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Shahadi Wright Joseph

Shahadi Wright Joseph

Photo: Geoff Levy

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Shahadi Wright Joseph On Being A Role Model shahadi-wright-joseph-talks-lion-king-meeting-beyonc%C3%A9-being-positive-role-model

Shahadi Wright Joseph Talks "The Lion King," Meeting Beyoncé & Being A Positive Role Model

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The teen actor/singer, who voiced Young Nala in "The Lion King" and played Zora in "Us," is fully embracing her part as a role model to other young women of color
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Dec 9, 2019 - 5:38 pm

This year was a big one for 14-year-old actor and singer Shahadi Wright Joseph. Not only did she star in Jordan Peele's "Us" as Zora (Lupita Nyong'o's daughter), she also voiced Young Nala (a.k.a. young Beyoncé) in one of the biggest films of the summer, "The Lion King" and released her debut single, "Skin I'm In."

The Recording Academy caught up with the rising talent to learn what it was like working on "The Lion King" and meeting Beyoncé, the other artists she looks up to and who her dream collaborator is (hint: he also worked on "The Lion King"). Check out our full conversation below.

You voiced Young Nala in "The Lion King" reboot. What did it feel like just to be part of such a talented group of creatives and people?

Well, in all, I think that I was really just honored and blessed, and I would definitely want to work with every member in the cast a thousand times. We had a lot of fun recording and you can definitely hear that in the music and in the songs. It sounds really authentic, so I think that's what I love most about it.

You've mentioned in interviews how finding out Beyoncé was playing the role of Nala made you want to work even harder. What did that moment of realization feel like for you?

It was really amazing, and I told myself that I really had to up my game because Beyoncé and I were going to share a role. It was just really exciting, and there was a lot of anticipation because I never knew when I was actually going to meet her. So it was a lot of fun meeting her at the premiere; that was a great opening present. [Chuckles.] Obviously I want to meet her again.



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Soooooo....this happened. Im looking cool on the outside but INSIDE...My Team: @abramsartistsagency @personapr #ryanlevine @dina.joseph @kevinajoseph @sundariwrightjoseph Gown: Custom @miumiu Accessories: Headband @miumiu Studs: @miumiu Shoes: @miumiu Clutch: @miumiu Styled by @kerilhenderson Hair: @sewnatural and @marva_stokes MUA: Phaedra for @fairweatherfaces Mani/Pedi: @miniluxe

A post shared by Shahadi Wright Joseph (@shahadi) on Jul 10, 2019 at 7:16am PDT

How do you feel that learning about Bey drove you as you worked on the role?

I think everybody in the cast tried to keep it in as magical a state as possible. I think that we also tried to put our own twist to it and add our own personalities to it since we do want to make sure people know that there's a difference to both [of "The Lion King"] movies, other than the animation. But I think that we really tried to make it our own.

What was the biggest thing you learned from working with everyone on the film?

I think I learned the most about voice acting because I've never been in a voiceover feature film before, so it was really exciting. And I would definitely want to do voiceovers again, and I think that it's a great way where you get to practice your craft without using your body language. It was a lot of fun.

And right before the movie came out, you released "Skin I'm In," which, if I'm not mistaken, is your debut single. How did it feel to share that with the world?

Yeah, it is. It was really, really awesome. I'm glad that I got to drop it right near when "The Lion King" was opening. I'm so glad for everybody supported me on this entire crazy journey between acting and singing. It was definitely a lot of fun releasing the single.

The song is very positive and self-affirmative; can you talk a bit about the main goal or message that you wanted to give with that song?

The main goal of the song was really to be a great influence for girls who look up to me or look up to young black Hollywood. To help younger kids who are inspired by me or anybody else who looks like me to really just love themselves just the way that they are and they don't have to change themselves for the standard of anybody, really.

I love that. Are there any artists you look up to, who've made you feel like you have a place in music and in film?

Well, I am a huge fan of Normani, and I have a feeling that I look a little bit like her. [Laughs.] But my sister's shaking her head "no" right now. I'm also a big fan of Jorja Smith. I know there's more; Ariana Grande too.

When you were younger, did you ever imagine that you'd be where you are today?

Not at all. I really did not. But with a lot of hard work and determination, I think that I have definitely come a very long way from where I used to be.

