All of us dreamed of becoming artists, policemen, or firefighters as children. It happened that one day we dreamed of one profession and the next day of another. But this is not the case with Bebe Rexha. She displayed artistic talents from childhood, and in the future, she became one of the best. Despite a challenging path from a family of ethnic Albanian migrants to the heights of musical Olympus, she persevered. She started by writing songs for famous performers and then sang solo. Read more at brooklynka.com.
Successful childhood
Bebe was born on August 30, 1989, in Brooklyn, New York City. At birth, the girl was named Bleta, which means “bumblebee” in Albanian. Her nickname, and later her stage name, was invented by the girl herself. Playing with variations of her name, she came up with the idea of calling herself Bebe. Later, the world would come to know her as Bebe Rexha.
Bebe’s parents have remarkable stories of origin. The singer’s father, Flamur Rexha, came to the United States when he was 21. He was born in Macedonia, in the town of Debar, in the west of the Republic. The artist’s mother was born in America, although her entire family also comes from Macedonia, from Gostivar. Perhaps their common roots brought these two people together.
Bebe lived in Brooklyn with her parents for six years. Brooklyn served as a temporary refuge for many immigrants, and for Rexha’s family, it was just a brief stop.
Staten Island became their next home. Bebe graduated from Tottenville High School. During her schooling, the girl was actively involved in music. The first instrument she mastered was the trumpet. As early as elementary school, Bebe showed interest in it, and her parents supported her. Then she learned to play the piano and the guitar. This proved to be very helpful in her future career as a songwriter.
Playing different instruments made Bebe think about something new. During her school days, she participated in school musicals like Hello, Dolly! Jesus Christ Superstar and Fiddler on the Roof. In high school, she joined the choir, and it was at this time that she realized she had an incredible coloratura soprano voice. It is very difficult to confuse Bebe’s voice with other performers.
That’s where she stopped. She started writing songs as a teenager. These were not meaningless essays or shameful drafts. Her songs were already winning awards. For example, she won one of her first awards, “Best Teen Songwriter.” Additionally, Bebe won a songwriting competition, surpassing 700 competitors.
Bebe clearly had outstanding talent from birth, but Samantha Cox, a talent scout, convinced her to take a songwriting class. Talent alone is never enough. It was her perseverance, talent and training that made her a world-renowned singer and songwriter for dozens of famous performers.
Starting a music career
Bebe was able to establish valuable connections in the music world. However, on her way to a big breakthrough, she had a few unsuccessful or rather unpromising projects. One of them was Black Cards.
In one of New York’s recording studios, Bebe met Pete Wentz, who was then the bass guitarist of the band Fall Out Boy. They came up with the idea to create a duo, a new experimental group. According to their plan, Pete would write songs and play the guitar while Bebe would be the lead vocalist. The band existed for two years. During that time, they managed to release several singles on various platforms and give a few small concerts. But they did not achieve much more.
The band broke up because Bebe wanted to go solo. Although in interviews, Wentz repeatedly mentioned that it was a mutual decision. While Black Cards was not a successful venture, it was a good experience before starting a solo career.
Warner Bros. Records
The major breakthrough in the lady’s solo career occurred in 2013 when she signed a contract with Warner Bros. Records. Bebe started her collaboration with the famous label as a composer. She has written songs for Selena Gomez, Nikki Williams and the Eminem-Rihanna duo. It was their song “The Monster” that brought her fame as a songwriter and composer.
Bebe’s most successful work was initially written for herself. However, producer Riggs Morales convinced her to give the song to Eminem. The song was later reworked and adapted to Eminem’s style. It’s unclear whether she would have achieved the same level of popularity if she had kept the song for herself. Although it doesn’t really matter, one way or another, the song made her famous.
Despite her success as a composer, the girl did not abandon her desire to perform solo. In 2013, she released the original pop track “Comeback Kids.” She also collaborated with the unusual group Cash Cash on a song. Their joint song “Take Me Home” reached the 57th position on the Billboard Hot 100, an influential music ranking. They even released a music video for the song the following year.
Collaboration with several other labels did not affect the fact that Bebe released her solo album on Warner Bros. Records. The first song of her debut album was called “I Can’t Stop Drinking About You.” Afterward, a continuous stream of new songs followed, including “I’m Gonna Show You Crazy” and “Gone.”
In 2015, Bebe released a new album with the same Warner Bros. Records. “I Don’t Wanna Grow Up” was the first EP in the singer’s career, but not the last.
Star duets and major awards
The list of artists with whom Bebe Rexha has collaborated is long. Among them were Pitbull and G-Eazy. In 2015, they recorded the song “Me, Myself & I” together with the latter. This song reached 7th place on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It took Bebe two years for her song to move from 57th place to 7th.
The duet with Nicki Minaj brought almost 200 million views on YouTube in 2017.
Bebe’s songs not only topped American charts but also foreign ones. The first song to hit foreign charts was “In the Name of Love.” Released in 2016, the song hit the top charts in Canada, Australia, Italy and the United Kingdom.
One of the singer’s most successful singles is “I Got You.” This single has been listened to 153 million times. With each significant step in the development of the singer’s career, songs that were obviously doomed to success, such as “I’m a Mess,” “Say My Name,” “Sacrifice,” “Sabotage” and others.
Personal life and interesting facts
There are a lot of rumors about the personal life of this young singer, which is understandable. Bebe Rexha herself does not make any loud statements and keeps her personal life well-hidden. As of 2023, Bebe is unmarried. She describes herself as an amorous nature, but her relationships don’t seem to last long. She practically never appears with a companion at public events. This may indicate that the girl is lonely or carefully hides her personal life, although she has been credited with romances with many famous performers. For fans to spread rumors about a romance, it is enough for two people to be followed on a social network. It’s hard to say if Bebe is currently in a relationship.
Bebe actively supports feminist ideas. She never misses an opportunity to mention that she is pleased with the active social position of contemporary girls. She strongly encourages girls around the world to love themselves. Despite many considering her beautiful and sexy, she sees flaws in her own figure, particularly her height and weight. Nevertheless, she is not going to exhaust herself with diets and exercises. She is comfortable in her body, even if it is not perfect in her opinion.
Despite this, she enjoys showcasing her body. She often shocks the public with revealing outfits, although they don’t always hit the mark. Her outfits are often on the verge of frankness and elegance.
Bebe also admitted to journalists that she has experienced panic attacks and depression. At times, she couldn’t even leave her home. The girl used music to calm herself down. Additionally, Bebe loves to listen to her own songs in the car.