NO SHAME IN THE HAIRBRUSH

Captured by Mitchell Royel in the Fashion District at a studio session for his upcoming album Factory Boy, now playing “Heartbeat” by Madonna.

I saw a post that stopped me in my tracks.

An Instagram post from an upcoming pop star —someone on the edge of something big—talking about her influences.

Prince.
Lady Gaga.
Missy.
Nicki Minaj.
Katy Perry.
Ke$ha.
Madonna.
Bowie.
Dada Life.
Imogen Heap.
Lana Del Rey.
Max Martin.
TLC.
La Reid.
Ozzy.
Billy Idol.
Kaskade.

The greats.

She wasn’t embarrassed.

She wasn’t trying to sound cool or detached.

She just said it:
these are the people who made me want to do this.

And honestly? That’s rare right now.

Somewhere along the way, acknowledging your heroes became uncool. Artists act like they emerged fully formed, like their sound came from nowhere, like they’ve never stood in front of a mirror with a hairbrush pretending to be someone else.

But here’s the truth: every legend started as a fan.

Prince studied James Brown. Madonna reinvented herself by studying everyone. Ozzy grew up on The Beatles. Billy Idol was obsessed with the Sex Pistols. The lineage matters. The inspiration matters. And there’s absolutely nothing weak about saying, “I wanted to be like them.”

We need more of this. More humility. More reverence. More artists who aren’t afraid to say they sang into hairbrushes, imagined themselves on stage, studied the moves, the vocals, the presence of the people who came before.

Because that’s not imitation. That’s foundation.

So to every artist reading this: name your influences. Celebrate them. Let us know who lit the fire in you. There’s power in that honesty—and it makes your own voice even stronger when it arrives.

The stage is waiting.
But remember who built it.

-Mitchell Royel