That's awesome. What are your biggest hopes and goals right now as a young, rising artist?

Well, I am really excited about being in high school now, but I'm also excited to start applying to colleges. I have some time, but it sneaks up on you. I think that I would definitely want to go to Howard, Spelman or N.Y.U.

Look at my widdle sistah!!!
But, don't get it twisted, her strength runs way beyond the cutenesshttps://t.co/gFnncWsljh

— Shahadi (@Shahadi) October 3, 2019

Do you have any advice for other young people who are looking to get into music but either they don't know where to start or they're struggling to get to that first step?

I would say keep striving for your goals and never give up, because if I gave up, I would not be in the position where I am today. Keep going for whatever you want in life.

What's up next for you? Are you working on new music?

I am. New music will be released soon, so I'm pretty excited for that and for you guys to hear that as well.

Do you have any dream musical collaborators that you would love to work with?

Ooh. I would love to work with Childish Gambino.

:NEXT With Sierra Lever: The Rising Music Marketer Talks Artist Storytelling, Kendrick Lamar & More

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Poll: Who Will Win Best Pop Vocal Album? poll-who-will-win-best-pop-vocal-album-2020-grammys

Poll: Who Will Win Best Pop Vocal Album At The 2020 GRAMMYs?

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Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande, Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift are in the running for top pop vocal honors—who do you think voters will pick?
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Nov 21, 2019 - 4:07 pm

You may have heard the 62nd GRAMMY Awards nominations went live yesterday. Whether you spent all Wednesday pouring over the 84 categories to find your favorite artists, listening to the big albums and singles in consideration or are just catching up now, we've got you covered here on GRAMMY.com with all things 2020 GRAMMYs.

Let's play a game for a moment: if you were a voting member of the Recording Academy, who would you choose for Best Pop Vocal Album? Between GRAMMY-winning pop stalwarts Beyoncé, Ariana Grande, Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift and rising, genre-shifting teen Billie Eilish, the competition is fierce and fabulous.

Take our poll below to vote on who you think will be chosen to take home the gold gramophone in the category this January, and read on to revisit each album and select music videos.

Polls

Who Do You Think Voters Will Pick For Best Pop Vocal Album?

2019 was a big year for Queen Bey and the Beyhive. She not only offered a rare look into the meticulous work she does in her Homecoming documentary (which is up for Best Music Film) and live album, but she also dropped The Lion King: The Gift, an album featuring some of Africa's brightest musical stars. As the voice of Nala in the Lion King reboot, Beyoncé executive produced this project inspired by the film, on which she offered her angelic vocals to 10 of the tracks, sharing the spotlight with an epic cast of fellow black artists, including many African acts. Her single "Spirit" is featured on both The Gift and the film's soundtrack and is nominated for Best Pop Solo Performance and Best Song Written For Visual Media.

Nigerian powerhouses Mr Eazi, Burna Boy, WizKid, Tiwa Savage, Tekno and Yemi Alade, Ghanaian dancehall artist Shatta Wale, Cameroonian artist Salatiel and South Africa's Busiswa and Moonchild Sanelly all make appearances on the 27-track album. Bey's co-star Donald Glover aka Childish Gambino, her husband JAY-Z and past-collaborator Kendrick Lamar, along with rising American artists Tierra Whack, 070 Shake and Jessie Reyez also contribute.

It's safe to say that first-time GRAMMY nominee Billie Eilish has accomplished more than most of us had by age 17. The rising anti-pop star released her highly anticipated debut album this past March, WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?, featuring hit bops "bad guy," "all the good girls go to hell" and "bury a friend."

The album has no featured artists—although Eilish collabed with her tween crush Justin Bieber on the non-album "bad guy" remix—and was produced solely by her older brother FINNEAS at their home studio in Los Angeles. The sibling duo is up for a large handful more of nominations this year, including Album Of The Year and Record Of The Year, while Eilish also earns a coveted Best New Artist nod.

Earlier this year, at the 61st GRAMMY Awards, pop princess Ariana Grande won her first-ever GRAMMY, for Best Pop Vocal Album for her 2018 No. 1 album Sweetener. 2019 also saw the release of its follow up, her fifth studio album, thank u, next, on Feb. 8, which was preceded by its second viral lead single, "7 rings," on Jan. 18. 

