We Only Said Goodbye With Words: Remembering Amy Winehouse 10 Years Later

Amy Winehouse

Photo Credit for Images (L-R): Chris Christoforou/Redferns, Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images for NARAS, Rob Verhorst/Redferns

news

On the 10th anniversary of her passing, GRAMMY.com honors Amy Winehouse with an industry round-table tribute featuring the artists, creatives and journalists she's inspired through her music and style

Bianca Gracie

|GRAMMYs/Jul 23, 2021 - 11:00 am

To truly understand Amy Winehouse, you have to be in tune with the unfiltered version of yourself. Through her whiskey-soaked vocals and lyrics that sang more like ripped diary pages, the singer pulled at heartstrings worldwide.

A Southgate, North London native, Winehouse first emerged onto the music scene with 2003’s Frank. Partly inspired by Frank Sinatra (one of her many influences), the debut album was an engaging collection of breezy, jazz-soul ditties that commented on everything from local gold diggers (the cheeky "F*** Me Pumps") to annoying boyfriends ("Stronger Than Me").

But the artist’s global breakout moment is attributed to 2006’s follow-up and final album, Back to Black. While Frank teased Winehouse’s innate talent, this sophomore record showcased a budding legend before the world’s very eyes. The album is unabashed in its rawness, with Winehouse triggering listeners with once-deeply hidden memories of the emotional rollercoaster that relationships bring: the distracting love bombing, the painful heartbreak and trying to pull yourself out of the pits. Back to Black’s foundation is honesty, reflecting the artist’s own personal life at the time — from her tumultuous relationship with then ex-beau and future husband Blake Fielder-Civil to her battle with addiction and the mobs of British paparazzi tracking her every move.

Back to Black was a refreshing fusion of ‘60s girl group doo-wop, contemporary R&B, pop, reggae, and soul. The magic that Winehouse created with collaborators Mark Ronson, producer Salaam Remi and Sharon Jones' band The Dap-Kings led to massive success. Back to Black took home five out of six GRAMMY Awards (including Record of the Year for "Rehab"and Best New Artist). Following her untimely death, Winehouse won best Pop/Duo Performance in 2011 for her "Body and Soul"collaboration with Tony Bennett, as well as Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for Nas’ "Cherry Wine"in 2012.

Along with her gripping music, Winehouse made a stamp on pop culture through her nostalgic fashion style. A mix of ‘60s Motown, rockabilly and British ‘80s punk, she became known for her signature to-the-sky beehive hairdo, overly extended winged eyeliner, cherry-red lips, Monroe piercing and love for short cocktail dresses. In 2020, her style was commemorated in the GRAMMY Museum’s "Beyond Black – The Style Of Amy Winehouse"exhibit with assistance by her stylist Naomi Parry and longtime friend Catriona Gourlay. Winehouse’s legacy remains strong to this day: she paved the way for artists like Adele, Duffy, Estelle to cross over stateside, and also inspired a new generation of singers who admired her musical bluntness.

On the 10th anniversary of her passing today (July 23), GRAMMY.com honors Amy Winehouse with an industry round-table tribute featuring the artists, creatives and journalists she's inspired through her music and style.

The quotes and comments used in this feature were edited for clarity and brevity.

She Tapped Into Everyone’s Emotions

Alessia Cara (GRAMMY-winning Canadian singer/songwriter): I remember seeing the "Rehab"video for the first time and being glued to the television. She had big curly hair like mine, sitting on a stoop and singing with the most beautiful voice I'd ever heard. From then, I watched every video I could find on YouTube and learned every song. She made me want to learn the guitar, made me fall in love with jazz, and made me understand the undeniable power in simplicity and honesty. I saw so much of myself in her, in ways that I just couldn’t find in a lot of people on the radio at the time. To this day, if I write a lyric that feels a little too close for comfort, I think of her and how she would have said it anyway and it puts me right back on track. The real magic lies just past discomfort. It’s embedded in the truth. There is no one who did it more impactfully than her, but I always keep that sentiment in my pocket when speaking of my own feelings in my music; It’s shown me the reason for music in the first place. It’s an escape, a shoulder, a mirror. She never took it lightly and because of that — neither do I.

Charlotte Day Wilson (Toronto singer/songwriter): Amy's music was soulful, unafraid and deeply personal. As a teen who was obsessed with Motown, I was instantly hooked when I heard Back to Black for the first time. Her swagger as a vocalist, her crass yet timeless lyrics, the production, everything just hit perfectly and I know those elements/ influences live in me in many ways as an artist.

Suchandrika Chakrabarti (London-based journalist, comedian and performer of "I Miss Amy Winehouse"show): When I look back at my memories of the 2000s, so many of them are soundtracked by Amy’s music. I was born in the same year as Amy Winehouse – 1983 – and she’s six months younger than me. She was born in a suburb of north London, and I was born in a suburb of east London. We could’ve gone to the same school. She moved to Camden and made it her home in the 2000s; I worked and partied in Camden during the same period.

