NPR MUSIC: How Black women reclaimed country and Americana music in 2021
“August: Black women are undoubtedly a dominant creative force in country and Americana, but they are far from a monolithic lot. By late summer 2021, pop-country performer Tiera had turned two years of mounting buzz into a label deal with Big Machine Records. Moreover, New Orleans, La.-by way of Poplarville, Miss.-based familial trio Chapel Hart released the indie-favored The Girls Are Back in Town. This rocking Nashville album counts heartbreak, cheap whiskey, and Dolly Parton among its inspirations. And, yes, trans femme producer Lafemmebear (alongside fellow trans femme instrumentalist Mya Byrne) was requested by Reba McEntire herself to craft a country-trap remix of the "Fancy" vocalist's timeless hit "I'm a Survivor" for her Revived Remixed Revisited triple-album. The expansion of diversity and visibility for Black women did not delay the continued movement towards Black women's social and musical progression in country, Americana, and related genres.” — Marcus Dowling
Toronto Star: How an army of TikTokers resurrected Reba McEntire’s songs
““I do see these remixes as a bridge between cultures, and I’ve always had big LGBTQ and African-American fans,” McEntire said. “So, yeah, we had to treat the mixes with kid gloves and choose wisely.” In other words, this ain’t McEntire’s first time at the disco rodeo. Which explains how the most intriguing choice in this whole box set project is a Frank Ocean-meets-Shania Twain remix of “I’m A Survivor” by LeahAnn Mitchell, a.k.a. the Black transgender producer/singer-songwriter known as Lafemmebear.
“These days, we should be having very real conversations about what it looks like to give back to communities that white and/or straight folks have been able to take advantage of for a very long time,” Mitchell said from her home in San Francisco.
“It’s about putting your money where your mouth is and putting your clout on the line. This is where Reba comes in and anyone else who sticks their necks out to uplift queer, Black greatness and brilliance.” Mitchell points out that this isn’t the first time McEntire has been inclusive, citing the fact that the country legend toured with drag queens such as Coti Collins, whom McEntire would share the stage with for nearly a decade.
According to Mitchell, her collaboration with McEntire represents another milestone. “It’s important to push this narrative of queer and trans people being in a position of stability and thriving,” Mitchell said. “Too often our stories are always hung on the cusp of fragility and ask the same question: will we survive?
“This Reba record helped me buy my first piece of property that houses other queer and trans people. I’m now the first Black trans woman to appear on the Top 10 Billboard chart for top selling albums as a music producer. Lil Nas X and I are on some of the same charts right now, so it’s quite significant.”” - Elio Iannacci
COUNTRY QUEER: WEEKLY ROUNDUP, NOVEMBER 21
“The mind behind the recent “I’m A Survivor” Reba remix just dropped a beauty. It glides from a mellow close-mic’ed acoustic guitar intro to a chill beat with dark undertones – “Feels like there’s too much pain here in this space.” Escape is what’s craved – to be able to “Float Inbetween.” A highly relatable sentiment delivered in an idiosyncratic setting. What could be better?” - Madeleine
VENTS MAG: INTERVIEW: LAFEMMEBEAR
“Do you feel like a role model for Black Queer and Trans artists coming up in the music world?