The album began with the surprise release of the catchy, autobiographical "thank u, next" on Nov. 3, 2018—which became Grande's first No. 1. Following her very public breakup with ex-fiancé Pete Davidson, she took a break from the media frenzy and paired up with friends and co-writers that include Victoria Monet, Tayla Parx, Njomza and others, resulting in "thank u, next."

Grande and her dream collab squad kept the creativity flowing to produce the 12-track thank u, next, which also featured "NASA," "break up with your girlfriend, i'm bored" and "imagine." The vocal powerhouse is also up for a handful of other GRAMMYs, including Best Pop Solo Performance and Record Of The Year for "7 rings" and Album Of The Year for thank u, next.

Pop king Ed Sheeran may have gotten his start with a more acoustic singer/songwriter approach, but before he was Top 40 radio favorite, he self-released an album in 2011 called No.5 Collaborations Project. Eight years later, with many pop and rap star friends to call on, the "Shape Of You" singer released No.6 Collaborations Project, featuring the likes of Cardi B, Chance the Rapper, Bieber, Camila Cabello and more.

The album's singles include "I Don't Care," "Cross Me," featuring Chance and PnB Rock, "Beautiful People" with Khalid and "South Of The Border" with Cardi and Cabello. Ella Mai, Travis Scott, Skrillex and other big-name acts also worked with the British pop star on the 2019 album.

After months of rainbow-tinted, glitter-sprinkled social media teasers and string of singles, including "You Need To Calm Down," Taylor Swift released her seventh studio album, Lover, on Aug. 23. Working largely with GRAMMY-winning superproducer/artist Jack Antonoff (he's been part of indie-rock acts Fun. and Bleachers), the glimmering, adventurous pop project sees Swift celebrating all the emotions of love and relationships across its 18 songs.

The guitar-slinging pop queen sings with country-pop greats the Dixie Chicks on "Soon You'll Get Better" and Brandon Urie of Panic! At the Disco on "ME!" the latter of which served as the initial lead single. "You Need To Calm Down" and the title track "Lover" are also up for GRAMMYs; Best Pop Solo Performance and Song Of The Year, respectively.

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Find Out Who's Nominated For Best Pop Solo Performance | 2020 GRAMMY Awards

Lalah Hathaway

Lalah Hathaway

Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

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Lalah Hathaway Honors Late Father Donny Hathaway watch-lalah-hathaway-honors-late-father-donny-hathaway-moving-grammy-salute-music

Watch: Lalah Hathaway Honors Late Father Donny Hathaway In Moving GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends Performance

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Find out which of the soul icon's songs she sings in the powerful on stage "family affair"
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Oct 7, 2019 - 10:22 am

Five-time GRAMMY-winning songstress Lalah Hathaway is perfect artist to pay tribute to the late, great soul Donny Hathaway, and not just because she's his daughter. For the 2019 GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends she offered her sultry, powerful vocals to showcase the unstoppable love present in her father's music.

Lalah Hathaway On Father Donny Hathaway's Legacy

"He's been gone, this year, for 40 years, so this is a very auspicious occasion. I'm so glad my mom is here; I'm singing with my sister, so this is a family affair," Lalah told the Recording Academy backstage before the show.

"His legacy is one that I'm discovering every day... It will just carry over oceans, it will influence people and bring people peace and joy forever," she added, reflecting on the unending power of his music.

Read: Lalah Hathaway On Mental Health Awareness: "You Can Never Look At A Person And See What They're Going Through"

With her sister Kenya Hathaway, the pair offer a powerful rendition out their father's GRAMMY-winning song "Where Is The Love." Originally released in 1972 as a duet with Roberta Flack, the powerhouse pair earned their first GRAMMYs for the song, taking home Best Pop Vocal Performance By A Duo, Group Or Chorus at the 15th GRAMMY Awards.

The fourth annual GRAMMY Salute extravaganza took place in the heart of Hollywood earlier this year to honor all of the Recording Academy's 2019 Special Merit Award recipients. Donny Hathaway was one of a handful of artists presented with the Recording Academy's prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award during this year's show. Black Sabbath, George Clinton & Parliament-Funkadelic, Billy Eckstine, Donny Hathaway, Julio Iglesias, Sam & Dave and Dionne Warwick are the other 2019 recipients.

