Brooke Hummel Confronts Bullying With Song “Cruel” [VIDEO EXCLUSIVE]

Young singer-songwriter Brooke Hummel has turned her painful experiences with bullying online into a series of songs on her upcoming album, as well as an anti-cyberbullying campaign named “Stop Block Tell.”

BROOKE HUMMEL VIDEO EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Hummel, who moved to North Carolina from Florida to pursue a career in music, told uInterview that her experience with bullying started when she was the new girl in school. ” I was doing different things and I wasn’t like the rest of them, I think I was just an easy target,” she said.  “Because everybody was just doing the same thing, everybody was following the same crowd, and here Brooke Hummel comes, new to the school, and I’m just not the same.” The songwriter quickly turned negatives into positives, channeling these memories into her latest collection of songs. “My favorite part you know, was going through all the experiences and then coming down and writing stuff about it. You know, just the whole process; the recording studio is like a home to me, I just feel so comfortable there.” Hummel admits it wasn’t all fun and games, especially while penning her single “Cruel,” which more directly touches on her painful experiences. “I mean it was kind of bittersweet, because I knew I was in that overcoming stage. So, I wasn’t a total mess writing it. I was at a good point to where I was comfortable enough just putting it all out on the table.”

Hummel, wanting to do more to help out fellow victims of cyberbullying, has also recently spearheaded an anti-bullying campaign named “Stop Block Tell,” which offers tips for how to deal with harassment. “You know when you feel down about yourself it kind of comes to a point where you’re tired of feeling sad and you want to do something about it,” she said. “So I sat down with my team and I was like, “Guys, I don’t want to have to go through this anymore,” and I’m sure there are other kids that are going through it.” Her campaign, which is currently stopping at schools on a nationwide tour, offers concrete steps built into catchy title. “Stop Block and Tell, each “Stop,” “Block,” and “Tell” has a meaning—that’s why we called it that— and the most important one is “Tell,” Hummel revealed. “I didn’t do that at first, and that’s the main thing that we tell everybody when they ask for advice. You know you have to tell somebody or else it’s not going to stop.”

Hummel’s music icons also complement her strong morals and the powerful messages in her songwriting, and she cites Carrie Underwood as a major influence. “ever since I was little I saw her on the Country Music Awards and she is just so awesome,” Hummel gushed. “‘Cause she is a powerhouse artist, she has crazy vocals, and she’s such a good person, like I watch all of her interviews. Her and her husband and her kid, like they are so cute together and they always have good morals.”

You can download Hummel’s debut single, “Favorite Song,” now.