You know, I hope someone sees me that way. It wasn’t necessarily what I set out to do, but it is also a torch that I have learned is something I need to take up and hold with pride and dignity and know that it’s important for me to, you know? Take up that gauntlet, like you don’t get to be in this space and do this without making sure that you are holding the door open and giving hope to those who are coming up after you. Is it daunting at times? Definitely. Do I feel like sometimes as Black artists we don’t get to be the artists that just talk about and write songs and soliloquies about the mundanity of life, and I wish we could do that without automatically having to be put towards an idea of activism? Definitely. And, I gladly do it because I know I didn’t see anybody who looked like me, or remotely like what I am today, coming up. And I found out recently a student at USC I believe it is – from a friend who knows, and it’s not published, it’s not anything anybody can go find, it just happened. A trans student doing I guess some sort of thesis for their sound engineering program had to pick a producer to write on that is a popular trans or queer music producer, and they picked me to write about, what I do and what I’m doing. So I gotta tell you, that’s probably bigger than any Reba thing could ever be, because that feels like what it’s all about, like that moved my heart in a way that … I love Reba, but even that just … you know what I’m saying? Like that is something that you hope what you do inspires somebody because you’re just trying to make a dent, an indelible impression on life. And that really like moved my heart when I was told that. I don’t know who they are, what their name is, I was just told this is something that happened and I should know, and it was really helpful when I heard it at the time because I was feeling down that day. We need to be uplifted by each other; I think that is the point. And I’m hoping what I do uplifts somebody.” - RJ Frometa
KQED ARTS: Disability Arts Ensemble Takes Access and Dance to New Heights
[VIDEO] “Meet Kinetic Light, a disability arts ensemble led by disabled artists, as they create a thrilling aerial dance in the San Francisco Bay Area, home of the disability rights movement.”
ESQUIRE: ‘You Just Can’t Ignore It’: Reba McEntire Is Reveling in TikTok’s Embrace
“With the ongoing excitement, McEntire's team and Universal Records' president Cindy Mabe came up with an idea: bring Reba's catalog into 2021 by taking her greatest hits and reworking them with new arrangements. What resulted was Revived Remixed Revisited, a three-album set that consists of rerecorded, stripped back, and remixed versions of past favorites. At first, McEntire was a little skeptical. "[With] "I'm a Survivor,' I just didn't know how that was going to go over as a dance mix," she says. "But you got to try it." McEntire's team wanted to give a nod to some of the audience that brought the single back to life, so they enlisted LeahAnn "LAFEMMEBEAR" Mitchell to remix it.
LAFEMMEBEAR came into the fray via her friend, Mya Byrne, who, like Mitchell, is a trans woman who has been a Nashville music scene player for years. She turned around the remix in two days, opting to honor the song's country roots by overlaying steel guitar and mandolin over the original cut. "I've been studying country music, for this moment, since I was eleven-years-old," Mitchell says over the phone with a laugh. "I’ve been watching Reba forever. It’s funny because everyone was like, ‘This is so left field for you,’ and I said it actually isn’t at all. I grew up watching Reba with my mom and sister all the time. Just because you see one side of me, don’t box me in, baby. Don’t box me in!"
A combination of a mainstream, flame-haired country queen and an up-and-coming Black, trans woman remixing a Reba classic may not seem like the most likely fit, but LAFEMMEBEAR said that the response has been a beautiful barrage of compliments, coming from all walks of life. "It's been really nice that [Reba's] not overly leaned into that. It just happens to be part of my truth. Yes, I'm a Black trans woman, but I love country music, and I'm a technical nerd," she says. "Country music is really just R&B music for white folks. The very first time I heard 'Let Me Let Go' from Faith Hill? That's an R&B song." The new takes on old favorites has paid off. The album debuted on the all-genre Billboard 200 albums chart at 91 and the Country Albums chart at 12 following its early October release.” - Justin Kirkland
BILLBOARD: Reba McEntire Hits Country & Dance Charts Thanks to 'Revived Remixed Revisited' Album
“Reba McEntire's new triple-album Revived Remixed Revisited enters multiple Billboard charts (dated Oct. 23), including at No. 8 on the all-genre Top Album Sales tally (8,000 sold, according to MRC Data) and No. 12 on Top Country Albums (9,000 equivalent album units).” - Jim Asker and Gary Trust
REVAMP: INTERVIEW
“Who are your idols? Who do you look up to?
