Pop-Culturalist.com

Taylor Grey is a prolific singer-songwriter who has captured the attention of music lovers around the globe. It’s her signature authenticity and vulnerability and hit singles like “Poison” and “Intentionally” that have made her stand out in the crowd. Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to catch up with Taylor to chat about her latest release “Idiot,” all the music she has on the way, and more.

PC: Your previous album Space Case was incredibly well received. Did that bring any pressure as you began working on a new body of work?
Taylor: I wrote that album when I had just graduated high school, so to me it feels like a different time in my life entirely. I just feel excited to have a body of work out in the world that I feel is really reflective of my story and that I’m very proud of.

PC: How will this next collection differentiate itself from Space Case and Grey?
Taylor: I healed a lot of wounds. I think there is this general sentiment that great pain can be a catalyst for great art. It can absolutely be true. But for me, struggling significantly with my mental health stifled my creativity. I wish I had known that sooner. I wish I had not thought that everyone’s best art inherently comes from the times when you feel the most pain. My best art came when I started unpacking those traumas, healing those wounds, and beginning that reflective process. It wasn’t that I no longer felt hurt, but starting that journey is what gave me the strength to dig deeper than I had allowed myself to before.

PC: Something that I love about your two singles out recently, “Ever Knew Me” and “Idiot,” is that as a songwriter you’ve taken these relatable themes and brought such a refreshing take while keeping them feeling familiar. As an artist, is that something you’re mindful of as you’re in the songwriting process?
Taylor: Thank you! It is absolutely something I am mindful of when I am deciding which songs I want to put out in the world, but it’s not at the forefront of my mind as I’m writing. With “Ever Knew Me” and “Idiot,” I wanted to adequately express my emotions and experiences, and so that was my focus. Ironically, I think that is what actually makes music more relatable. I mean, any Swiftie knows that being specific is actually the best way you can be universal. It just took me a while to start practicing that.

PC: It’s been five years since your debut and two years since your last release. What has had the biggest impact on your evolution as an artist?
Taylor: It was this juxtaposition of being able to tour so much and in so many places and then almost immediately after having everything shut down with the pandemic. For the better part of 2020, I didn’t write any music. I was finishing school online, and I just didn’t have anything to say. It was that break that allowed me to experience personal growth which ended up being the best thing for my creative growth. When I started writing again, having nothing else to do, gave me so much time to write and write and keep practicing.

PC: You’ve steadily been releasing music throughout the years. If you had to pick one song that best encompasses who you are as an artist, which would it be and why?
Taylor: Without giving too much away, it is a song that may or may not be (but definitely is) part of an upcoming release of mine!

PC: The music video is a great visual of the story for “Idiot.” Can you tell us more about the creativity of it and the vision you had going into this?
Taylor: I wanted everyone who watched the video to feel the emotional energy behind the song—to see this journey where frustration and hurt transform into anger and then ultimately into acceptance and newfound confidence. I spoke a lot with the director, John Peterson, about the vision because I really wanted the emotional landscape of the song to become a tangible storyline, and I am so happy with the outcome. I mean, when someone tells you that they can make a scene in the pouring rain happen, it’s hard to say no.

PC: Since you’ve been on the road before with The Vamps, Why Don’t We, and Sabrina Carpenter, how has the live stage impacted/influenced your songwriting? Are there plans to hit the road again soon?
Taylor: I got to see first-hand every night that people just want to have a good time and to feel deeply. On stage, when I allowed myself to truly feel, that’s when others felt most comfortable to feel their feelings. Now with any body of work, I create I will always make sure there is one song that I know is going to be really fun and cathartic to perform and that people are going to want to sing or scream or dance along to.

To keep up with Taylor, follow her on Twitter, Instagram, Spotify, and Apple Music.

Photo Credit: Ally Gillam