In addition to the Lifetime Achievement Award artists, the Trustees Awards, given to Lou Adler, Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson, and Johnny Mandel this year, celebrated exemplary contributors to music, outside of performance. Additionally, the Technical GRAMMY Award was presented (posthumsly) to API Audio Co-Founder Saul Walker and Florida high school choir director Jeffery Redding was celebrated with the Music Educator Award. The big night was filled with love, gratitude, celebration and a whole lot of amazing musical tributes.

You can watch the full GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends show, including the Hathaways' full performance and the other tributes to Donny, on Oct. 18 at 9 p.m. ET on PBS (check your local listings).

Watch Jessie Mueller Honor Lou Adler & Carole King At GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends

Dermot Kennedy

Dermot Kennedy

Photo: Recording Academy

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Dermot Kennedy On 'Without Fear,' Bon Iver & More dermot-kennedy-without-fear-bon-iver-coachella-close-personal

Dermot Kennedy On 'Without Fear,' Bon Iver & Coachella | Up Close & Personal

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The Irish singer/songwriter talks new music, gratitude for his growing fan base, love of Bon Iver and more in a recent interview with the Recording Academy
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Sep 16, 2019 - 10:53 am

Dublin-born folksy singer/songwriter Dermot Kennedy has had a great run recently, and he's just getting started. This year alone, he's shared his smoldering vocals and uplifting lyrics with major performances at Coachella, Glastonbury and on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, to name a few. Later this month, on Sept. 27, he'll drop his debut full-length album, Without Fear.

Dermot Kennedy On Debut LP, Bon Iver & More

The "Power Over Me" singer recently stopped by the Recording Academy headquarters for our latest episode of Up Close & Personal to share what fans can expect on the new album, as well as insight into the story behind one of its lead singles, "Outnumbered." He also spoke to his biggest influences, which include David Gray and Bon Iver, and how he stays fresh while on tour. You can watch a portion of the conversation above and read the full interview below. You can also visit on our YouTube page for a longer version of the video, as well as for other recent episodes.

You're releasing your debut album, Without Fear, soon. How are you feeling about it?

Excited. These are a bunch of songs I've known for a long time, for the most part. I've struggled with that for a while, the patience you need to have if you've got a certain song that you are super proud of but need to wait because it will exist on a project. So this is that moment where all of the things I'm most excited about get to come out. And up until now, there's been so much singles and EPs and stuff, and I'm excited to have a body of work out in the world.

What was your favorite part about working on this project in terms of that it was a full album?

I think that's always been really, really important to me. I think it would be very easy to just work away and find the songs that click and then put them all together and have a project of these songs, but any time I think about artists that I'm inspired by, like Kendrick [Lamar] or Hozier and stuff like that, I think about these bodies of work that are cohesive projects and every song works with the next and all that kind of thing, so that was really important to me to do that. I think it's like another thing where you put a bit more pressure on yourself, but it's worth it, for sure.

One of your most recent singles is "Outnumbered," which, to me, feels very powerful and empowering. Can you talk a little bit more about the backstory on that song and then the video that came with it?

They line up in a way. I wrote the song quite a while ago, and it was one of those lovely things that kind of came together in a day, almost. It was this really organic thing where—my favorite days in studios are when you don't second guess everything. I didn't know it was going to be a single, and I didn't know what the plan was for it, so I guess it was a good thing I was just there to make music. If it worked, happy days, and if not, then it was fine.

It was a different stage in my life, I guess, and a different set of circumstances. What it meant for me was just I wanted to almost send a message of comfort to somebody and to just remind someone that despite how difficult things might be and how. You know that feeling of being in a rough patch, and realistic-you knows there's the next chapter, and that will end and you'll be on the other side of that. But when you're in it, it's not very easy to see that. It was me trying to remind somebody that there is that next part where that bad patch has just gone away.

Then, I guess it was written by me for someone in particular, but on a bigger scale that message could translate to anybody.

It feels like that for sure, especially with the music video specifically, as there are different people in the video.

For sure, yeah. I thought that was important. We did that with the video for "Lost" too, because, again, it was like, be aware of everybody because everybody's got their own thing going on. You might think you've got the worst set of circumstances out of anybody, but everybody's got their own struggle. You know what I mean? I think that's a big part of my songwriting, to try and just provide comfort to people.