Missy Elliott - style, fashion, music, songwriting, production - just incredible. Bjork, Meshell Ndegeocello, Ahmad Jamal, Robert Glasper. And Mary J. Blige - she just really knows how to sing about feelings. You feel everything she wants you to feel when she sings. And Reba - "Fancy". Alison Krauss and Union Station, gets me every time. Pat Metheny, my grandmother showed me his stuff. Max Roach, a jazz drummer - I learned about him in my early, early 20s and got really into listening to records he'd played on. It's really too many to name. That's what I can think of off the top of my head; aside from Missy, Reba, and Max Roach who always make the list, if you asked me on a different day I might tell you a different set of folks. I don't think my musical taste boils down that easily.” - Owen James Vincent
CMT INTERVIEW: Reba McEntire Celebrates “Having Fans From 2 To 92” On ‘Revived Remixed Revisited’
““I love how Tik Tok took to ’I’m A Survivor,’ says McEntire about the digital viral popularity of her 2001 hit single. The testament to will, grace, and strength is also her tune that she feels describes her best after a career that has impressively spanned nearly a half-century. The song appears in three formats that connote the multitudes of diversity in sounds and styles between the three projects. Revived features a bolder version of the production as it would be heard played by her live band. Revised, it’s an acoustic ballad, allowing the song’s abundant lyrical honesty to be apparent. And Revisited features two queer trans femme artists — producer LaFemmeBear and multi-instrumentalist Mya Byrne — creating a folksy, R & B-style country-trap remix. Ultimately, for fans and listeners — all fans, and listeners from all genres — from 2 to 92, are represented equally.” - Marcus K. Dowling
YV MEDIA: Black Trans Producer LafemmeBear Provides Official Remix For Country Legend Reba McEntire's 'REVIVED'
“LeahAnn "Lafemmebear" Mitchell states: "My mother was a single mom with two kids doing school and a full-time job while fighting breast cancer, and still she did whatever she could to better herself. We watched the Reba show and loved this song. So it just moved me deeply to get the opportunity to represent my momma, a strong Black woman, by reviving something so wonderful from such a passionate entertainer and legend like Reba. I'm extremely grateful."“ - YVMAG
PROUD RADIO WITH HUNTER KELLY: MAN OF THE MINCH AND LAFEMMEBEAR
Lafemmebear and Man of the Minch join to discuss new music. - Apple Music
TASTE OF COUNTRY: Reba McEntire’s New ‘I’m a Survivor’ Remix Is ‘Historically Unprecedented,’ Says Collaborator
“Ahead of the release of her Revived Remixed Revisited triple album, which will give new life to some of her greatest hits, Reba McEntire has shared a few of the project's songs — including a "historically unprecedented" remix of her classic song "I'm a Survivor."
‘It is a historically unprecedented thing for two trans women to have prominent production roles like this on a country music single,’ Mya Byrne shares. The singer-songwriter, who is trans and queer, plays lap steel on the song, remixed by LeahAnn "Lafemmebear" Mitchell, a Grammy-nominated producer who is also trans. The two are frequent collaborators, and were brought onboard for the project at the suggestion of Apple Music Country's Proud Radio host Hunter Kelly.
‘Lafemmebear is an incredibly affirming person to work with, which is a lovely thing when you're a trans and queer person,’ Byrne says. ‘She's one of the most quality-oriented engineer/producers I've ever worked with. She doesn't take shortcuts, and I appreciate that about her. She trusted that I'd bring the same level of performance and quality to Reba's song.’“ - Holly G
COUNTRY QUEER: LAFEMMEBEAR TEARS DOWN WALLS WITH HER REBA REMIX
“Of the three songs Reba McEntire has released from her upcoming box set, Revived Remixed Revisited — out Oct. 8 from MCA Nashville — LeahAnn “Lafemmebear” Mitchell’s remix of “I’m a Survivor” is the obvious standout. With help from fellow trans artist and activist (and Country Queer Editor-At-Large) Mya Byrne on mandolin and lap steel, Lafemmebear reimagines the empowerment anthem as a silky slow jam.
