The Brilliancy and Warmth Behind Beharie’s Music

Photo by Shawn Arvind

Twenty-nine year old musician, Christian Beharie is an artist making soulful, R&B music. He elaborates that his Jamaican heritage, of which he inherited from his father, has been an integral influence on his own work. He grew up inside a musical home, it played constantly within the walls of their house. He participated in choir, and has played alongside bands since he was little. It was never enough. He never got bored of music, and he believes he never will. It has been a major part of his life, of who he is.

Beharie also credits the more reserved essence of Norwegian music, as well as his home in Oslo, for having influenced the creative direction of his music. He expresses how Norwegians are more reserved, calm, and in possession of warm hearts. Those attributes are reflective in his work, with welcoming yet cozy vibes.

His debut album, “Are You There, Boy?” will be released on Oct. 20th of this year. He shares that it will be a complex album, and a step further from his earlier extended plays. One where he’ll be experimenting with the playful, daring, honest side to himself, while still adhering to the quiet sound he produces. He’ll be tapping into his own feelings of existentialism, the one that wonders who he is, and who other people are, searching for the meaning of everything. The album will convey the many complexities of who he is, and the journey he’s still having.

“Do I Ever Cross Your Mind?” is among one of the many tracks on the album that he’s proud of. Be it for the songwriting, melody, and lyrics. He’s grown especially connected to it during the summer, as they’ve played it quite a lot. He admits his favorite among the songs changes.

Vocalists Amanda Kamara, and Malin Byberg often harmonize alongside Beharie across his music, adding a bewitching quality to the songs. He elaborates that he’s been singing with the girls quite a lot, and given them a lot of space in the project, wanting audiences to connect with their voices as well. His background in singing choir resulted in a love for backing vocals and harmonization, and he enjoys adding additional voices into the mix.

Additionally, he shares that many people have contributed in writing the songs on the album, many of which are a part of his band. Through this project, he feels that he’s opened up a lot more, which he expresses pushes his songs in different directions. He finds inspiration in friends, both artists and activists, who are daring to use their voice in a polarized debate climate.

Photo by Shawn Arvind

When discussing the greater meaning behind his song “Heaven”, Beharie admitted just how interesting it was to hear the listener’s approach to the song. He often doesn’t know what to say, because he likes how people attribute their own meaning to his work. But without revealing too much, he shares that the song is about a realization. When the thoughts you had on the world before change through learning so much more. The song embodies the naivety you lose through discussions and thinking, and eventually perceiving the world through different eyes as you get older.

He expresses how amazing it felt to sing the song for a performance with the Norwegian radio orchestra, and how the dynamic the orchestra offers is so wide. By starting with one guitar and quiet strings, before getting larger and larger by the bridge. The energy they produced felt majestic and impactful.

Among the numerous music videos that Beharie has worked on to accompany his melodies, one that is overwhelmingly worthy of praise is for “Love Me”. Both he, and director Martin Bremnes, spent time conversing over ideas and concepts, and the final product speaks for itself.

For the Norwegian Grammy Awards, at least a year ago, he performed his song “I Wish I Was You”. When discussing what he hopes people will feel when hearing his songs, he claims how you can’t control what people feel. People have preferences. But what he loves about his live performances is creating an atmosphere where his audiences feel connected with not only themselves, but to him, and each other. To make something warm, safe, and vulnerable.

He’s looking forward to the release of “Are You There, Boy?”, and hopes that people will listen to the whole journey in full, for all of its complexities. He also hopes that by next year, he’ll be touring across the United States for the first time. For now, however, he’s currently performing all across Northern and Western Europe, and the United Kingdom. To keep up to date with his tour dates, newly released singles, and know when the album has finally arrived, visit https://www.beharieofficial.com/.