I think if even one person can relate, you know?

Oh, exactly. I'm sure, through the ages, so many artists are thinking of one specific person when they do that, but you end up writing a song that can work for a lot of people, hopefully.

Once the album comes out, then you'll be touring in the U.S., and then Europe and U.K. this fall and winter. What are you most looking forward to with this tour?

The venues. The venues are getting better and better all the time. It's this really lovely way of gauging how your career is going, too. It's really cool. I try not to take it for granted because I know some people can come and tour the U.S. and play to 10, 15, 20 people, and so I've been so lucky that gigs sell out. It's that lovely thing of you play to, say, three hundred people and then come back in a few months and you play to a thousand people. It's this beautiful way to watch the rooms grow.

This tour, I'm just excited. I feel like there's certain things on the journey that you figure out. Currently I'm fixing the way I sing to have proper technique locked in, things like that. I can't wait to not be exhausted after a gig. And I can't wait to play all the new songs. It's constantly evolving, yeah. It's this lovely thing of always, when you finish a tour, you're like, maybe this could have been better, so you address that next time. But then you are on to a new set of things that you think you could improve, so it's this cool thing to chase.



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Thank you Glastonbury! For showing up, for your energy, for singing with me, and for making my first time to play this iconic festival so memorable! Lots of love X . by @lucyfosterphoto

A post shared by Dermot Kennedy (@dermotkennedy) on Jul 1, 2019 at 5:48am PDT

Speaking of big shows, you did Coachella and Glastonbury, which are both epic in their own right. How did those two experiences feel for you when you were in them?

Coachella was awesome because I was shocked by the amount of Irish people there. Obviously, you do the two weekends, and the second weekend I was quite sick. I was like that guy before I went on stage with my face in the steam, trying to melt everything here, so that was a tricky one. But I went out and it was just a lot of Irish flags. So many Irish people go to things like New York and Boston, but I didn't know if people went to Coachella from Ireland so it was this really lovely boost to get when I walked out onstage.

Then, Glastonbury was amazing because leading up to it you just realize it's a really important thing to be a part of. Even if you never do it again, you've had your little moment of Glastonbury history where you play your part and do your best. It was just fun.

I think one of the things that touring a lot does for you is it means I don't necessarily—I'm sure this is case-by-case—but I don't get nervous before I go onstage. I get excited. Obviously, there's a certain amount of nerves, because if it goes wrong, that's a bad thing. But it's mostly just excitement.

Also, things are so fast-paced, so I like that you play Glastonbury and then literally you're back on a bus and you go play a different festival. I think that's something that is quite difficult. Sometimes you don't get to let things sink in and you just move on very quickly. To play Glastonbury, if you told me that eight years ago, not in a cheesy way, you would not believe it. To do those things now week in, week out and then move on so fast, you've got to check yourself and take a moment.

When you are on tour, is there anything that you do to keep yourself grounded?

I think two things that are really important when you're on tour is obviously to stay in touch with home. I think that would keep me grounded, for sure. And then I think it's also important to try and stay active creatively because it's very easy to fall into a routine of bus, venue, gig, bus, sleep and just be like, "Perfect. This is what I do for a month," and not necessarily feed yourself any art.

If you have a day off, to go to a museum or go to the cinema or something. I feel like that stuff is really important, if you don't, when you come off tour and go to the studio its like, oh, I haven't used this part of my brain for a long time.

It's a very strange bubble to live in. We're really lucky because everybody's close in our crew. It's not this thing where I show up to the venue and then we do a show and then we all split up. Everybody spends all day, every day together, so it's this lovely thing. That's really important in terms of if you're down, just knowing there's people to lift you up and talk to and that kind of thing, so I am really lucky with the crew I've got too. There's a lot of things that have fallen into place in a really nice way.

Last year, you worked with Mike Dean for your collaborative mixtape. I was curious if you had any other dream collaborators, be it producers, songwriters, other vocalists.

There's a few, for sure. There's an act from Ireland, it's not traditional Irish music, that's where its roots are, but it's this really interesting, sort of a step on from that, and they're called The Gloaming. I won't even try and describe it, but it's just this super ethereal music. It's just really magic. They play the National Concert Hall in Dublin. I've seen them like five, six times, and it's just the best. The [Irish] President always goes to see them. They are the best at that.