LAFEMMEBEAR: Hunter Kelly at Apple Music is an amazing new friend and collaborator who Mya Byrne, a regular collaborator and great friend and sister of mine, connected me with. Hunter was looking for Black queer artists to know about, and she put him onto my projects; he played one of my songs on one of his Apple Music Proud Radio mixes. Reba’s label UMG was looking for a Black femme producer to remix a record for Reba, and he looked all over and couldn’t find anyone — until he remembered that Mya had told him about me. So he reached out to see if I could do the remix, and the rest is history.” - Will Groff
VARIETY: Reba on Resurrecting Her Classics With ‘Revived Remixed Revisited’ Boxed Set, Dolly, Dave Cobb and Recovering From Covid (EXCLUSIVE)
“Reba McEntire is going the redux route with a triple album she’s announcing today, “Revived Remixed Revisited.” The boxed set, due for release Oct. 8, includes three discs’ worth of fresh spins on hits from her four-decade-plus catalog. “Revisited” has her joining producer Dave Cobb and a small band to strip down some of her classics to their barest elements; “Revived” finds her doing road-tested versions of the hits with her live band; and “Remixed” takes the original tracks and lets remixers like Lafemmebear put them through a contemporary wringer.
REBA: Tracy Young did “Turn on the Radio” [a No. 1 hit from 2010]. She’s done mixes for Madonna, and I think she’s the first female remixer to win a Grammy. So I was thrilled to get her on this album. Lafemmebear is a young Black female remixer and she did a great job on “I’m a Survivor.” Dave Audé did “Fancy” [a top 10 hit from 1991 that has remained one of her signature songs]…” - Chris Willman
NBA.COM: “BAYCAT Interviews Music Producer Lafemmebear | Pride Month”
“Hear how music producer Lafemmebear is helping musical artists break barriers in this collaboration between the Warriors and BAYCAT.”
MUSEUM OF AFRICAN DIASPORA: “MUSEUMS WITH PRIDE”
“MOAD RECOMMENDS … What Remains: Strong AF TWOC presented on Tuesday, June 8 at 7-8pm. What comes after the storm? Peacock Rebellion and Lafemmebear Music present a night of world-bending, future-shaping music, poetry, visual art, and more. Born out of resistance to pandemic bullshit and the constant erasure of trans people, What Remains reclaims trans women of color’s agency over our own stories.” - Elizabeth Gessel
SF CHRONICLE DATEBOOK: “Peacock Rebellion and Lafemmebear Music’s ‘What Remains: Strong AF TWOC’”
“The wide-ranging imagination, the autonomous artistry and the tenacious joy of trans women of color are on spirited display in “What Remains: Strong AF TWOC,” an online showcase of film, music, visual art and more by Peacock Rebellion and Lafemmebear Music that’s part of the National Queer Arts Festival.
The one-night-only event, created with the idea of giving trans women of color control over their own stories in the sunset of the pandemic, features an excerpt of a new documentary that composer, music producer and sound engineer LeahAnn “Lafemmebear” Mitchell is producing and directing about Ms. Billie Cooper, an advocate for Black, trans and HIV-positive communities, the founder of TransLife and Castro LGBTQ Cultural District advisory board member.” - Lily Janiak
We as ourselves: [LISTEN] ‘No More Time’ By Featured Artist: LeahAnn “Lafemmebear” Mitchell
“We, As Ourselves is partnering with the Center for Cultural Power … to work with Black women and femme survivors and artists to honor their stories and work.” - Staff
MTV NEWS: Peppermint ft. LaFemmeBear and Mila Jam: “Be Optimistic”
“Today (November 20) is Transgender Day of Remembrance, which honors the lives of trans people who were violently killed in the past year. But the trans and gender non-conforming community is so much more than the epidemic of violence that plagues it. Enter “Be Optimistic,” a soulful, R&B-infused new track centering trans joy from Peppermint, LaFemmeBear, and Mila Jam, all Black trans people themselves. LaFemmeBear sets the stage in a powerful spoken-word intro: “We came to remind you, let’s be optimistic / ‘Cause we got this / Listen.” For a truly immersive experience, watch the song’s black-and-white music video, which incorporates on-the-ground footage from Black Lives Matter protests.” - Sam Manzanella
instinct magazine: Peppermint, Mila Jam & Lafemmebear Team Up For Powerful Trans Anthem
As tough as its been we need to “Be Optimistic” about our future. That is a message Drag Race alum Peppermint along with sensational music acts Mila Jam and Lafemmebear has preached in their music video of the same name that dropped during Transgender Awareness Week.
