After “The Git Up” was certified 11x platinum and amassing more than four million streams to date, “trailer trap” superstar Blanco Brown was undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with within the country music community, as well as the trap music community, that is until he found himself almost unable to sing again after a tragedy ensued.
Blanco Brown’s Accident Inspired Heartache & Lemonade
In August of 2020, things took a turn for the worse when Brown was struck by a drunk driver while riding his motorcycle, almost taking his life. Being resuscitated in the ambulance and undergoing twelve blood transfusions, the Georgia native had to learn how to walk, dance and sing again during a long road to recovery, which ultimately served as the inspiration for his latest EP, Heartache & Lemonade, which arrived on April 5.
“Heartache & Lemonade is a project I started before my accident, and then through my accident. It got me back to, you know, a positive space, so taking those brokenhearted moments and turning them into something sweet is the premise of that title, Heartache & Lemonade,” Blanco Brown explained to Music Mayhem in an exclusive interview. In other words, finding sweetness in the bitter lemons of life is what the EP is all about, detailing the “The Git Up” singer’s ability to overcome adversity in a phenomenally poetic way.
After admitting that he was in a great deal of pain throughout his grueling recovery, Brown continued by sharing how he turned his hurt into some miraculous music later down the line. “I went back through those moments in my head — because I couldn’t write through those moments and I couldn’t think of songs through those moments — but in hindsight, a lot of these concepts came about because of those moments,” he spilled about the creation of Heartache & Lemonade as a whole.
Consisting of four tracks that are nothing short of sensational — “Energy,” “Tailgating in the Sun,” “Good As It Gets” and “Sunshine Shine” — the talented singer/songwriter dished about Heartache & Lemonade and more in a conversation with Music Mayhem.
Track Number One, “Energy”
Brown began by detailing all of the tracks featured on Heartache & Lemonade, beginning with track number one titled “Energy” and concluding with track number four titled “Sunshine Shine.”
“Energy” is far more country-leaning than Brown’s typical “Trailer Trap” sound, utilizing his soulful vocals to tell a gut-wrenching yet hopeful story to the listener to kick off Heartache & Lemonade.
“I’ve seen somebody go through domestic violence and I didn’t know why she stayed and why she didn’t choose, you know, the brightest side of things, but I guess it was the trauma, and she got comfortably uncomfortable with it,” he dished. “You find yourself in a cycle. I just want to give somebody in the world a perspective of having an option of taking or giving energy. Some people take, and some people give.”
Track Number Two, “Tailgating In The Sun”
To follow “Energy” comes “Tailgating In The Sun,” utilizing a piano tune that is unlike anything fans have heard from Brown before. Aside from the beat of the track, “Tailgating In The Sun” shares a story of wanting to soak up every minute with your partner — laying on the tailgate “until the sun comes up” — throughout its three-minute runtime.
Brown confirmed this heartwarming message, telling Music Mayhem, “It’s about being with somebody or, you know, the person you love and just spending that day and making new memories and moments.”
Track Number Three, “Good As It Gets”
This same story continues in track number three, titled “Good As It Gets,” detailing the feeling of falling in love and finding someone to spend the rest of your life with, all while utilizing the Georgia native’s soulful vocals once again.
When asked about the song, Brown spilled, “It’s like the same synergy as “Tailgating In The Sun” — about you spending that night with somebody that you want to spend the rest of your life with — but if you only get that night, then it’s going to be the best night you ever had in your life.”
Track Number Four, “Sunshine Shine”
Closing out Heartache & Lemonade is undoubtedly the catchiest song on the EP. “Sunshine Shine” is a feel-good, positive tune that is truly as authentic to Blanco Brown as it gets, spreading a message of positivity and resilience all while exemplifying his signature “trailer trap” sound from start to finish.
As far as its overall message goes, “I felt like I needed to write another song that felt like a line dance, but not necessarily get stuck in the ‘line dance only’ type of record category, because it has no real steps. I just named a couple of dances, but everything else is just a bop,” he explained. “‘Sunshine Shine’ means to be in a ray of light to somebody, and it’s not about anything else but positivity.”
Drawing similarities to “The Git Up” in more ways than just one, it is safe to say that “Sunshine Shine” will be the next smash hit for the 39-year-old, proving that he is able to bounce back to stardom after such a difficult time.
“Sunshine Shine” Music Video
“Sunshine Shine” has been out for fans to enjoy since February 2, coming with a music video that is equally as feel-good and positive as the song itself.
After chatting with Electro Horse, Brown came up with the idea of the music video, giving Music Mayhem the full rundown of how it came to be. “We were chatting up about some ideas, and I said, ‘Man, this is what I want to shoot.’ He said, ‘Man, I got a family company and I started, you know, doing filming… If you give me a shot at it, that’d be dope,’ so I said, ‘Okay, cool.’”
Teaming up with Electro Horse, Brown had one goal in mind for the “Sunshine Shine” music video, which was creating something that made the viewer happy. “We went through edits and edits, then had to cut some more things, and we finally got to what I felt like made me smile,” he concluded with a grin, reminiscing on the creation of the music video itself.
Is Heartache & Lemonade a glimpse into an upcoming album?
While Heartache & Lemonade is nothing short of sensational, Blanco Brown admitted that he has three EPs coming out throughout 2024, beginning with Heartache & Lemonade in April and followed by Cedar Walls & Whiskey in June, ultimately leading up to a full-length album.
“I have another one coming out in June,” Brown spilled, prior to delving into the details. “I titled that Cedar Walls & Whiskey, and I have a single on there from Diane Warren called ‘Snapshot.’ I will say the song is amazing,” he continued, detailing what exactly the EP will entail shortly afterwards.
“It starts off with a ‘trailer trap’ song called ‘Batman’ — which was produced by my brother, Epic the Illustrator, and written by me, him, and a guy named Big Jasper, who is one of my mentors — so I’m happy to start that next project that way, and then we end it with Diane Warren’s ‘Snapshot,’ and it can’t be no better beginning or ending for me,” the critically-acclaimed singer, songwriter and producer concluded.
Deeming OutKast to be his dream collaboration, it looks like the hip hop duo will not be a part of Cedar Walls & Whiskey, but only time will tell if they will be a part of his third EP of 2024, or the full-length album that will come afterwards.
Live Performances
With his new tunes aside, Brown is equally as excited to put on some live performances throughout 2024 and beyond, largely due to the fact that he is able to sing onstage again after his long, hard recovery.
He gushed, “I’m just excited to be performing, honestly, to tell you the truth. To go from a space of not knowing if I was going to be able to walk, to actually walking and moving across any stage, I’m just living in purpose. I’m excited for all of the upcoming shows and shows that’ll be added, shows that we manifest,” concluding the conversation with Music Mayhem.
Country music lovers, or trap music lovers, can listen to Heartache & Lemonade on their favorite streaming service as we speak, as well as connect with Blanco Brown on social media for updates regarding his upcoming music, live performances and more.
