A 13-year-old McMath student may be Richmond’s next home-grown star.
The singer-songwriter released her first single Friday and has a handful of other songs ready to put out in the coming year.
Chyenne May’s song “Forever and Ever” would sound at home on any pop or country radio station, as her voice, strong and confident, sings of loneliness and unanswered questions.
“When I wrote the song, I wanted it to be an experience and a feeling that anyone can relate to,” she said. “The feeling of not knowing and being stuck in a certain situation.”
She’ll be flying to Toronto this week to do more publicity for the single, which was produced by Adam Stanton of Studio Cloud 30. On Friday, her song shot to 64th place on the iTunes top 100 country charts.
Mom Stephanie May, a Richmond piano teacher, is incredibly proud.
“It's exciting. Chyenne has definitely put in a lot of hard work. It doesn't just happen overnight. It takes hours and hours of practice.”
Some that practice came from live performances around the city. Chyenne can be seen singing at Sockeyes games, the Richmond Night Market and local festivals and farmer’s markets.
Back in 2016, she also won Most Promising Performer at the BC Youth Talent Search.
Her musical idols include Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift and Beyonce. She loves all musical genres and doesn’t want to limit herself, but that country-pop works well for the ballad she’s written.
Chyenne usually starts writing songs by finding the chords on the piano or guitar, and after that the lyrics come naturally.
“I've always loved music and I've always known I wanted to be a songwriter,” she said. “When I sing, it's a way of letting emotions out and it's just so beautiful.”
