Beautiful South Singer Briana Corrigan's Bold Reason For New Music 30 Years After Success.

Editor Stephen Hill 2nd April 2025

Briana Corrigan, the iconic vocalist of The Beautiful South, is poised to make a significant impact with a fantastic new song, celebrating 30 years since her success with the band. Fans will remember the Belfast-born singer's distinctive voice on major hits like "A Little Time." Now, at 59, Briana is embracing the moment, convinced it’s the right time for her latest creation.  

Having been part of The Beautiful South alongside Paul Heaton from 1988 to 1992, Briana recently shared in an exclusive interview with the Mirror about her empowering "f*** it" moment leading up to her new release. Her collaboration with the up-and-coming Yorkshire-based band Apollo Junction on their song "Settle Down" sparked from a hopeful social media message sent by the band. Briana explained, "I honestly don't know why I responded. It was kind of a 'feely' thing. I thought, 'I think I might follow this up.'"  After connecting with the band’s frontman, Jamie Williamson, she played the track for her son and daughter. "I thought it was good," she admitted. "And they were both like, 'It's really good,' so I thought, 'F*** it, you know? Why not? Let's do it.'"  

Briana described the experience as both enjoyable and fulfilling, reflecting her belief in pursuing her passions. Jamie echoed her enthusiasm, stating, "We never imagined that Briana would be up for it. But then the stars aligned late one night when we received a reply to our message. We sent her the song, she loved it, we had a long chat on the phone about music and life. After that, a flight was booked, and we spent a lovely day together in the recording studio."  This collaboration marked a unique moment for Briana, as she had not experienced such a connection before. 

Currently on tour, she is also preparing to write and release another album soon, following the success of her Irish folk album released in 2019. She expressed her joy in returning to the music industry at this stage of her life, saying, "I love coming back to music at this age. I care really deeply, but I also don’t give a f***, you know? That balance works really, really well for me. I approach this from a place of genuine joy, and that’s a great mindset for creating music."  Reflecting on her decade-long hiatus from the spotlight to focus on family, Briana shared how motherhood shifted her perspective. Initially planning to continue her career after her first child, she realized, "Once I had him, my brain completely switched. Immediately, I thought, 'I'm not going to tour anymore.' Things had changed. I wanted to be at home, to be with the baby. I didn’t want to be gallivanting off. It wasn’t a choice; it was the right thing for me."