“When I hear Black Lives Matter, I envision a collective of non-monolithic voices, and experiences equally being amplified,” Lafemmebear … chimed in.” - Ryan Shea
COUNTRY QUEER: TRANS COUNTRY ARTISTS YOU NEED TO KNOW
“A trans artist who’s just made her first leap into Americana is Oakland’s incredible, multitalented Lafemmebear. Just this past weekend she dropped ‘Here, On The Ground’, an airy, light piece for these stormy times.” - Mya Byrne
ADP.fM: virtual pride playlist, june 2020
“As more and more cities cancel their Pride celebrations, it’s not looking too likely that we are going to be able to dance with our community. But with a Virtual Pride we can have anyone we want perform. Here’s my dream line up of LGBT artists that you can groove to in your own home! [featuring “Shutup!” by Lafemmebear (ft. Bella King)]” - Rami KD
THE WOW REPORT: SOUNDTRACK TO YOUR VALENTINE’S DAY: PEPPERMINT’S NEW SINGLE
“Love is in the air! Miss Peppermint kicked off the release of her amazing new single, ‘What You’re Looking For’ through a listening party via Instagram Livestream.
The song is everything, and perfect for today’s holiday. It was produced by Cody Belew, Dustin Ransom, and Leah[Ann] ‘LaFemmeBear’ Mitchell.” - Nikki Nguyen
AUTOSTRADDLE: QUEER YOUR EARS, NOVEMBER 2019
“Lafemmebear is still a rapper, but she leans heavily into woozy, lovely, self-love R&B anthems on her debut full-length. This is Black, queer, trans, joy and power right here. I.L.T.S (I Luv This Skin) might be my wake-up track for the next few months.” - Abeni Jones
READ LEAHANN’S OP-ED IN ‘THE GUARDIAN’ AHEAD OF THE SUPREME COURT’S TITLE VII DECISION
“When it comes to black and brown trans folks, it feels like we don’t matter. Why can’t we exist in peace and have the same rights other people have? Why should somebody else’s opinion of what I should be get to dictate what my existence is? I’m asking that we are able to go about our lives and use the bathroom, without you kicking open the door and dragging us out.
If they come for us, they’ll come for other folks. This doesn’t stop at us, it starts with us.”
AUTOSTRADDLE: Lafemmebear’s “If” Embraces Black Queer Self-Love
“I’ve never seen — except in art I’ve created for myself — a Black trans woman experiencing luxury. Opulence. Rest. Care. Repose. Surrounded by rose petals, on a silky, lush, exceedingly comfortable bed. And ‘we can’t be what we can’t see.’ Now that Lafemmebear has shared this vision, it’s something I can imagine for myself. Something I can manifest.” - Abeni Jones
Billboard: Lafemmebear Says She Won't Stop Speaking Truth to 'Pwr.'
“Speaking to Billboard, Mitchell says that she wanted to make a song that speaks directly to the transgender experience in America today by reminding listeners of the inherent hope that she still chooses to feel. ‘We know it to be true and we are stating is as fact,’ she says. ‘So this song stays as a reminder to my community, its allies and anyone who is feeling the pressure of capitalism and not ever feeling enough, they need to remember collectively we are unstoppable and have so much Power. Period.’ ” - Stephen Daw
OUTTV EURO: “SHUTUP! (feat. bella king)” for OUTMUSIC SPOTLIGHT
“[Translated from original Dutch] According to Lafemmebear, the message of the song is about the pain of the LGBT + community in looking for your own place, while you really do not fit into anything. ‘It's about listening to those who love you dearly, and not listening to the voices in your head that make you forget your love for yourself,’ she told Billboard. And what is more appropriate than a rock-hard HOU JE BEK?” - OUTmusic Staff
Blurred Culture: Lafemmebear is letting her work speak for itself
“On her Facebook fan page, Lafemmebear proclaims in her bio: ‘I don’t want to be tokenized for being a Black transgender woman. I want my work to speak for itself.’ It sure does. With her big, soulful voice, and her empowering music- both lyrically and sonically- Lafemmebear’s current repertoire are hidden gems that’ll get you hooked with one listen.” - Derrick Lee
The GLAAD Wrap: July 26, 2019
“9) Lafemmebear is a Black trans woman, musician, producer, singer/emcee/songwriter, and sound engineer. She is currently working on her next music video for her song ‘IF,’ and is crowdfunding to cover production costs. For more information about this genre-bending artist and the project, visit her Kickstarter page and listen to “IF” below.” - Olivia Zweig
Note: We have met our Kickstarter goal! Thank you so much to all of our supporters!
