Meet Mei Eldridge

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mei Eldridge.

Hi Mei, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in Illinois but I never felt like I fit in while living in the Midwest. Growing up, I struggled so much with mental health which I blame on living in such a close-minded, small town. Growing up as one of four or five Asian people in my school and one of the ONLY openly gay people in my town, life in Woodstock, Illinois was rough.
During this time, I found comfort in sharing my true self online – exploring the world of social media and discovering my love for music. Thankfully, my family and I moved to the West Coast (Seattle, to be exact) when I was in high school. Moving was my safe haven. I met so many like-minded individuals and finally experienced living in a community where I felt safe. Now, at 21, I am living in sunny Los Angeles, surrounded by people who love and support me unconditionally, all while pursuing a career in entertainment, something I have always dreamed of doing.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
The road has been…bumpy to say the least. Depression and anxiety ruled my life throughout my childhood/adolescence but fortunately, I was able to come out the other end with a light inside of me that I don’t think I would have otherwise found. Though my mental health has improved, I still struggle with this adversity. In January of 2020, I was diagnosed with a severe eating disorder and had to take part in an intensive treatment program for it in March. One week later, I moved to LA to start my Talent Residency at Buzzfeed. After nine months of hard work, I was one of three people chosen to continue my career at Buzzfeed as a Creator. I am lucky to be alive today and even luckier to have the privilege to do what I love in a city that I love. But I definitely didn’t get here without a fight.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Right now, I have two main focuses: music and social media. In the social media world, I hope to create a platform that leaves anyone who comes across my page feeling like they belong. As someone who has experience with mental health struggles, I hope to bring light to that topic and work towards removing the stigma surrounding mental health. I am super passionate about giving representation to anyone who relates to me. As a queer woman of color, I want to be someone who makes the members my many communities feel seen, heard, and appreciated. I want to talk about health and wellness, mental health, sexuality, and everything in between, in a way that feels accessible to those who have experienced similar things, as well as those who may not have direct experience with these topics but are looking to educate themselves. Whether I act as a distraction or an inspiration for change, helping people navigate through their daily lives and struggles with my work is something I hope to do for the rest of my life. On the music side of things, I am looking to do the same thing, just in a different format. As corny as it might sound, I want my music to make people FEEL. I want my music to inspire people. My hope is that my lyrics resonate with my listeners and make them feel the way that I felt while I was writing the songs. I currently only have two singles released, but I am working on a few more which will be coming out ASAP!!

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
Ideally, in 5-10 years, I will still be pursuing a career in entertainment. I am honestly sure what that means, whether it be music, continuing my path as an influencer, an actor, or somewhere in between. All I know is that I want to help people and entertain those who need a break, the same way that so many creators and artists have done for me. For social media specifically, I think this new wave of short-form content is going to take over the world which would be a huge shift from the longer form stuff we have come to know. I think that music will always be music and no matter what changes in terms of what specific “sound” is popular at the time, we’ll all still be creating what feels right for us, and our audiences will follow suit.

Contact Info:

• Email: mei.eldridge@buzzfeed.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meiquinn/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/meisrllycool
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1lyH1uo6D5uUqQ410sFZHn?si=nRH3MvfgSo2przo_SaddFg