Amy always felt three steps away, perhaps pulling pints in The Hawley Arms or listening to the after-hours rockabilly music in the backroom of Marathon Bar (a kebab shop that used to host late-night parties), or having a smoke as she invited a gang of people back to her Camden flat for an after-party. Yet, she was a record-breaking global mega-star that I somehow didn’t run into around Camden!

The Amy I read about and saw in interviews was incredibly likable and unafraid of the media machine. Her kind of London accent wasn’t (and still isn’t) often heard on TV, and she would not play by the rules of a nice, media-trained pop starlet, choosing instead to criticize other acts, talk about her relationships and bare her soul, or storm off, depending on her mood. She could give as good as she got, particularly towards older male journalists who wanted to view her with an objectifying eye.

Most of all, she was funny. Earlier on in her career, she could undercut the dramatically heartbroken image of herself that her songs suggested by just turning up to interviews and being her own sarcastic, quick-witted self. Amy entertained the public off-stage as well as on, and I always wanted to know what she would do next. I was always rooting for her.

Lolo Zouaï (R&B/pop singer/songwriter): My favorite part about her music is her songwriting; her voice sounds so timeless but her lyrics have an edge to them. She doesn't filter what she wants to say which is such a beautiful contrast that I try to emulate in my lyrics.

Daya (GRAMMY-winning pop singer-songwriter): Amy’s ability to pick you up wherever you are and place you right in the middle of whatever she was going through was transcendent. To see the world through her lens has impacted me greatly as a person, songwriter and artist. What I love most about her as a person was her stubbornness and reluctance to compromise — she knew exactly what she wanted and didn’t care to cater to industry expectations or appeal to any specific audience. I constantly find myself trying to channel that energy when I’m met with resistance to my work. She’s easily one of the greatest artists that’s ever lived, and I feel lucky to have been alive at the same time as her.

Mike Spinella (Senior Director, Original Content at Pandora): I had the privilege to work with Amy in 2007 when she came to the United States to promote Back to Black. I had been booking talent and developing new content at AOL Music and became aware of the U.K. buzz surrounding her talent and instantly iconic voice. The record felt timeless immediately, it was brilliant — perfect, really. I had the opportunity to book Amy in our studio, where she gave a remarkable stripped-down performance, it was the first time I had seen her perform in person. Her extraordinary talent was undeniable at that moment. This was a very impactful moment in my career, being able to share her performance with the world. I am extremely proud to have played a role in reaching a large audience in the U.S. at that stage of her career with this timeless content.

Her Music Was Both Charming & Timeless

Alessia Cara (singer): Amy had this unmatched ability to tap into specific details of her life in a way that made you think of your own. She was brutally honest, sometimes to the point that made you uncomfortable. But it’s only that type of honesty that can hit a certain nerve in people — one that feels like she’s holding a mirror right up to your face. The older I get, the more her lyrics shape-shift their meaning to me. She detailed the human experience (specifically sadness) in ways that if you didn’t relate to in the past, you eventually will. You can go back to those songs and think, "Wow I get it now." Her music is timeless because the shared experience of love and loss is timeless.

Suchandrika Chakrabarti (journalist, comedian and performer): Her music is about the biggest things in life: love, sex, trust, pain, emotion. Amy’s songs manage to make each of us the "Main Character"in the imaginary film of our life, her dramatic soundtrack scoring our highs and lows, our sadnesses and our triumphs. That’s why she seemed like the perfect fit for a Bond theme; it’s a shame that it didn’t work out.

I’ve been researching a lot of media from the time to write my show, and Mark Ronson’s quote about Amy writing the single "Back to Black"in two or three hours really stuck with me. Her lyrics could have been diary entries, polished into poetry and set to melodies that can make you jump onto the dancefloor or fall onto your bed in despair. Her pain was raw, and part of her processing it was to make it into music. That part made sense, but it was sharing it with the public that I think took its toll on her.

The contrast between her stage presence and her "real"presence in interviews and on the streets of Camden was utterly fascinating. She didn’t need to try to capture our attention with a fancy home, designer clothes or perfectly prepared soundbites for headlines. The talent reeled us in, and we just wanted to know everything about the person who could make this music at such a young age. She burst into fame apparently complete, any apprenticeship in music already done and dusted.

Daya (singer): Her honesty, pain and the blatant rawness with which she talked about the struggles of love, sex, drugs, addiction, and temptation cuts through. It’s timeless because it touches on universal human emotion and experiences that will exist and be shared as long as humans are alive on earth. She was completely unfiltered, politically incorrect and unconcerned with what others think, and I think that is and will always continue to be a refreshing take, especially now at a time when art/music can feel increasingly watered down or made "safe"to cater to whatever will work in a mainstream or commercial way.

Mike Spinella (Senior Director, Original Content at Pandora): What struck me right away was Amy's unique style. Her sound was modern and classic all at the same time. Having witnessed Amy perform several times, including in an intimate studio session, it was easy to see how her sheer talent and captivating presence would inspire musicians for generations to come. Beyond the music, what also struck me was her sincerity, love and appreciation for the artists who influenced her as well as her peers. Amy embodied the creativity of a true artist and it showed in her work. Her career will continue to inspire those who have not yet discovered her brilliance.

