in weight and appearance. The repeated rejection quickly took its toll on the singer, brainwashing her into believing that her body was no longer good enough. And from this space of negativity, Bellsavvy soon found herself dealing with a loss of self-confidence and the ability to love herself, all of which culminated in a mental breakdown.
No longer recognizing herself in the mirror, she turned to songwriting to help her pull through, and out came 'Queen of My Mind'. The uplifting song has Bellsavvy tackle her own mind, battling the self-deprecating thoughts that threatened to tear her down and instead, accepting who she is. Speaking about the track she confides, "Queen of My Mind is a very personal, deep and emotional song. I wrote it about three years ago after a mental breakdown I had at the very end of my modeling career. I want others to feel the power we have when we love ourselves. Self-esteem, self-love and self-acceptance are the most powerful things we can have in us. It changes everything." Through 'Queen of My Mind', Bellsavvy has successfully crafted a song to show others that even when you hit rock bottom, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel, and with a bit of time and healing, we can become the queen of our minds.
The dramatic visuals for 'Queen of my Mind' give a deeper insight into Bellsavvy’s experiences, while delivering it through a more playful representation. Beginning with the singer receiving negative texts from her modeling agents, we see her go through all the emotions that come with a mental breakdown — from sadness, confusion and anger to ultimately ending up blossoming and becoming stronger than she’s ever been before and evolving into the queen of her mind. Every detail of the video holds meaning, with Bellsavvy paying tribute to her Latin roots, both through costume and set design. Even the choreography is crafted to symbolize each of the different emotions she hopes to convey.
The high energy video also highlights the damage that body shaming can cause, in addition to signifying the importance of discovering your true self and feeling confident in your own body. Emphasizing how the female body isn't universal, we see the dancers dressed in haute couture for curvy women, shining light on finding your inner warrior and being proud of who you are.
Bellsavvy hopes to use her inspiring story to help people in need, using honest and authentic lyrics to tell her story and connect with listeners on a deeper level. Her music has been hugely supported by LGBTQ+ communities around the world — a community that can definitely empathize with the discriminations that she has endured. With the goal to encourage others to feel strong, beautiful and uplifted no matter what anyone else tells you, Bellsavvy is on a mission and no one can get in her way.
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