Bri (Briana Babineaux)

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Briana Babineaux

| image =

| caption =

| image_size =

| birth_name =

| alias = Bri, Bebe

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1994|8|26|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Honolulu, Hawaii

| origin = Lafayette, Louisiana

| instrument = vocals, singer-songwriter,

| genre = urban contemporary gospel

| occupation = Singer, songwriter

| years_active = 2014–present

| label = Tyscot

| associated_acts =

| website =

}}

Briana Babineaux (born August 26, 1994), who goes by the stage name Bri, is an American urban contemporary gospel artist and musician. She started her music career, in 2015, with releasing a live album, Keys to My Heart (2016), by Tyscot Records. This album charted on three Billboard magazine charts.

Early life

Babineaux was born on August 26, 1994, in Honolulu, Hawaii to a military father, who served in the Marines.{{cite web|title=Bri (Briana Babineaux) |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=April 5, 2016 |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/bri-briana-babineaux-mn0003414940/}}{{cite web|first=Tony|last=Cummings |url=http://www.crossrhythms.co.uk/articles/music/Briana_Babineaux_Americas_urban_gospel_viral_phenomenon/58074/p1/ |title=Briana Babineaux: America's urban gospel viral phenomenon |publisher=Cross Rhythms|access-date=April 13, 2016 |date=April 12, 2016}} Her father, Shawnta Babineaux, moved the family back to his hometown of Lafayette, Louisiana, when she was three months of age. Babineaux's parents got divorced, when she was two years old. She was raised by her mother, Shannon Miller, and her step-father, Louis Miller, who is a pastor at House Of Freedom, in Lafayette, Louisiana. She began singing at three years old, eventually graduating from Northside High School in Lafayette, Louisiana as a member of their 2012 graduating class.{{cite journal|first=Herman|last=Fuselier|title=Briana Babineaux making it with 'Make Me Over Again'|journal=The Daily Advertiser|access-date=April 6, 2016|date=April 22, 2015|url=http://www.theadvertiser.com/story/entertainment/music/2015/04/21/justin-beiber-gospel-signs-recording-contract/26146043/}} While in high school, she was a member of the volleyball and track teams, earning a scholarship to McNeese State University, yet she only stayed one semester because her interest in athletics waned. She stands 5-foot 6 inches tall.{{cite web|title=Briana Babineaux |publisher=McNeese State University |access-date=April 6, 2016 |url=http://mcneesesports.com/roster.aspx?path=&rp_id=2344}} Babineaux eventually settled on her music and academics, while changing universities to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, where she is majoring in criminal justice.

Music career

Her music career started in 2014, with her YouTube channel by posting videos of her singing,{{cite web|first=Kendria|last=LaFleur|title=Lafayette gospel singer signs recording contract|url=http://www.katc.com/story/28865164/lafayette-gospel-singer-signs-recording-contract|publisher=KATC|access-date=April 6, 2016|date=April 22, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160416231844/http://www.katc.com/story/28865164/lafayette-gospel-singer-signs-recording-contract|archive-date=April 16, 2016|url-status=dead}} where they have received hundreds of thousands of views.{{cite web|first=Timothy|last=Yap|title=Getting to Know the Social Media Sensation Bri: "Whatever He Needs Me to Do... I'll Do It" |url=http://www.hallels.com/articles/13108/20150612/getting-to-know-the-social-media-sensation-bri-whatever-he-needs-me-to-do-ill-do-it.htm |publisher=Hallels |access-date=April 5, 2016|date=June 12, 2015}} She started professionally recording music in 2015, with her first live album, Keys to My Heart that released on March 25, 2016, from Tyscot Records.{{cite magazine |first=Darryl |last=Bryant |title=Bri (Briana Babineaux): Keys to My Heart |url=http://media.worshipleader.com/lib/2016may/html5/index.html?page=59 |magazine=Worship Leader |publisher=Chuck Fromm, PhD (Worship Leader Partnership) |editor1-first=Jeremy |editor1-last=Armstrong |location=San Juan Capistrano, California |issn=1066-1247 |access-date=May 4, 2016 |volume=May/June 2016 |page=59}}{{cite journal|first=Bob|last=Marovich|title=Bri (Briana Babineaux) – Keys to My Heart |url=http://journalofgospelmusic.com/contemporary/bri-briana-babineaux-keys-heart/ |journal=The Journal of Gospel Music |access-date=April 5, 2016|date=March 18, 2016}}{{cite web|first=Howard|last=Dukes|title=Bri (Brianna Babineaux) – Keys to My Heart |date=March 26, 2016 |url=http://www.soultracks.com/album-review-Bri-keys-to-heart |publisher=Soul Tracks |access-date=April 5, 2016}}{{cite web|first=Anna|last=Polovik|title=Bri – Keys to My Heart |url= http://blackgrooves.org/bri-keys-to-my-heart/|publisher=Black Grooves |access-date=April 5, 2016 |date=April 1, 2016}} This album charted on three Billboard magazine charts, while it placed on the Billboard 200, Top Gospel Albums, and Independent Albums charts, where it peaked at Nos. 138,{{cite magazine|magazine=Billboard|title=Bri (Briana Babineaux) – Chart history (Billboard 200)|url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/6640971/bri/chart?f=305|access-date=April 5, 2016|archive-date=August 13, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160813142957/http://www.billboard.com/artist/6640971/bri/chart?f=305|url-status=dead}} 1,{{cite magazine|magazine=Billboard|title=Bri (Briana Babineaux) – Chart history (Top Gospel Albums)|url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/6640971/bri/chart?f=323|access-date=April 5, 2016|archive-date=August 13, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160813143009/http://www.billboard.com/artist/6640971/bri/chart?f=323|url-status=dead}} and 9,{{cite magazine|magazine=Billboard|title=Bri (Briana Babineaux) – Chart history (Independent Albums)|url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/6640971/bri/chart?f=326|access-date=April 5, 2016|archive-date=August 13, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160813143022/http://www.billboard.com/artist/6640971/bri/chart?f=326|url-status=dead}} respectively.

Discography

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" \|+ List of Albums, with selected chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:16em;" \| Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:16em;" \| Album details ! scope="col" colspan="3" \| Peak chart positions
style="width:3em; font-size:90%"\|US 200 !style="width:3em; font-size:90%"\|US Gos !style="width:3em; font-size:90%"\|US Ind
scope="row"\|Keys to My Heart \| Released: March 25, 2016 {{nowrap\|Label: Tyscot}} CD, digital download \| 138 \| 1 \| 9

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"

|+ List of Albums, with selected chart positions

! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:16em;" | Title

! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:16em;" | Album details

! scope="col" colspan="3" | Peak chart positions

style="width:3em; font-size:90%"|US
200

!style="width:3em; font-size:90%"|US
Gos

!style="width:3em; font-size:90%"|US
Ind

scope="row"|Keys to My Heart