And then in terms of people who, say, influence me, I would love to ever be in the same room as Justin Vernon or anybody from Bon Iver and just be involved in that. When I watch interviews with him and when I watch things about Bon Iver, I just realize they've been so successful but just maintained the same values the whole time. It's always only been about music, and that really appeals to me.

I would love to get way outside my comfort zone too. If I could be involved with the likes of Stormzy or J. Cole or anything like that. Yeah, stuff like that would blow my mind.

Speaking of musical influences, who would you say are your biggest influences to this day?

I started off wanting to do the acoustic thing, like to play in theaters with just a guitar and a piano. When I started out it was like David Gray and Glen Hansard were the people I wanted to be, basically. Then, obviously, that evolved. Again, Bon Iver were instrumental for me. The reason I wanted to do that [acoustic performance] was because lyrics were what impacted me most, and when I saw someone telling a story through a song, it just hit me. It was this really potent thing. That's why I love hip-hop so much, because to me it's the same type of thing.

I figured if you put too much music around that or if you had these big arrangements, you'd lose that intensity or that intimacy and the power of the lyrics getting across. Bon Iver were huge for me in terms of realizing the amount of people on stage can grow, the arrangement can grow, and you can still keep that closeness between you and whoever's listening. That helped me get out of my own way and start working with musicians and wanting it to grow. I was lucky enough in the last few years to start working with producers who could bring that to life.

I would say it started off like acoustic, lyrics; folk music, basically. Then the Bon Iver thing happened, and then hip-hop started influencing what I do, in a way, so it's just this big mess of things.

What was the first CD you every bought and first concert you attended?

The first CD I ever bought, it was a live album by an Irish band called The Frames. Do you know them? It's Glen Hansard's band from when he was like 19 to this day. Every now and then they'll play a show in Dublin, they're the best. Couldn't tell you what age I was, maybe 11, 12, I saw them on TV. I barely even owned a guitar yet, so I hadn't awakened that part of my brain where I would judge music, but just whatever Glen Hansard was doing, I was locked in to him expressing himself. I was so drawn to that, so I bought the album the next day. Just incredible.

It's so funny because even when you tour, and every night you're like, oh, my vocals were okay but not on it. But if you listen to that album, it's like every single thing is perfect. It's super demanding music vocally and he just nails it. And the first concert I went to, which I won't talk about much at all, was Westlife. It was because of my sister, I had to go.

Victoria Kimani Talks New Album, Repping Kenya, Dream Collabs With Lauryn Hill & Rihanna | Up Close & Personal

Conan Gray

Conan Gray

Photo: Recording Academy

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Conan Gray On "Checkmate," Debut LP, Lorde & Adele conan-gray-talks-checkmate-feeling-inspired-adele-what-expect-his-darker-debut-album

Conan Gray Talks "Checkmate," Feeling Inspired By Adele & What To Expect On His "Darker" Debut Album

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The Texas-raised, L.A.-based indie-pop star also discusses his self-directed "Crush Culture" video, his love of Taylor Swift and why he wants his songs to be as honest as possible
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Sep 5, 2019 - 1:12 pm

20-year-old singer/songwriter/video director Conan Gray just released his first EP, Sunset Season, last year, but he's already making noise in the D.I.Y. pop world. Spending his teen years growing up in quiet Georgetown, Texas, he began writing and singing songs and uploading them to what swiftly became his popular YouTube channel, which now (at the time of this writing) has 1.4 million subscribers. In 2017, the creative teen left his small-town life for Los Angeles to purse undergraduate film studies at UCLA.

"I started making the EP the second I moved from my hometown in Texas to L.A. I was going to college at UCLA and I was going to classes and I was recording at the same time. I wasn't signed yet, either," Gray recently told the Recording Academy. It wasn't long after relocating to La La Land that he got signed to Republic Records, who released Sunset Season. Despite his fast-growing fan base and rise towards pop stardom, the charismatic artist is incredibly humble and remains in awe of where he is today.

