Becca Hannah Talks Body And Soul…Music
If one thing is true about Becca Hannah, it is that she is a firm believer in the interconnectivity of all things. From music and multi-genred inspirations to the need to be in tune with the body as well as the spirit, the genre-blending artist is ready to make people feel.
Hannah, who recently released her latest single, “Caramel” – a lighthearted, doo-wop that uses a caramel-scented sweater as a metaphor for that all-consuming feeling born out of a crush, wants to bring more joy to audiences. She stated, “I feel like we are all living under a microscope of judgment fueled by capitalism, comparison, and competition. Caramel is a cute little reminder of the fact that life does not need to be so serious. It can be fun and playful amidst the chaos of our world.”
The song, which was released on September 30, was inspired by a birthday cake that spilled onto her new sweater, leaving a sweet aroma that stuck for days. For Hannah and her co-collaborator, Tristan Jantz, the smell was so captivating, it reminded them of the “ addiction, the lust, the dopamine,” of a new crush. At first, the pair penned lyrics simply as a joke, until the melody became just as addictive as the scent, and finally, they had a complete song. “I think it came out so well because there was zero pressure, and all play,” stated Hannah. And that playfulness is something Hannah has held onto ever since she was just a girl.
Hannah, like so many others, was enamored by the glitz and glam of the early 2000s. Running around her home, singing the songs of Britney Spears and Hilary Duff, all while donning a blonde wig and sparkly tracksuit, the then child “ached” for the stage.
With intermittent singing lessons as an early-teen, and guitar lessons from her mother’s friend, along with school plays and musicals, Hannah only grew as an artist. In college, she joined an a cappella group and became the lead singer of her friends’ band, “Shoes on the Rug”, now finally considering music as a possible career path. It was her debut EP, “Taking Flight,” that was released in August 2020, however, that cemented her dream.
As COVID-19 continued to loom over, Hannah moved in with her mom and honed in on her craft. “I retrained myself how to sing properly, and used some recent heartache and emotional distress to my advantage: I delved headfirst into the abyss of songwriting,” said Hannah.
Furthering her journey, she connected with writers and producers through Roc Nation’s distribution company, becoming overtaken by the thought of “more established” creatives wanting to collaborate with her.
“From there on out, I knew I had to pursue my artistry. I had, and continue to have, so much to say. Performing has always given me a sense of purpose. My mind is most grounded and at ease when I am on stage or bringing people together. The concept of being ‘an artist’ in this modern-day world is perplexing at times. I continue to develop my artistry as I evolve as a human every day, through trial, error, and an open heart and mind,” said Hannah.
The soulful singer spoke with great passion and gratitude for the music that built her as an artist. Naming Amy Winehouse, Corrine Bailey Rae, Erykah Badu, Janis Joplin, Norah Jones, and others as her influences– each of which reinvented and/or reinvented sound to create new realms of audial possibility. Hannah, soaking up the greatness of them all to create her own path of musicality.
Speaking of her genre-mixing, Hannah shared, “This not only brings us humans further into our bodies, but also closer together as a community. Leaning into the combination of these genres enables a powerful explosion of presence, wonder, soul, and emotion.”
And it’s not just sound that inspires the artist, it is movement, more specifically yoga, that also allows Hannah to find her inner peace. Hannah stated, “I’ve always dealt with bouts of anxiety my entire life, but yoga has saved my life in a lot of ways. I’m an avid practitioner because it grounds and centers me, much like performing does. Yoga helps me connect with my body and soul, allowing me to access a liminal space that deeply supports my creative process.”
Hannah is gearing up to release her debut LP, “Tonight In My Dreams,” which, in her words, is her most vintage-sounding project yet. Due out on January 23, 2026, the singer co-wrote the project with Jantz, pulling from both their pasts and present. She shared, “It explores the inevitabilities of the human experience: lust, pain, anxiety, love, fear, regret, heartbreak, and growth. We all feel those things in our own ways.”
And it is in her deep exploration of the mind and soul that makes it clear Hannah is sincerely inspired by the human spirit. Her music yearns for understanding– not just that of herself, but of the people and things around her as well. The singer’s unwavering dedication to connection, new experiences, and growth has allowed her to be multilingual in the language of music.
She stated, “I want to help people feel listened to, received, understood, and inspired. I want people to know I may contradict myself at times, as I do my best to honor the various conflicting parts of myself.”
Press photo, credit Rohan Edwards