NEWS
Mickey Guyton
Phylicia J. L. Munn*Mickey Guyton dives into some serious topics on the new episode of Becky G’s Facebook Watch series Face to Face With Becky G. In the episode titled “Becky G & Mickey Guyton: Battling Systemic Racism in Country Music,” which premieres Tuesday, Jan. 4, Guyton discusses her personal experiences confronting racism and sexism as a Black female artist working in the country music industry.
“We’re used to being unseen. We’re used to the micro aggressions, we’re used to the constant battles of trying to just be who you are,” Guyton told Becky G during a clip from the interview. “And finally, the veil has been lifted, and we’re like, ‘Oh my god, how did we survive for so long?’ And that’s the point, we were just surviving. But now we’re thriving.”
Guyton also shared how she cares for herself after receiving backlash on social media for calling out the music industry for sexism and racism.
“I’m still working on it,” Guyton said. “Feb. 6, 2021, I was nine months pregnant, about to give birth to my son, and I got an influx of awful hate mail because I called out the industry and its racism and sexism. And people didn’t like that.”
“What was so hard is, I’m a Christian woman and I had all these people spewing hate, using Jesus,” Guyton recalled. “To have that kind of hate when you’re so hormonal was awful. I was in a really bad place, and I had to go on antidepressants that were life-changing.”
In 2020, Guyton released a pair of soaring (and searing) tracks, including “What Are You Gonna Tell Her?” which addressed sexism, while “Black Like Me” detailed some of Guyton’s personal experiences with racism. “Black Like Me” also earned Guyton her first Grammy nomination, in the best country solo performance category.
In 2021, a decade after signing to a major label, Guyton also released her debut full-length album, Remember Her Name. She also co-hosted the Academy of Country Music Awards alongside Keith Urban, and earned three additional Grammy nominations. Leading into this year’s Grammy Awards, Guyton is nominated for best country album (Remember Her Name), best country solo performance and best country song (both for “Remember Her Name”).
The Face to Face series provides a platform for celebrities to have honest conversations surrounding personal topics. During the first episode, Demi Lovato discussed coming out as non-binary. Other celebrities who have appeared on Face to Face With Becky G include Tinashe, Chiquis, and Anthony Ramos.
New episodes of Face to Face With Becky G debut each week via Facebook Watch. Guyton’s episode premieres Jan. 4 at 12 p.m. ET.
Watch a clip from the episode below:
Fontaines D.C. have teamed up with Rosalía for their new collaboration, Where Is Gone?.
The song features on the Irish rock band's forthcoming album, Dopamine Chamber, which arrives on Friday (16.10.26). For guitarist Carlos O’Connell, working with the Spanish superstar is particularly special because of his own Spanish roots.
He explained: “I’ve admired Rosalía ever since her debut album, which I thought was absolutely beautiful.
“What excited me most was the way she continued to preserve Spain's musical traditions, something that felt spiritually connected to what we've been trying to achieve with Irish music. Having roots in both countries, it's been really special to witness. "She's an artist who has continued to amaze me at every point in her career.”
Frontman Grian Chatten has also described the collaboration with Rosalía as one of the most memorable achievements of his career.
He revealed that he felt "humbled" when she agreed to lend her voice to the band's album.
Speaking to NPR, Grian said: “I've always felt there's something almost like a single big idea that I'm personally trying to communicate to the world before I get old and die, if that makes sense. There's one thing I think I'll spend my life trying to express. I have a feeling she has a similar outlook. … I mean, she's an amazing arranger, composer and lyricist. It means so much that she wanted to sing on something we'd put together. It's definitely one of the highlights of my career.”
Rosalía's links to Irish rock music extend beyond Fontaines D.C. She also offered inspiration and helped develop the Spanish lyrics for U2's The Mirror Maker (Rosalía), a track from their forthcoming album, Carnaval de Luz.
During an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon last week, she spoke about frontman Bono, saying: “I don't know him personally, but he sent me a text explaining that he was working on a new project and had written a song called The Mirror Maker."
Rosalía joked that Bono had invented a few words of his own.
She recalled telling him: “I wasn't sure what to make of it, but I told him he could create his own language if he wanted to.”
She described the opportunity to collaborate with the 66 year old music veteran as a real privilege.
She added: “Bono is a legend.
“It's amazing.”
Bono recently revealed that he was worried about seeming like a stalker when he reached out to Rosalía to ask whether he could name the song after her.