Conan Gray On Adele & Lorde, Music Videos & Tours

The "Generation Why" singer recently stopped by the Recording Academy headquarters for our latest episode of Up Close & Personal to share what he's most looking forward to for his upcoming Comfort Crowd Tour, and how he tends to visualize music videos as he writes songs. He also explains how hearing Lorde's and Adele's music for the first time inspired his own songwriting, what fans can expect on his forthcoming debut album and more. You can watch a portion of the conversation above and read the full interview below. You can also visit on our YouTube page for a longer version of the video, as well as for other recent episodes.

Last time I saw you, you were making your Lollapalooza stage debut, your first festival show. How was that experience for you?

That was pretty crazy. I didn't really know what to expect. I think the seven-year-old, tiny, afraid me would have thought no one comes, but a lot of people came and it was really bizarre. I feel like I have moments every once in a while where I'm just like, this can't be real. That was definitely one of those moments.

And how was the crowd?

The crowd was great. I was like, oh maybe since it's like a festival they won't be as interactive, but they were wild and they did everything that I wanted them to do, their little hands and stuff. It was awesome. I was very much, "I don't know what's going on right now." I think this is just a glitch in the simulation or something.



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how the fuck is this real life

A post shared by Conan Gray (@conangray) on Aug 4, 2019 at 12:39pm PDT

Starting in October, you have a bunch of shows lined up for your Comfort Crowd tour. What are you most excited about performing in all these different places?

I feel like my favorite part about being on tour is just being busy all the time. I feel like you have this unique routine, like you wake up and you do a bunch of things, you meet a bunch of fans and you go to sleep, the whole entire day is packed. And I just love being able to go out there and see all the different kinds of people. I feel like touring kind of just made me realize how people are just so different but also like we're all kind of just exactly the same. Like no matter where you go. So it's pretty incredible. I think it's my favorite thing about being able to do this.

Let's talk a little about one of your most recent releases, "Checkmate." The video is amazingly creepy and hilarious; what's the backstory on that song?

"Checkmate" is a song I wrote about this person who was always playing games with my heart and I just needed to get a little revenge. So I figured, with the song and video, I was like if you're going to play with my heart all the time, if you're going to treat love like it's a game, then I'm going to win the game. So in the video I just tried to get as much of my cathartic revenge out as I possibly could and, you know, kidnapped the people who are cheating on me and sent them to a deserted island to starve to death because, I mean, what else am I supposed to do? I did what I had to.

Speaking of music videos, you edited and directed the one for "Crush Culture." What was your vision going into that video?

With "Crush Culture," I knew that I just wanted to ruin a bunch of couples' dates. That was my main intention. I'm the kind of person where like if I'm not happy, then no one's going to be happy. Or at least I used to be. I think I've gotten a little better hopefully, [I'm] growing up or whatever. But yeah, I just wanted to have a lot of wrecking.

I feel like everyone who's ever been single, especially when you're young, where like every one of your friends isn't single, you just kind of want to punch someone in the face. When they're like talking about, "Oh and then he did this and it was so cute." I don't want to know. I don't care. I don't relate. Like leave me alone, I'm going to punch you. That's kinda what that video is about and what that song is about.

Do you feel like when you're filming the video and creating a visual element for the song, that it kind of creates a new life for it or takes on a different form?

Absolutely. Every time I write a song I usually have an idea of what I want the visuals to be. It's all very much hand-in-hand to me. But I also feel like the second you put out the song or make the video, it's not really yours anymore. People can interpret it how they want to interpret it and everyone has interpreted every single one of the videos in completely different ways, which I feel like is kind of the point, you know, the song is what it means to you and I can only do so much by explaining. Also, that's what makes the song special to someone. I guarantee like all of my favorite songs don't actually mean what I think they mean. But I think they're special because I feel like they're written for me even though they're totally not.

When you were younger, was there an album or artist who really resonated with you?

Well I think the first person that kind of opened me up to songwriting was Adele. I was like 12 probably when that first album [19] came out. And I feel like that was when I first realized that you can actually write a whole song. And before that I was always kinda writing jingles and stuff like that. But I didn't really realize that you could express an emotion. And I feel like Adele was the first person that made me realize that humans have emotions that you can relate to. And then I think, you know, when I was a teenager, the older I got the more into like pop music, I really started to just like grow really fascinated with and I was just obsessed with it.

