Bree Runway facts for kids

Brenda Wireko Mensah (born on November 18, 1992), known as Bree Runway, is a British singer and rapper. She is known for her unique and exciting music style. Bree Runway signed with EMI Records in 2018. After that, she released her first EP, Be Runway, in 2019. Her first mixtape, 2000and4Eva, came out in 2020. This mixtape featured the popular song "ATM" with Missy Elliott. Bree Runway won the Best New International Act award at the 2021 BET Awards. She was also nominated for the 2022 Brit Award for Rising Star.

Early Life and Music Start

Brenda Mensah was born and grew up in Hackney, London. Her family comes from Ghana. She lived on a street that was known for being a tough area. Bree says these experiences made her strong and resilient.

When she was 9, Bree faced bullying and unfair treatment. These tough times helped her become the person and artist she is today. Later, at a college in South London, she met model Leomie Anderson. Leomie encouraged Bree to be confident and take charge of her life.

Bree was very interested in music at school. She took a Music technology class. This class taught her the basics of how to make music. She started creating beats and freestyling with her friends.

With her first paycheck, Bree bought equipment for a home studio. She began singing over her own beats and writing her own songs. Her early music, like RNWY 01, was made in this home setup. This helped her discover her unique musical style.

Once, Michelle Obama, the former First Lady of the United States, visited Bree's school. Bree performed for her. Michelle Obama told her to keep making music. She even said she wanted to see Bree perform at the White House someday!

Music Career Journey

2015–2019: First Steps and Be Runway

Bree Runway started her solo music journey in 2015. She released her first EPs, RNWY 01 and Bouji. Her first official single, "Butterfly", came out in November 2016. She even directed the music video for "Butterfly" herself.

In September 2017, Bree Runway released "What Do I Tell My Friends?". The music video for this song became very popular. It got over 100,000 views. People praised it for its important message about young women in the fashion industry. In 2018, Bree Runway signed with Virgin EMI Records. This was a big step in her career.

Her first major-label single, "2ON", was released in May 2019. This song was even used in a car advertisement for Toyota. In July 2019, she released "Big Racks" with Brooke Candy. Bree Runway's first major EP, Be Runway, came out in August 2019.

2020–2022: Mixtape Success and New Songs

On March 5, 2020, Bree Runway released "Apeshit". This song was highly praised. Even famous rapper Missy Elliott liked it on Twitter! A version of the song was also featured in the FIFA 21 video game. In April 2020, Bree Runway was on the cover of Notion magazine. ..... This song was named the "Hottest Record in the World" on BBC Radio 1.

In July 2020, Bree Runway worked with Rina Sawayama on a remix of her song "XS". She also released "Gucci" with Maliibu Miitch. Her song "Little Nokia" came out in September 2020. Time magazine even called it one of the best songs of 2020.

In October 2020, Bree Runway announced her first mixtape, 2000and4Eva. It was released on November 6, 2020. ..... The music video for "ATM" with Missy Elliott was released in January 2021.

Bree Runway continued to release new music. "Hot Hot" came out in March 2021. She also collaborated with Glass Animals on "Space Ghost Coast to Coast" in May 2021. In September 2021, she was featured on a remix of Lady Gaga's song "Babylon". She also appeared in the music video for "Have Mercy" by Chlöe. Bree Runway performed "Hot Hot" at the 2021 MOBO Awards. She also teased her new song "Pressure", which was released in February 2022. "Somebody Like You" followed in March. Her song "That Girl" was released in September 2022. This song was the main single from her fourth EP, Woah, What a Blur!, which came out in December 2022.

2023–Present: Independent Artist

In February 2023, Bree Runway was a special guest on Lizzo's The Special Tour in Europe. She released the song "Be the One" with Khalid in April. By July 2023, Bree Runway announced that she had left EMI and Universal. She decided to release music as an independent artist. This means she now has more control over her music.

In June 2024, Bree Runway released "Just Like That". This was her first song as an independent artist. She shared more about her experiences with record labels in an interview with Vogue.

Artistry and Influences

Bree Runway describes her music as "genre-bending" or "genre fluid." This means she mixes many different music styles. Her songs include elements of pop, trap, dance, R&B, rock, and hyperpop. Even when she was with a major record label, Bree Runway was always in charge of her creative process. She likes to study different music genres to find new ideas.

Bree Runway believes that her music should not be put into just one box. She doesn't want to be called only a rapper or an R&B artist. She prefers to be known as a "popstar" because her music is so varied. She looks up to artists like Foxy Brown, Lil' Kim, Britney Spears, Madonna, Missy Elliott, Pharrell, Kelis, and the Neptunes. They are her biggest inspirations.

Discography

Mixtapes

• 2000and4Eva (2020)

Awards and Nominations

Tours

Supporting

• Lizzo – The Special Tour (2023)

See also

In Spanish: Bree Runway para niños