Brooke Candy


Brooke Dyan Candy is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, director, and fashion stylist. Raised in the suburbs of Los Angeles, daughter of Tom Candy, former CFO for Hustler Magazine, Brooke rose to prominence after starring in Grimes' music video for "Genesis", which went viral online. Following its success, Candy's status in the underground scene rose as she began to release her own material: "Das Me", "Everybody Does", and "I Wanna Fuck Right Now". In 2014, she signed with RCA and released her debut major label single, "Opulence", with an accompanying EP of the same name on May 6, 2014. Later, she joined Columbia's UK roster. Both are divisions of Sony Music.
Candy's debut album, Daddy Issues, was originally intended for a 2015 release but saw a series of delays. Following a slew of pop-driven singles, including the moderately-successful "Living Out Loud", Candy left the labels in 2017. Throughout 2017 and 2018, Candy toured alongside Charli XCX and Lizzo, also headlining her own with the Tie Me Up Tour in Asia. Candy released her first full-length album, Sexorcism, in 2019.

Early life

Brooke Candy was born in Oxnard, California, grew up in the Los Angeles suburb of Agoura Hills and is of Italian and Jewish descent. Her parents divorced when she was eight. Her mother was a pediatric nurse.

Career

2011–13: Underground beginnings

She lived out of her car for a period, working as a stripper at the Seventh Veil adult club in Hollywood. While working as an intern for Rachel Zoe, Candy contacted Larry Flynt, seeking work as a photographer for Hustler. Flynt eventually employed her as a mannequin stylist for Hustler store fronts. Candy described the job as "dress the mannequins slutty."
During 2012 and 2013, Candy independently released her first three videos for her songs; "Das Me", "Everybody Does", and "I Wanna Fuck Right Now" on YouTube. The videos had more than a million views by early 2013. In August 2012, she co-starred in the music video for Grimes' single "Genesis". Candy's first major label recording took place when she appeared on the track "Cloud Aura" on Charli XCX's debut album True Romance. Candy was introduced to Charli by Azealia Banks when Candy hosted Banks' Mermaid Ball in Los Angeles.

2014–17: Breakthrough and major-label releases

She eventually signed with RCA Records in February, 2014. "Opulence", co-written with Sia and produced by Diplo, was her first single with the label. For the song's video, she collaborated with stylist Nicola Formichetti and Steven Klein. The video explores the theme of "freaks," a concept that was conceived by Candy and Formichetti at a drag bar in Tokyo. It features transgender women, drag queens, and gay men who are friends with Candy. "We're all freaks and outcasts, and this was meant to empower them," Candy said. Formichetti, Candy and Klein worked on a V Magazine shoot that led to Steven Klein directing "Opulence".
Candy's debut EP Opulence featuring the title track as the lead single, was released on May 6, 2014.
On May 16, 2015, Brooke Candy uploaded on Vevo a video called "A Study in Duality", where she "explores the various archetypes of today's culture". It also features the instrumental from her song "Happy Days", produced by More Mega. The video itself was directed by Candy and Lil Internet, under Formichetti's fashion direction and Hayley Pisaturo's styling.
Candy's debut album was set to be called Daddy Issues, being executively produced by then label-mate Sia, who is also a songwriter on the record. She discovered Candy on Instagram and reached out to her, believing that " was the only person who could really support in becoming who on a grander stage or platform.". So far, Sia wrote at least two songs for the album, one being the single "Living Out Loud" which features Sia herself, and another Cher-inspired record. Other collaborators included Greg Kurstin, Jack Antonoff and Matthew Koma.
In August 2015, Brooke Candy has partnershiped with MAC Cosmetics on a line of makeup products. A song called "Rubber Band Stacks" was released as a single. The music video, directed by Cody Critcheloe and styled by Formichetti was premiered on August 17. It was released on August 13, 2015 followed by its music video on August 18. The song is featured on the Madden NFL 16 video game.
On January 29, 2016, Brooke Candy released a new single titled "Happy Days". On February 4, 2016, its video also styled by Formichetti and directed by Renata Raksha was premiered on Nylon, and later was uploaded on YouTube. On May 13 she released a song titled "Changes" to promote her second makeup line with MAC. On June 2 a new track called "Nasty" along its music video, directed by Rankin and co-styled by Candy herself was premiered via Hunger TV. On July 7, another single called "Paper or Plastic" was released The music video for the song, directed by Darren Craig, premiered a week later.
Candy released on December 16, 2016 a KDA remix of the previously unreleased song "Living Out Loud" which featured Sia. The original and proper single version of the song was released on February 3, 2017. The same day RCA stated that the album was set for a spring 2017 release.

