Lydia Rene shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Lydia , we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
I feel really proud to have contributed to the film score and soundtrack for the film “Sinners”. I truly feel like Ryan Coogler has just made history during black history month and the fact that my voice is on the soundtrack and throughout the film is truly an honor. I received a Grammy Winning Certificate for being a featured artist on the soundtrack and also got to perform on the Oscars because of “Sinners”. I am truly proud of the opportunities this film has afforded me.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Lydia Rene and I’m a professional singer/songwriter and performer. I currently live in Los Angeles California with my husband and my 6 year old daughter. I try to show people that you can have a career in entertainment as a woman and also be a Mom and a wife =) I’ve had to pleasure of working with many of my favorite artists (including John Legend, Cynthia Erivo, Raphael Saadiq, Ledisi, Brittany Howard erc.) and musicians. Performing on many stages including the Hollywood Bowl, Coachella, The Oscars, and many others. I’ve had the pleasure of releasing 2 LIVE albums and 1 studio album and we are currently working on the next solo studio album. I’ve just worked on a GRAMMY Award winning and OSCAR award winning soundtrack for the film Sinners.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
My mother. She understands me in a way that is so deep and I will always love her for that. She always paid attention to me and how I operate and how I move through the world. I was so blessed to have an introspective parent who also gave me grace in many situations. She happens to be a life coach and therapist but it was always a benefit in my household. A lot of times when I simply didnt understand myself I knew that my mother did.
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
The fear that maybe I will not be successful, that everyone who believed in me will be wrong. It sounds irrational saying it out loud sometimes but it often plays on repeat in my mind sometimes. So many people prayed for me, invested money in me, came to my shows, promoted me, shared my music and my journey and I owe it to all of those people to succeed. So sometimes when my journey gets hard and there looks like there is no light at the end of the tunnel the fear that maybe I will let all of these people down haunts me. I want to make every investment ( for example the sacrifice my parents made to pay for my college education) worth it in the end. Now that fuels me to continue to achieve bigger and better goals.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
I’d say its a fraction of me. I can be very reclusive lol. I also love people and I love being around friends but when that social battery dies, its dead honey. And I love being in my room being creative or watching documentaries and movies with or without my husband. My husband is my forever movie partner but sometimes I absolutely have to be by myself, it recharges me. I love to laugh and tell jokes and be silly and funny, thats absolutely who I am in public and online but sometimes I can sit in silence and be perfectly content. I also have very strong opinions about many topics most of which I dont share publicly. I can absolutely be a people pleaser but as I get older I am no longer bound by that. I get closer to being my 100 percent authentic self in public everyday but I think its fun to have a touch of mystery about yourself too.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
That I was kind and helpful. I know I speak a lot about success and being great but I really believe people remember how you treated them way more than what you accomplished. If i was extremely successful in music and entertainment but people only had horrible things to say about how I treated people or didn’t help anyone I think that would crush me. I want to be known as a good person and someone who had a heart for all people. I love helping people and making sure that they also succeed. If people need something and I can provide it I will absolutely give it. My husband is the same way and he inspired me to be that way even more once we connected and got married. I just saw an amazing interview about how actress, Tischina Arnold helped THEN up and coming actress Gabrielle Union by paying for her therapy because she couldn’t afford it. No one would ever know if Gabrielle didnt tell this story. THAT is the kind of person I want to be and the stories I want being told about me when I’m LONG gone.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lydiarene.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lydiarenes/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/lydiarene
- Other: Tik Tok – https://www.tiktok.com/@lydiarenes
Linktree – https://linktr.ee/lydiarene
Image Credits
Keith Scales
Center Theatre Group
