Next Wave: O’Brie 

O’Brie calls herself “just a girl who loves music,” but her artistry carries weight far beyond simplicity. A singer, songwriter, and multi-hyphenate creator, she describes her work as an extension of spirit—music that doesn’t just touch the heart but the soul.

“I started my musicianship journey at 11 years old,” she shared. “Even as a shy child, I knew that music felt a little different to me. I couldn’t always express how I felt, but when I sang, I knew exactly what emotions were running through my body.”

Her sound lives in feeling—soulful and raw, always reaching for the kind of authenticity that can’t be faked. “If the feeling is off, then it doesn’t matter how good the song is—it won’t be able to fully touch someone,” O’Brie says. “The community I’ve started is full of real music lovers. People that, if they didn’t have music in their life, it would never feel complete.”

September marks Hispanic Heritage Month, a time of celebrating cultural intersections, and O’Brie leans into those connections with reverence.

“Latin culture is so rich and expansive. I’ve definitely been inspired by it—especially because there are so many similarities between Latin and African culture in music,” she reflects.

Her earliest introduction came through Selena, whose joy and vitality left a lasting impression.

“I loved her sensual voice, and it always looked like she was having so much fun while performing. That’s what inspires me most with Latin music and artists,” O’Brie highlights. “The joy and camaraderie their music brings.”

That sense of joy and community is woven into O’Brie’s journey. Once too shy to sing beyond her bedroom, she eventually let go of fear and began to honor her gift publicly.

“I had to ask myself: Why am I keeping this gift God gave me to myself? The answer was fear,” she revealed. “And when I finally let that fear go, everything I learned just clicked for me—and that is when my journey truly began.”

O’Brie’s inspirations trace a wide lineage. From Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, and Lauryn Hill to Rihanna, Willow, and Erykah Badu, she has many musical muses. Yet some of the most profound influences came from her own family. She pulled from church aunts singing with conviction, a band director who introduced her to jazz, and friends she jammed with who taught her about freedom in sound. All of it shaped her into the artist she is now: grounded, evolving, and deeply intentional.

O’Brie names her superpower as connection.

“My superpower is definitely my purpose, which is bringing people together,” she says. Whether through art, events, or food, she envisions her creativity as a vessel for community. “Safe spaces, especially for Black women, are so needed—and we deserve to feel love from every inch of the Earth.”

In a time when music can feel more algorithm than art, O’Brie keeps her compass set on authenticity.

“As the industry becomes more saturated, and AI and bots only increase, authenticity will become like gold,” she says. “God only made one you, and you have to completely innerstand that to recognize your authentic power.”

Mixing fashion with her music has also expanded her vision as both an artist and entrepreneur.

“Putting on fashion shows with musical guests,” she adds, “creating fashion films that bring the clothes and music to life, creating music and merch to go along with it—it makes creating more joyful.”

These multidisciplinary explorations aren’t distractions but extensions of the same purpose: to bring people closer to each other—and to themselves.

For O’Brie, the future is already humming. An EP is on the horizon, collaborations are pushing her creativity, and her excitement about jazz’s rebirth keeps her anchored in tradition while daring toward newness.

“I’m just honored to be a part of the renaissance,” she says.

And for those looking to make their own wave, her advice is simple but profound: “Don’t doubt yourself. If you feel called to something, it’s because it’s already yours. Music is a feeling process—make the music that feels good to you, and there will always be somebody who resonates.”

In a month about heritage, O’Brie is a reminder that culture isn’t fixed in the past—it’s living, breathing, expanding. And with every note, she’s building bridges across it.

Be sure to follow her journey here.