Pop-Culturalist.com

Asher Angel stands out as one of the industry’s most thrilling young voices and versatile talents. As a leading man, he’s widely recognized for his dynamic performances in projects such as Shazam!, Andi Mack, and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.

Beyond his impressive acting chops, Asher is also a gifted musical artist who not only writes, dances, and sings but also embodies the spirit of a true quadruple threat.

This January, he embarks on an exciting new chapter in his career with the release of his latest single, “Flip the Switch,” an upbeat bop that encourages listeners to be comfortable in their own skin and spreads a message of positivity—something the world needs more of today. The highly-anticipated song marks Asher’s return to music, and it finds him bringing a different level of authenticity and vulnerability to his craft. He writes about experiences that he has gone through in the past two years, allowing him to approach songwriting from a more personal standpoint.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Asher about “Flip the Switch,” this new phase in his artistry, creating feel-good music, and whether we can expect him on the road later this year.

PC: You have a new single out called “Flip the Switch.” There’s so much growth that can be heard in your artistry, vocals, and the production. What has played the biggest role in your development as an artist over the years?
Asher: That’s a good question. Over the years, you learn so much about yourself through the recording process. In the past two years, I’ve been able to fine-tune my voice, my writing process, and the entire creative process.

It’s been a drastic change because, before, I’d be given a song and I’d go in and record it. I wasn’t really a part of my own creative process, which is weird because it felt like I wasn’t really connected to what I was singing about since it wasn’t coming from me, which was hard. So it’s been amazing these last few years, going in and simply writing things that connect and resonate with me, and are true to who I am. Luckily, I’ve found an amazing group of people. It’s really helped so much with the growth. I’m in a really good place right now. It’s been a journey.

PC: Perfect segue to this next question. “Flip the Switch” feels so authentic to who you are; it’s upbeat, poppy, and carries a positive message. What initially inspired the song, and what do you hope listeners take away after hearing it?
Asher: The song is about being confident and comfortable in your own skin. Being on social media, there can be a lot of negative energy. That can really affect your mental, and it really affected mine. I feel like I’m finally able to say, “I don’t care what people think. I flipped the switch. I don’t care what the doubters say or the haters say.” All that negative energy is out the door. It really highlights positivity. We need more love in the world, and we need to keep spreading positivity. It really emphasizes that. I flipped the switch.

PC: This is a song that you can listen to over and over again. It has that universal appeal with the R&B and pop elements. Can you talk a bit about the team that helped bring this to life and finding that magic in the studio?
Asher: Shout out to Harv. He’s incredible. He’s been doing everything for Justin [Bieber] since he was little. To go in there and create with him, KP [Wentworth], and Felisha [King Harvey], there’s just a magical team. They allow me to use my creative juices and really use my voice. It’s a scary thing at first, but they finally got me comfortable enough where we’re family now. They really helped bring the best out of me, especially in my artistry. It’s such an amazing team. Shout out to them. I love them so much.

PC: 2023 was a strange year with the writers’ and actor’s strike. How much did you lean on music to stay creatively fulfilled? With the film and television industries ramping back up, how have you been able to balance all of your different endeavors and manage your time?
Asher: I love music, and I want to pursue that as well. That’s my main focus right now. I really used that time to get a bunch of songs in the vault and make a lot of songs that I could release because I really started from scratch all over again. It’s been a while since I released music. So I really took that chunk of time to zone in on everything.

It’s definitely trickier to manage now because projects are flowing again. I’ve got music coming out. Luckily, I have an amazing team that helps me balance it all. For all the people saying that you can’t do both, I can do both. It’s not that much of a challenge. I got this.

PC: What does the songwriting process look like for you when you’re working on a new song? What do you hope to say as an artist with this next batch of work?
Asher: It’s a cliche answer, but I want to make music that makes people feel good, but I want it to be on another level, especially with my live performances. I really want people to escape from reality. That’s my main focus. Of course, I want to make sad songs here and there, but I really want to make songs that are fun, get you moving, and make you feel good because that’s the type of music that I listen to, and that’s the type of music that I want to make. That’s my path right now. I’d say feel-good music.

