Emily Blue, born Emily Caroline Otnes () on June 28, 1994, is an American singer-songwriter. She has a solo career and is the lead singer of

Champaign Champaign ( ) is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, United States. The population was 88,302 at the 2020 census. It is the tenth-most populous municipality in Illinois and the fourth most populous city in the state outside the Chicago metr ...

-based

indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s. Although the term was originally used to describe rock music released through independent reco ...

band Tara Terra. Born and raised in

Urbana, Illinois Urbana ( ) is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. As of the 2020 census, Urbana had a population of 38,336. It is a principal city of the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, which had 236,000 residents i ...

, she now lives in Chicago and Nashville. Blue's career is characterized by sharp changes in musical style, and her releases fall into different genre classifications, ranging from

synth-pop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a music genre that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s b ...

avant-garde In the arts and literature, the term ''avant-garde'' ( meaning or ) identifies an experimental genre or work of art, and the artist who created it, which usually is aesthetically innovative, whilst initially being ideologically unacceptable ...

and

death metal Death metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep death growl, growling vocals; aggressive ...

Life and career

Emily Blue was born as Emily Caroline Otnes on June 28, 1994, in Urbana, Illinois. She wrote her first song when she was 13, and got motivated to become a songwriter. She says her mother was the guiding figure in her home, and that she inspired her by taking a powerful female role in the household. She met Colin Althaus and Joey Buttlar in the early 2010s and they joined Nick Soria and Céline Broussard to form Emily Otnes and the Weekdays, later renamed to Tara Terra. Otnes changed her name to Emily Blue. Tara Terra released their debut album, ''Daughter'', on August 30, 2014.

2016–2017: Solo career and ''Where's Your Light?''

Blue's first single, "No Pain", was released on August 6, 2016, with lyrics about rape culture. The ''Another Angry Woman'' EP, was released on November 4, 2016, with five music tracks and three one minute interview tracks. Its lyrics are on subjects considered taboo, but conveyed with a mellow

indie pop Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with a DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and s ...

sound. According to Blue, the title of the EP "is a title that intends to take a critical stance on our culture's lack of empathy towards survivors". All the income from the album sales and merchandise for Another Angry Woman went to RACES (Rape Advocacy, Counseling, & Education Services) organization. Blue released the two-sided single, "Blackberries // Rico Acid" on April 7, 2017, with an up-tempo pop sound. "Blackberries" became popular on music streaming service Spotify. It was Blue's first collaboration with Max Perenchio. Tara Terra released the ''Where's Your Light?'' album in 2017, preceded by the single "Like the Clothes". Huffington Post praised the track, labeling it as the band " howingoff their rhythmic chemistry underneath Blue's falsettos and

olin Olin may refer to: People Organizations * OLIN, American landscape architecture firm * Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis * Olin College, an undergraduate engineering college in Massachusetts * Olin Corporation, a chem ...

Althaus's bright guitar riffs." It was described as having a harder sound than their 2014 release and received mostly positive reviews. The band went on indefinite hiatus the same year.

2018: ''*69 EP''

On April 6, 2018, Blue released "Cellophane", an

experimental An experiment is a procedure carried out to support or refute a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of something previously untried. Experiments provide insight into cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome occurs whe ...

and heavily synthesized pop track. This became the first single from '' *69 EP'', produced by and written with

Bad City Bad City was a five-piece rock band from Chicago, Illinois. They were signed to Atlantic Records in 2010. The band released their debut album '' Welcome to the Wasteland'', produced by Grammy Award nominated producer Johnny K, on August 24, 20 ...

's Max Perenchio. It was released on August 8, 2018. The second song from this extended play, "Microscope", was released five days before the EP was out. The sound on the EP was described by ''Chicago Reader'' as "a glossy, idea-packed EP whose five tunes burst with pulsing electro beats and walloping

choruses". It was also said that a few listens to Blue's "Microscope" and "Falling in Love", "make it clear that she can translate her razor-sharp hooks into any musical language". On the album's re-release, three songs were added to the tracklist.

