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By Natalie Musumeci
Brooklyn Daily
She kissed a girl — and got in trouble for it.
Bushwick pop singer Krissy Krissy found her voice at a young age singing in the choir, but got kicked out for kissing a fellow female choirmate.
“It was very traumatic. I felt betrayed because that was a community I was a part for so many years,” said the tattooed 23-year-old musician and songwriter, referring to the church where she made a name for herself through her distinct voice.
The young singer was a star soloist at the place of worship and landed a spot in the adult choir at just 14-years-old. So when Krissy Krissy — born Krislyn Rivera — got booted out of the homophobic church, it took a heavy toll on the budding gay singer.
“It felt like everything was a lie,” she said.
The California-born artist who grew up and still lives on gritty Decatur Street honed her soulful, raspy voice and developed a following at a very different kind of institution: local karaoke bars such as North Sixth Street’s Lulu Lounge, where she was discovered by her current manager after singing rock icon Melissa Etheridge’s “Like The Way I Do.”
The up-and-coming singer, who will perform with her band at Park Slope’s Union Hall on Aug. 14, has taken her real-life experiences like getting thrown out of the church, her romantic relationships and breakups, and the death of her father to create her debut EP “Above All,” which was released last year.
“When I sing it’s not a lie,” said Krissy Krissy, who brings listeners on her life’s journey through generally upbeat, feel-good music. “I try to bring them into my story. I like to bring them on rollercoaster’s I’ve been on.”
The straight-shooting singer, who is inspired by artists like Adele, Etheridge, and the Beatles, said that her authentic tell-it-like-it-is ways stems from her growing up in a two-bedroom apartment with a family of eight in Bushwick where gunshots ringing through the neighborhood was not uncommon.
“The area I was raised was super gutter,” she said. “My music is straight to the point and I get a lot of that not beating around the bush from the area I lived in.”
The catchy single “Suspicious” from Krissy Krissy’s debut album, which has a humorous Vevo music video on YouTube, is based off of the feelings of jealousy she felt after rightfully suspecting her ex-lover of cheating on her.
The rising singer recently got her own station on Pandora Radio and is gearing up to go on her first tour across the country with rock band Hunter Valentine and Girl In A Coma.
“The world will see a lot more of me,” she said. “I just want to keep grinding and work my way to bringing Bushwick a Grammy.”
Krissy Krissy at Union Hall [702 Union Street between Fourth and Fifth avenues in Park Slope, (718) 638–4400, www.unionhallny.com]. Aug. 14, 8 pm, $10 online, $13 door.
Reach reporter Natalie Musumeci at nmusumeci@cnglocal.com or by calling (718) 260-4505. Follow her at twitter.com/souleddout.