PC: It’s a really good re-introduction to that side of your talent. Actor-musicians have often said there’s a different level of vulnerability that you have to tap into when you’re releasing your own music. Do you feel similarly? How have the different facets of your talent lent themselves to one another?
Asher: For music, it was difficult because, at a certain point, I was writing about things that I hadn’t experienced before, which is inauthentic. Now that I’ve experienced a lot more than I did in the last two years of my life, I’m finally in a place where I can write songs that connect with me and actually make sense. I’m speaking from personal experiences rather than before when I wasn’t, so I had to play a character where I was stepping into someone else’s shoes like acting and trying to get myself to experience what they were experiencing, which I hadn’t myself.

PC: That’s just time on earth. I imagine as a songwriter, you’re constantly writing. What does that process look like when you’re deciding what comes out when?
Asher: It’s so funny. You’re always in the studio, so you’re always creating, but it could be three years later that you release a song. It’s all over the place. It’s funny how that works. It’s just weird. It’s hard to explain. The timing is weird, but it’s all about what makes sense.

PC: That’s a testament to your talent as a songwriter, right? That you can revisit a song that you wrote four years ago, and it’s stood the test of time. That’s probably a sign that you should release it.

Asher: Yeah, I feel like there are different songs for different eras and time periods. It all just has to make sense.

PC: “Flip the Switch” is a song that you could listen to over and over again. You could hear it playing at a club or at a venue. Have there been any early conversations about potentially hitting the road in 2024 and touring? If so, is there a venue on your bucket list to perform at?
Asher: I want to get out on the road in 2024. I want to go on tour so badly. In terms of specific venues, I could tell you my dream venues are the O2, Wembley, Madison Square Garden, but I’m happy to perform anywhere right now. I’m starting to ramp up things again, finally putting out music consistently. So we’ll see what 2024 holds. I’m hopeful that I’ll be on the road.

PC: Speaking of new music, are we working towards potentially a larger body of work, maybe an EP or album?
Asher: Absolutely. The plan is to get a couple of singles out there and then release an EP and then an album. I plan on releasing music every month if I can, maybe a song every one to two months. So there’s a lot of music coming up.

PC: That’s very exciting because it has been a couple of years since your last release, as you were saying. This is a new chapter that you’re bringing a lot more authenticity to your craft. On the acting front, is there anything upcoming that you can chat about at this time?
Asher: I have a project that’s in post-production right now with Ashley Judd. I can’t say too much about that, but that’s coming soon, and I’ve got some projects in the works as well, which I can’t talk about yet. But there’s stuff coming. It’s going to be a big year. I’m excited.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Asher: That’s a good one. I still have One Direction, the good ole days on my playlist because their songs were so good and so nostalgic.

PC: First album you bought or streamed?
Asher: Oh my gosh. It was probably early Taylor Swift or Justin Bieber. Those were the good ole days. I remember buying them on iTunes or when people would actually have to go buy the physical CD. Those were the good ole days.

PC: First concert you ever attended?
Asher: I think it was Backstreet Boys. My mom took me to my first-ever concert, and it was Backstreet Boys. I didn’t know any of the songs. I remember I was super young and I loved it. I was like, “This is what I want to do. Let me try it.”

PC: An album that changed your life and why?
Asher: I’m not going to say an album, but I’m going to say a specific movie that really opened me up to music, and that was This Is It. It was the first time that I saw the whole creative process and behind the scenes of everything. He literally showed everything. I watched it like seven times with my grandma. I was obsessed. I was like, “This is what I want to do.”

PC: A must-have on the road?
Asher: Snacks. [laughs] Anything spicy. I love spicy food. I probably shouldn’t say that because it’s probably not good for my vocal cords, but give me a bag of Takis, a bag of Hot Cheetos. Then obviously the essentials like tea and video games.

To keep up with Asher, follow him on Twitter, Instagram, Spotify, and Apple Music. Listen to “Flip the Switch” today.

Photo Credit: Benjo Arwas