2019: Tara Terra reformation and ''ICONIC''

On January 10, 2019, Blue commercially released ''Emily Blue on Audiotree Live'' with the songs from '' *69'', except "Dum Blonde", and three of her earlier singles. On March 8 of the same year, Blue released a

pop-rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre and form of rock music characterized by a strong commercial appeal, with more emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than standard rock musi ...

cover of Blondie's " Call Me", just three weeks before the release of Tara Terra's comeback single "Ithaca", which was revealed on April 1, 2019, premiering on Atwood Magazine. This album added Evan Opitz as official guitarist of Tara Terra. On April 7, 2019. Blue released a five-track extended play: ''Couch Surfer, Lover''. The single "Bad Decisions" was made available on all platforms on June 28, 2019, Blue's 25th birthday. The cover art for the album depicted the singer

mooning Illustration of a woman raising her dress and mooning a nun (1905) Mooning is the act of displaying one's bare buttocks by removing clothing, e.g., by lowering the backside of one's trousers and underpants, usually bending over, and also pot ...

the camera in front of a

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. On October 11, 2019, the singer released an indie-metal fusion track titled "17" on Spotify. The song was described both by reviewers and fans and by Blue herself as inspired by

Lana Del Rey Elizabeth Woolridge Grant (born June 21, 1985), known professionally as Lana Del Rey, is an American singer-songwriter. Lana Del Rey discography, Her music is noted for its melancholic exploration of Glamour (presentation), glamor and Romanc ...

. On October 14, 2019, Blue announced an 18+ LGBT music festival organised by her, titled ''ICONIC''. The festival took place on December 6, at Schuba's Tavern and included performances from Chicago band Flora, artists Carlile, SuperKnova, Thair and GirlBoifriend. According to the festival's site, a portion of the proceeds went to nonprofit organization Brave Space Alliance, a pro-

trans rights The legal status of transgender people varies greatly around the world. Some countries have enacted laws protecting the rights of transgender individuals, but others have criminalized their gender identity or expression. In many cases, transg ...

organization. On November 8, 2019, Blue won first place in

Chicago Reader The ''Chicago Reader'', or ''Reader'' (stylized as ЯEADER), is an American alternative newspaper in Chicago, Illinois, noted for its literary style of journalism and coverage of the arts, particularly film and theater. The ''Reader'' has been ...

's year-end Best Pop Artist award.

2020-present: COVID-19, new beginnings, ''The Afterlove''

In 2020, in light of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, Blue launched an initiative entitled "Artists for Global Giving". The concept of the project was that artists in lockdown make tracks from quarantine within 24 hours, with all tracks compiled into a mixtape, the proceeds of which go to

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

relief funds. Many artists promoted the concept on social media, with the process being dubbed "#1DaySongChallenge". The first volume of the project, "Artists for Global Giving , Mixtape #1" was released on March 25, 2020. "Social Distance", the fourth track on the album, is performed by Blue herself. Blue released a new single titled "Aperture" on 8 May, which was first teased on 15 April. The song was premiered with a live performance on

Good Day Chicago In most contexts, the concept of good denotes the conduct that should be preferred when posed with a choice between possible actions. Good is generally considered to be the opposite of evil. The specific meaning and etymology Etymology ( ) ...

The Deli ''The Deli'' was a Brooklyn-based independent music magazine, with both print and online editions, as well as a blog (still active) that covers local music scenes and their emerging artists. Magazine In its print version, ''The Deli'' was a qua ...

called the song "ethereal" and said it was "more firmly planted in Dream Pop than Blue's previous singles", while Emma Maliborski of Chicago Haze said it "manages to send listeners to a vibrant landscape through their earbuds". On 7 August 2020, following a live performance for

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via

Audiotree Audiotree is an American music record label located in Chicago, founded in 2011. The company records and publishes live music sessions. It also promotes artists and organizes live events, and invites artists from around the world to enter a prof ...

, with two previously unreleased tracks "Prophet" and "Glow", Blue released a single titled "Trump.". The song is a

protest song A protest song is a song that is associated with a movement for protest and social change and hence part of the broader category of ''topical'' songs (or songs connected to current events). It may be folk, classical, or commercial in genre. ...

against

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

in the genre of

. Blue announced on Twitter on 27 August 2020 that she would soon release an EP. The expected date of the release is unknown as of now. On 9 October, she followed the news up with a cover of

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her image reinventions and versatility across the entertainment industry, she is an influ ...

and

Ariana Grande Ariana Grande-Butera ( ; born June 26, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Regarded as a pop icon and an influential figure in popular music, Grande is known for her four-octave vocal range, which extends into the whistle re ...

