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PHOTO BY FOLAJIMI FAMOSAYA (@69.VIEWS)

From her Brooklyn apartment, Kirby Lauryen Dockery (known within the industry as KIRBY, @singkirbysing) sits on an orange couch in front of a red wall with her adorable teacup Pomeranian, Queenie, on her lap. Immediately, conversation flows, and a while goes by before we even delve into the actual interview questions. “Now, where in the world are you right now?” she asks in her Southern accent (she hails from Mississippi). Even talking hundreds of miles away, it feels like we are in the same room.

PHOTO BY FOLAJIMI FAMOSAYA (@69.VIEWS)

On getting into music, she knew she wanted to be a songwriter and soon realized that college wasn’t for her. So, she took a chance to see if she could make a name for herself in Atlanta. KIRBY turned to YouTube, as so many aspiring artists did and still do, to put her creativity out in the world. Aft er a difficult year, she prayed for a turn and felt convicted to write a song every single day until someone noticed. For 275 days, she wrote a new song, putting it out in the world for the public to see. Catching Roc Nation’s eye, she was then signed with them, and her prolific career began.

PHOTO BY FOLAJIMI FAMOSAYA (@69.VIEWS)

Soon, she was writing songs for Rihanna, Beyoncé, Ariana Grande and many more renowned stars. When reflecting on a moment with Christina Aguilera, she says, “I remember I sat on her couch, I played her a song, and after listening to my demo, she said, ‘Why aren’t you singing?’ I felt like, for someone as big as her and [who is] such an influential pop star, for her to say something and see something in me, that was a really special moment for me.” This exchange inspired KIRBY to move away from Los Angeles and give herself a chance.

Since then, her creativity and ability to hone inspiration has flourished. She has found that writing for herself has been an introspective journey compared to writing songs for other people. “Being a songwriter [for others] is like being water,” she says of the difference. “If they are sad or heartbroken, no matter how happy I am, I have to feel that feeling in order to capture the message.” Not only has she written for artists, but also the silver screen, including Donald Glover’s dark comedy series, Swarm, earlier this year, understanding how to bring a cinematic vision to life and also act as the voice for the protagonist.

KIRBY's forthcoming sophomore album digs deeper into sociopolitical themes. PHOTO BY FOLAJIMI FAMOSAYA (@69.VIEWS)

While she successfully achieved this, she is now working on her second album, Miss Black America. She alludes to it so as not to emote hate but to sit in the beauty of discomfort, channeling the plight of her ancestors and how she observes the way racism exists today.

“It’s not a love song record; it’s not a record about a man; it’s a record about the Black woman experience, and it is a political record. Something stirred up in me to say something regarding what happened in history,” she says. Her first song, “Black Leaves,” harbors the haunting memories through which she will tell the story. However, KIRBY will never be done creating as she feels her best songs have not even been penned, and she’s hungry to continue to perfect her passion.