Queerty: BEYOND MADONNA: 12 QUEER MUSICIANS WHO ARE ABOUT TO BLOW UP
3) Lafemmebear: Producer LeahAnn Mitchell has worked with the likes of Boyz II Men, songwriting duo The Jackie Boyz (Madonna) and producer Polo Molina (Black Eyed Peas), but was blacklisted by the industry after coming out as as trans. That didn’t stop the resilient star: her new EP Blaq * A Note To The World is a genre-bending manifesto that celebrates her identity.” - Queerty Editors
QSALTLAKE MAG: UTAH PRIDE HEADLINER: LAFEMMEBEAR
“Not only is she a rapper-singer-vocalist; Mitchell also mixes masters, produces and engineers all of her music. After dusting off her music-making chops with a self-titled EP in early 2018, she is dropping a lush, eclectic #-song collection entitled #FEMMEBEARCLXTV featuring Bay Area artists Najee Amaranth, Yona T., and Robert Ross, among others. It’s a genre-blending experiment in soulful and rhythmic afro-beats mixed with hip hop and jazz.” - QSaltLake Magazine Staff
Z Space: “Blaq* A Note to the World”
EP Release
“This event is meant to show a black transwoman who is a professional and lover of art and her work and not just her identity. It also is meant to showcase the other amazing talent that helped put together the music video “Shutup”– Tammy Sanchez (Director/Producer), Christy Berkowitz (Artistic Director/Producer), and numerous non male identified crew and qtpoc community that helped make it possible.” - Mission Local
AUTOSTRADDLE: QUEER YOUR EARS, MARCH 2019
“This EP goes SO hard. Honestly it only didn’t get a full review this month because I JUST heard of this album, somehow? I wish I’d heard it sooner. She’s a friend of a friend (and we have totally met, and I think we were friends on Facebook before I quit Facebook but I didn’t know she made music?)! Life is weird.” - Abeni Jones
BILLBOARD: With 'Shut Up!,' Lafemmebear Is Making Music on Her Own Terms
"Today, Lafemmebear is calling the shots and making music on her own terms. The artist isn’t just the Jackie of all trades; she’s a master of most. Not only is she a rapper-singer-vocalist; Mitchell also mixes masters, produces and engineers all of her music. In early 2018, she shook the table with a self-titled EP, an eclectic collection of soulful and rhythmic afro-beats mixed with hip-hop and jazz.
The multifaceted artist also starred in The Red Shades, a transgender, superhero rock opera that sold out showcases at several venues across San Francisco and Oakland. Lafemmebear fans have called her music a fusion of artists like Imogen Heap, Ellie Goulding, Dr. Dre, Brandy and Timbaland, among others -- explaining her mass appeal.
Billboard caught up with the burgeoning queer artist to talk about her influences and to premiere her new music video ‘Shut Up!’” - Ashlee Marie Preston
SF Chronicle: Trans Superheroes Fly in to El Rio for Rock Opera, April 2018
“[The Red Shades], which draws on music genres ranging from rockabilly to punk, cabaret and beyond, centers on Ida (LeahAnn Mitchell), a trans girl who runs away from home to San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood, where she meets a community of trans superheroes and discovers her own superpowers.” - Lily Janiak