And then I think when Lorde's first album [Pure Heroine] came out it just blew my mind. Because it was the first pop music that I'd heard ever in my whole life that wasn't about, you know, like this wild fantasy life that I couldn't relate to. It was about being in suburbia and I grew up lower-middle class. So I, you know, I didn't relate to those other songs and that's the first time I was like, oh my God, this song is about me. Like I relate to this. All I do is sit in the car and that's what she wrote about. So yeah, she was a big point for me.

You started songwriting and putting your music online when you were 12. At that time, did you think you were going to be making music professionally in the future?

Honestly, I don't think I really knew what I was doing when I was putting songs up on the internet. I just really loved writing songs. And the second I started writing music, I didn't stop. I had a journal and I wrote a new song every single day. And I think by putting them up on the internet it was just kind of like my way of like spitting them into the void. I wasn't expecting to get signed and I wasn't expecting, you know, everything that happened. I was just really bored and I lived in a small town, and what else are you supposed to do, I guess? And I think, you know, I just was very surprised when people started to listen. It wasn't something that I was expecting or really even wanted. It just kind of happened and then I just kept doing it because it just was very interesting to see the way that people were reacting to these, you know, very weird songs that I was writing as a 12-year-old and just kind of snowballed into a career. But I had no clue, no.

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What was your dream job when you were a kid?

I really wanted to be specifically a middle school biology teacher. My middle school biology teacher had a pet snake and I was like, if I'm going to be a teacher, I should be a biology teacher that way can have a pet snake. And I've always been really obsessed with science and I'm also such a nerd. I was definitely a big school kid, so that was the route for me. So I guess conceptually I failed at that career and I'm a failure.

I want to talk a bit about the Sunset Season EP, which "Crush Culture" was on. What was your main goal with that, your first EP and first project?

I started making the EP the second I moved from my hometown in Texas to L.A. I was going to college at UCLA and I was going to classes and I was recording at the same time. I wasn't signed yet either. I think that, you know, most of the songs on the album I wrote during my senior year of high school, so basically I wanted the whole EP to be like a time capsule of what my senior year felt like. All of the missing home and also just like not really knowing what's going on and having all these like extreme emotions that make no sense all the time, which I still feel. But I think when you're in high school it's this kind of like very specific feeling that you just never ever have ever again. I wanted to just get it all into a little package, that way I can remember it forever.

"For me, the best way to be good at songwriting is to just tell the truth… I think my goal always is just to be as honest as I possibly can."

Another of the songs on the EP, "Generation Why," stood out to me as kind of a statement on just being a young person and the uncertainty that comes with it. What is your biggest goal right now as a young artist representing other young people?

I feel like my main goal is just to be as honest as I can. You know, "Generation Why" was a song that I wrote literally about me and my friend. I wasn't like, "This is my generation." I was just me and my friend, like "Our parents don't believe that we're going to do anything good with our lives." And that's what I wrote about.

For me, the best way to be good at songwriting is to just tell the truth. Because people relate to the truth and people relate to problems. Sometimes you feel like you're the only person who has them, but you're not the only person who has those feelings. I think my goal always is just to be as honest as I possibly can. I feel like I say so much more in songs than I ever do to people in real life. And I feel like if I just keep my head on and try to be as genuine as possible, hopefully people will keep relating.

If I'm not mistaken, I don't think you've put out any collab songs yet. So if that's something that you're interested in doing in the future, do you have any dream collaborators in mind?

I mean, there's so many people, like all the people that I was raised on. I would like chop off my finger to make a song with Taylor Swift. Honestly, I'd chop off my hand just to sit in a room and write a song with her. She was my big pop music icon growing up. "Teardrops On My Guitar" was the first YouTube video I ever really watched of her. So yeah, that'd be really fun. But I mean, there's a ton of people. I feel like with my [upcoming] album, a lot of the writers that I've really wanted to work with and stuff I've had the opportunity to work with. So I feel like I'm satisfied, I'm happy.

In terms of your debut album, do you have anything that you want to tease about it? I'm sure your fans have already been asking about it a lot, but what can they expect?

I think they can definitely expect the music to get darker. The past year has been really chaotic and I feel like my album absolutely represents how chaotic it was. Also, I think they can expect a good cry and a good little riot. Just a good like package of chaos, is what my album sounds like so far.

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