On the Monday, April 8 edition of “Tamron Hall,” R&B country artist Tiera Kennedy discussed collaborating with Beyoncé on her history-making album, “Cowboy Carter.” Featured on the track “Blackbird,” the up-and-coming musician opened up about the powerful meaning behind the Paul McCartney original and shared why uncovering the song’s message made the track even more special. Kennedy also revealed her personal musical influences, including Ashanti and Boyz II Men, and reflected on the advice she received from Shania Twain. See more inside and a video clip…
Tiera Kennedy on working with Beyoncé on “Blackbird”:
“I have such a hard time talking about it without crying. It’s such a beautiful song to be a part of and I didn’t learn the history of the song until after we recorded it and it just made it so much more special.” She added, “I mean, she has incredible artists like Linda Martell and Dolly Parton [as] a part of this album and for her to include four up-and-coming female artists – she didn’t have to do that but she shined her light on us and I’m super thankful for that.”
Tiera Kennedy on her musical influences:
“So I grew up listening to a lot of R&B, kind of reluctantly, you know the music your parents play is never cool until you get older. Now I’m like, that was some cool stuff.” She continued, “I mean I think its super cool now, so don’t be mad at me, but they were playing Ashanti and Boyz II Men and I’m so into it now…but I grew up listening to that and I’ve always loved country and so that’s just in me. So my music is a mix of the two.”
Tiera Kennedy on Shania Twain’s unforgettable advice:
“I met Shania a few years back and she has just been such a champion of mine and I remember her giving me this piece of advice that I’ve always kept with me. She said, ‘There’s always going to be people along the way that are going to try to change you but you have to stay true to yourself.”
(DISNEY ENTERTAINMENT TELEVISION/Jeff Neira)