2017–present: Independent career and ''Sexorcism''

In January 2017, Candy starred in the fashion film directed by Gracie Otto and Thomas Kerr called Candy Crush. During June 2017, she toured as a supporting act for Lizzo and performed at LA Pride. The same month, Candy told magazine Bullett that she was working an EP set to be released during summer 2017 after parting ways with former record label RCA, where she hopes to go back to her roots developing a punk-inspired rap sound. She also stated that she wasn't feeling making mainstream pop music anymore, so is yet unknown if her record Daddy Issues will be released. In another interview with Noisey, she stated that Sony owned the songs so after her departure, the album is most likely cancelled. She premiered the music video for her single "Volcano" on July 7, 2017. The song was co-written by Candy herself, producer Cory Enemy, Sia, and Jesse Saint John.
Candy released "For Free" as a Germany-only promotional single on March 14, 2018. It was featured on the Germany's Next Topmodel "Hip-Hop Edition" episode, where Candy made an appearance and a music video filming took place. Then, a single called "War", written by Candy with Jesse Saint John, MNDR, Peter Wade, Will Ivy and Dave Sharma came out on May 18, 2018 along its lyric video, directed by Korean artist MLMA. The follow-up "My Sex" featuring Pussy Riot, MNDR and Mykki Blanco was released on August 17, 2018 along its animated music video, directed by Swedish artist Pastelae and made in collaboration with ManyVids. The song was co-written by Charli XCX and also produced by MNDR and Wade, with additional production by Trapchat. She also teamed up with Pornhub directing an erotic film called I Love You, which was released on August 29, 2018.
Candy has stated that her first full-length album is in the works. On November 16 a new single called "Nuts" featuring American songwriter and rapper Lil Aaron was released. The song was written along frequent collaborator Jesse Saint John and Sarah Hudson. On December 12, 2018 she released a joint single along production team Ojivolta called "Oomph". The music video, directed by Candy herself, debuted the same day. On December 25, 2018; she released a collection of unreleased tracks for free download. It included a demo of Candy's 2017 single "Volcano" as well as collaborations with SOPHIE, Lakewet, Cory Enemy and Count Mack among others. Following a promotional tour in Asia, a Takahiro Nishikawa-directed tour documentary, Tokyo Tour Diary, was premiered via Noisey on January 4, 2019.
On January 10, 2019 Candy confirmed that she just had finished her debut album. She recorded it on London with English producer, singer and songwriter Oscar Scheller along London based American rapper Ashnikko. On February 28, Candy confirmed that the album was titled Sexorcism and that the first single is called "Happy", which was released on March 29, 2019 along its official music video directed by Rankin. The track lyrically deals with themes such as mental health and identity and has been described as "some of most personal work to date". Sexorcism was stated for a tentative September 2019 release via Sega Bodega's imprint NUXXE. The second single "XXXTC" featuring Charli XCX and Maliibu Miitch was released on July 2, 2019 while its music video directed by Luke Abby and Dejan Jovanović premiered on July 23. Preceded by two more singles "Drip" featuring Erika Jayne and "FMU" featuring Rico Nasty, Sexorcism was released on October 25, 2019. Candy is set to embark on the Sexorcism Tour to promote the album.

Artistry

Candy's music has been described as electropop, pop-rap and most recently, pop punk while her early work, labeled as "club-rap", has been recognized for its twerk-able nature, springy beats, and cyberpunk.
Candy's early persona is known for her extreme fashion style, most notably her long cornrows and metallic bikini costumes. Sia described Candy as a "feminista glam alien". Vogue profiled Candy in July, 2014, saying "For all her shape-shifting, perhaps it's helpful to think of Brooke Candy as a tabula rasa whose videos, concerts, and everyday appearances each necessitate a different character. Together, they make her a fashion plate palimpsest."
Candy's fashion has been described as a distinctive stripper-meets-Tumblr aesthetic. She often collaborates with fashion designer Seth Pratt. Following trends in stan culture, Candy has nicknamed her fanbase #FagMob.
Vice blogger Ali Carman asked Candy, in an interview, if she was offended that her internet persona was considered fake. Candy replied: "My persona is a reality to me, you know. Like I would never rap and act hood if it wasn't actually my mentality and I wouldn't perform in a super-sexual way if being a stripper wasn't the way I made money." MTV called Candy's look "super hardcore", a "breath of fresh, fearless air", and a prayer answered by the pop goddesses. Calling her the "Freaky Princess", The Guardian journalist Michael Cragg agreed with the stripper-turned-rapper's alias, comparing her to Xena, the Warrior Princess.
Candy also hosts a blog dedicated to photography.

Personal life

Candy is openly pansexual, and has cited Lil' Kim as an inspiration for her rapping technique and irreverent image. She also expresses strong feminist ideals. Candy has several tattoos, including the name "Gotti" tattooed on the inside of her forearm in honor of John Gotti, after whom she has also named her puppy. She is an adamant and vocal proponent of the legalization of sex work and legality of recreational use of marijuana.
Candy's image is highly sexualized. "They told me not to make something so sexual", she told New York writer Christopher Glazek, recalling a conversation she had with her record executives about the music video for her song "I Wanna Fuck Right Now", whose refrain is: "I wanna fuck right now / I wanna fuck right now now".

Awards and nominations

Discography

;Headlining
;Supporting
;Promotional
;Guest
YearTitleRoleNotesRef.
2018Germany's Next TopmodelHerselfTV series
Episode: "Hip-Hop Edition"
2018The Pornhub Podcast with Asa AkiraHerselfPodcast
Episode: "Brooke Candy: Queer Rapper..."
2020The Real Housewives of Beverly HillsHerselfTV series
Episode: "The Crown Isn't So Heavy"

Music videos