It’s hard to pigeonhole Brian Justin Crum. One moment the multi-faceted America’s Got Talent finalist is detailing the sexual empowerment of new single “Wild Side.” The next, he’s baby-talking Pepper, the five-pound, mix-breed love-of-his-life.
“I wish you could see my dog right now; she’s being so cute,” the out singer gushed during an appearance on Party Foul Radio with Pollo & Pearl. “She looks like Splinter from Ninja Turtles.”
America’s Got Talent finalist Brian Justin Crum talked to Party Foul Radio with Pollo & Pearl about his new single “Wild Side” and upcoming album.
In many ways, it seems only fitting Crum should temporarily table discussion of “Wild Side,” his slinky new track released to online retailers and YouTube Nov. 15. A self-described “freak” when it comes to pooches, especially his tiny Chihuahua/terrier mix, it’s a reminder why he proved so lovable on America’s Got Talent.
“If I see a dog on the street, I have to stop and say hi; I have to have a moment,” admitted Crum. “I have this very specific dog voice. It’s a whole thing, and people judge me, but I don’t care...”
“I love the doggies,” he says, instantly upping the pitch on his multi-octave voice to speak directly to Pepper. “Yes, I do!”
Being utterly adorable is only one reason Crum faired so well on the hit NBC competition series’ eleventh season. He impressed both fans and judges– including notorious curmudgeon Simon Cowell – with soaring renditions of Queen’s “Somebody to Love,” Radiohead’s “Creep” and even Phil Collins classic “In the Air Tonight.”
His story of being bullied upon coming out (in elementary school no less!) further solidified his role as an audience favorite. Though “very happy” to tell his story on national television en route to a fourth-place finish, Crum is quick to stress he’s “not a victim.”
“I don’t live in that place of victimhood,” insisted the singer. A desire to reinforce he is not a “woe-is-me kind of guy,” he told Podomatic’s No. 1 LGBTQ podcast, has shaped his musical direction going forward.
“Something that was super important to me was for people to see me take my power,” said Crum of “Wild Side.” “A lot of my power comes from sex. I’m very sexual. Why wouldn’t I be proud of that?”
LISTEN: Brian Justin Crum Talks Sex, New Single “Wild Side,” Frankmusik
For “Wild Side,” Crum partnered with music producer Frankmusik. The duo collaborated on the synth-heavy pop track, which (perhaps not-surprisingly) bears strong sonic similarities to recent work by Adam Lambert.
The video intersperses current images of Crum and archival footage of the queer conversion therapy practices of yesteryear. It’s a reminder of “how far we have come from the archaic times when LGBTQ were sent to mental hospitals and psychiatric wards to find a cure for their ‘sickness,’” the artist said – and how far we still have to go.
“We, as LGBTQ people, are told from the time we’re very young that sexuality is something to be ashamed of,” said Crum. “I want to show people out there it’s nothing to be shameful for, that we should be proud and celebrate. Sex between consenting adults is a beautiful thing.”
According to Crum, “Wild Side” is an accurate preview of what’s ahead musically. “In it’s production and the dark, seedy kind of feel, absolutely, there is a through line of that,” he said of a pending full-length release. That’s due in large part, he suggested, to working with Frankmusik.
“He gets my voice; I get his style,” he said of the producer, “We’ve come up with some really dope stuff I’m excited to share with everybody.”
After “super randomly” connecting with Frankmusik, who helmed Erasure’s 2011 album Tomorrow’s World and is featured on two RuPaul albums, Crum said the pair “vibed” in the studio. To date, they have finalized five tracks.
WATCH: Brian Justin Crum “Wild Side”
“It almost feels like a lot of our songs are duets, because his style is so him,” acknowledged Crum of Frankmusik.
“The music is just dripping with sex and angst,” he continued. “I love that we have this kind of ‘package’ thing coming out, where we both put our art and soul into it and want it to tell a story.”
Though revealing himself in such intimate ways to audiences who only know him from AGT is “absolutely scary,” Crum says the thought’s also “rewarding.” Describing his upcoming album as “a diary almost,” it provides fans a peek into the “wide range of feelings and emotions” he’s known since leaving the show.
“I can look back at these songs I’ve written over the past year and remember specific moments with ex-lovers or moments of feeling empowered by breaking up with somebody,” stated the San Diego resident, who is “excited” to share those experiences with listeners.
“It’s cool that you’ll see this journey I’ve been on this past year,” concluded Crum. “It’s definitely sexy, it’s definitely a little dark, but that’s who I am, and I want to show all those sides.”
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LISTEN: Brian Justin Crum’s Interview on Podomatic’s No. 1 LGBT Podcast