's "Rain on Me", which features vocals from Chicago singer Thair. On 26 November 2020, Emily Blue's long-term songwriting partner Max Perenchio died at the age of 33 in a car crash in Southern California. Perenchio produced the vast majority of her releases up until that point. On 31 January 2021, the singer announced her third album, titled ''The Afterlove''. Emily Blue's first single of 2021, "7 Minutes", was released on 12 February. According to Wiwibloggs, it was sent to the song selection committee for

Melodi Grand Prix 2021 ''Melodi Grand Prix 2021'' was the 59th edition of the Norwegian music competition Melodi Grand Prix (MGP). The contest served as the country's preselection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2021. The competition was organized by NRK and was hel ...

before being released as a single. The song is the first release from Blue's third studio album, which is set to be released Summer 2021. Blue said the song was dedicated to Max Perenchio, who co-wrote the song several weeks before his death. "7 Minutes" was featured on

Noisey ''Vice'' (stylized in all caps) is a Canadian-American magazine focused on lifestyle, arts, culture, and news/politics. It was founded in 1994 in Montreal as an alternative punk magazine, and its founders later launched the youth media company ...

's Top Tracks of February 2021. The second single from the album, "See U in My Dreams", was initially scheduled to be released in June 2021. However, its release was postponed to July 23. It was met with positive reception, making it onto two of Spotify's biggest pop playlists. On the week of its release, the song peaked #35 on the Israeli digital charts, marking the singer's Top 40 debut. On 4 August, Blue revealed on an

Instagram Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...

livestream Livestreaming, live-streaming, or live streaming is the streaming media, streaming of video or Digital audio, audio in real-time communication, real time or near real time. While often referred to simply as ''streaming'', the real-time nature ...

that The Afterlove would come out "soon", announcing that one more single would precede the album release.

Personal life

Blue resides in Chicago, Illinois and Nashville, Tennessee. She is a supporter of LGBT rights and pro-LGBT organizations. Blue is openly

pansexual Pansexuality is sexual, romantic, or emotional attraction towards people of all genders, or regardless of their sex or gender identity. Pansexual people may refer to themselves as gender-blind, asserting that gender and sex are not determ ...

, and

non-binary Non-binary or genderqueer Gender identity, gender identities are those that are outside the male/female gender binary. Non-binary identities often fall under the transgender umbrella since non-binary people typically identify with a gende ...

and goes by she/they pronouns.

Discography

Albums

*''Another Angry Woman'' (2016) *'' *69'' (2019) *''The Afterlove'' (2022)

Mixtapes

*''Artists for Global Giving: Salud'' (2020)

Live albums

*''Emily Blue on Audiotree Live'' (2019)

EPs

*''Blackberries//Rico Acid'' (2017) *'' *69 EP'' (2018) *''#1DaySongChallenge'' (2020)

Singles

*"No Pain" (2016) *"Gene" (2016) *"Empower (We Grow)" (2017) * "Cellophane" (2018) * "Microscope" (2018) * "Call Me" (2019) *"Bad Decisions" (2019) *"17" (2019) *"Aperture" (2020) *"Trump." (2020) * "Rain on Me" (2020) *"7 Minutes" (2021) *"See U in My Dreams" (2021)

Awards and nominations

Notes

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Blue, Emily 1994 births Living people 21st-century American women singers 21st-century American singers 21st-century Norwegian women singers Bisexual singers Norwegian bisexual women American bisexual musicians American bisexual women Norwegian LGBTQ singers American LGBTQ singers Norwegian pop singers Norwegian women singer-songwriters Norwegian singer-songwriters Norwegian sopranos Norwegian heavy metal singers Norwegian non-binary people American non-binary musicians English-language singers from Norway Synth-pop singers Non-binary singers 21st-century American LGBTQ people 21st-century Norwegian LGBTQ people 21st-century Norwegian singers LGBTQ people from Illinois Non-binary bisexual people American synth-pop musicians American women pop singers LGBTQ women singers