According to Bryant Barnes, his EP Vanity is all about “the aftermath of failed relationships.” He tells PAPER, “I just think I’m always in my head about certain things, especially when it comes to topics like love.”

The Houston, Texas-based alt-pop act has been dominating social media, attracting millions of followers on platforms like TikTok, where fans have organically found his music. Tracks like his slow-crawling ballad “I’d Rather Pretend” have continued to see viral success, and now the singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist (and model and student) is excited to share more.

“Right now I’m working on an album,” Barnes says. “I’m really excited to share a new body of work with even more [people]. I’m working on trying to get artists like D4vd, artists like Laufey, and just trying to get more people that align with my sound. The goal is ultimately to make people feel what they should feel even more. So that’s truly what I’m excited for. Just to give everybody the music that they deserve.”

Below, Barnes talks to PAPER about Vanity, how each part of his multi-faceted career impacts the other, what it’s like to go viral and the driving force behind his music.

You just dropped your EP, VANITY — how does it feel to have it out in the world?

It feels really good, I’ve been anticipating dropping my first body of work. The feedback that I’ve been getting from people has been amazing. People DM me about their situations and their relationships and how VANITY has really affected them positively. People have been reaching out to me about how good the music is in general. I’m glad people really like it. I didn’t even think I would be able to drop a body of work this soon but at the same time I’ve been itching to get my music out and to make more.

I woke up yesterday while I was in Vegas to it being No. 13 on the Billboard Heatseekers Album Chart and No. 13 on the RnB Songs Chart, which is crazy. When I released the EP, I didn’t think it would go that crazy but to be on Billboard is actually insane. And seeing all these Spotify placements is actually insane. I feel like I’m on the right track with the way I’ve been arranging my music and how I’ve been pushing it out. I feel like people really rock with how raw it is and the way that I’ve been marketing it, playing piano in front of my family. It’s amazing that it’s able to get on those charts.

What’s the driving energy and emotion behind VANITY?

The aftermath of failed relationships. I’m always in my head about certain things, especially when it comes to topics like love. Another driving force would be the music that I listen to. I listen to a lot of love songs, R&B and sad, chill music. I listen to a lot of Ekkstacy, XXXTENTACION, Isiah Huron, Keshi and Joji. Those really impact how I write my music and how I think about music in general in terms of creating. I think I have a set goal whenever I make my songs which is to get the listener to feel what I feel or to feel what they have felt.

TikTok has played a big part in the way fans discover your music. How has it felt to engage with your fans on that platform?

It feels really good to engage with fans! I go live all the time and people give me their insights on what they want. Even when I just started posting covers, I would do it on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and sometimes Instagram would be the one to be the driving force to get eyes on my music. But as far as what I’ve been promoting recently, TikTok and Instagram have been the biggest things to get my music out there. I’m very grateful to reach this amount of people in such a short time. I feel like people really connect with the fact that I can play these instruments and I have an impact on my music as a producer, not just an artist. So, as far as TikTok, it wasn’t only TikTok, but TikTok did really help push my music, and I’m really grateful.

I know that you’re also a model and have a passion for fashion outside of music. How do all of these creative outlets impact the other?

Well whenever I make my music, I sort of have a vision in my head of certain scenes, shots, storylines. So I feel like as an artist, as a person that creates music, I’m not only thinking lyrically and musically. I’m also thinking visually so, fashion does really play a part in terms of the stuff I wear in my music videos and what I want to portray. If I’m making a sad song, I would want my music video to sort of portray what I’m actually saying in the song. Or if I’m making something happier it could be different. But I feel like the visuals in music definitely should correspond with each other and play a hand in whether somebody is attracted to the music. You could see a great music video and every time I listen to the song, I’m going to picture that or picture whatever has happened in my life.

I also read that you graduated with a degree in coding. Has that impacted the way you make music?

Well I still have a year left until I graduate. But in terms of how I go to college and deal with music at the same time, it sort of gives me a structured schedule. I want to get this amount of music done in this amount of time before I have to go back to school. So it really just keeps me on track for how I want to finish my work. It sort of gives me a balance between music and going to school and going back to Houston and seeing all of my friends and stuff like that. So I think it’s affecting me positively because at first I did want to do Software Engineering as my career when I first started school but then I did music. But I think I would want to revisit Software Engineering again once I graduate but right now the focus is music.

How do you want fans to feel when they hear your music?

To start off, I do read my comments a lot, and a lot of the comments are people talking about their past relationships or their current relationships. I feel like I’m really helping people out as far as giving them a place to go to whenever things aren’t working out or even when things are working out. My music just gives somebody a place to escape the world and I feel like that’s what I’ve always wanted to do from the beginning because that’s what music was for me. That’s what music is for me and it’s always been that way for me since High School or Middle School. I always listen to music and I want people to feel what I feel when I listen to music. When they listen to my music, they should walk away feeling something.

What are you most excited to share next?

Right now I’m working on an album. I’m really just excited to share a new body of work with even more. I’m working on trying to get artists like D4vd, artists like Laufey, and just trying to get more people that align with my sound. The goal is ultimately to make people feel what they should feel even more. So that’s truly what I’m excited for. Just to give everybody the music that they deserve.

Photography: Paige Powell