Her Sense of Fashion Style Was Unapologetic

Nicholas Vega (GRAMMY Musem’s Curator and Director of Exhibitions, who helmed the "Beyond Black – The Style Of Amy Winehouse"exhibit last January): Amy’s style has proven to be timeless and has influenced a number of artists (and continues to do so). This is undeniable. There are certain elements of her style that other artists have adopted — whether it is the beehive hairdo, eye make-up, tattoos, or fitted dresses. But the most influential attribute of her style has to be her sense of individualism. Her stylist and friends were influential in helping her develop her look, but ultimately Amy took bits and pieces of trends and styles that she admired to create her own look. This is so essential because she could have very well let her team tell her what and what not to wear. Her interest in fashion extended well beyond her own personal wardrobe, as this is clearly visible in her direct involvement in 2010’s Fred Perry campaign and the different looks she developed with her stylist Naomi Parry. When talking about Amy’s style or "look,"this is what stands out the most to me.

Daya (singer): Her style and image were provocative in a way that really drew you in immediately. It was very "cool girl who doesn’t give a f***" while still alluding to glamour and opulence that kept it interesting and mysterious and elevated. She was beautifully extravagant without trying too hard, and she showed her body in a way that felt empowering and emboldening to me. Her general attitude toward style has influenced me heavily: she single handedly got me into eyeliner when I was a teen and it’s still my favorite item of makeup.

Opening night of the Beyond Black - The Style Of Amy WinehouseExhibit at theGRAMMY Museum in Los Angeles |Photo:Amanda Edwards/Getty Images

She Created Soulful Hits

Charlotte Day Wilson (singer): [Back to Black single] "Love Is A Losing Game"was an instant classic and remains one. It's a song I turn to when I need someone to echo my pessimism towards love & its potential for longevity.

Nicholas Vega (GRAMMY Musem’s Curator and Director of Exhibitions): My all-time personal favorite Amy Winehouse song is "In My Bed"off the Frank album. Sampling Nas’ [2002 hit] "Made You Look"was genius! Sampling is such a huge part of hip-hop and the beat from "Made You Look"was actually lifted from the Incredible Bongo Band’s “Apache” from 1973. There are few instances where hip-hop beats are used by artists from other genres of music — it’s usually the other way around. With a hip-hop beat serving as the record’s backbone, combined with her soulful voice and emotionally raw lyrics, Amy’s creativity is certainly on full display.

Suchandrika Chakrabarti (journalist, comedian and performer): "Tears Dry On Their Own"is my favorite song and video. From the sample of Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell's soaring "Ain't No Mountain High Enough"from 1967 to the lyrics speaking of growing up, changing her ways and being her own best friend, this should be Amy’s anthem rather than "Rehab."The sample draws a direct comparison between the two songs: "Ain't No Mountain High Enough"is about two people whose love cannot be dimmed by distance, whereas "Tears"is about one codependent person finding the strength to walk away, no matter the imagined obstacles, or the urge to try just one more time.

The other songs on Back to Black are about the pain and of surrendering to one’s own destructive patterns in love, but "Tears"is a manifesto for change. There’s much more hope in the lyrics, even though it can sound more downbeat in the melody than "Rehab"or "You Know I’m No Good."That’s the sly secret at the heart of Amy’s songs: the lyrics and the melody work beautifully together, but they each provoke two different emotions in us.

The video has always struck me as being inspired by two memorable Richard Ashcroft videos from the Britpop era. The obvious one is his strut down East London’s Hoxton Street as the frontman of The Verve in 1997’s "Bitter Sweet Symphony."Amy, being a woman and (despite the beehive, only 5’3") emulates on Hollywood Blvd.

The quieter scenes with Amy in a hotel room call to mind Richard Ashcroft’s "A Song For The Lovers"in 2000. While he moves around his large hotel room with a sense of joy, Amy longingly sits alone in her small room. I think that we would have got more songs like "Tears Dry On Their Own"as Amy got into her 30s. There’s self-acceptance and maturity that makes it stand out from the other tracks on Back to Black. Plus, it’s just a great song to belt out at karaoke.

Lolo Zouaï (singer): I love so much of her music but the song "Wake Up Alone"is my favorite. I love to listen to her music in the morning because of the way it makes you feel so present.

Daya (singer): You Know I’m No Good" holds a special place in my heart because it was my favorite song to sing when I was 10 and still is one of them now. I used to cover it on the ukulele all of the time, and I was always drawn to the seduction and provocation of it without even knowing it at the time. It’s interesting to fully comprehend the layers of the lyrics as an adult now. It also really made me want to work with a big band at some point in my career.

Mike Spinella (Senior Director, Original Content at Pandora): It is hard to have a favorite song when Amy made so many perfect ones. But I will choose the song I probably have listened to most: "Tears Dry on Their Own." It encapsulates everything I love about Amy's music: an ear-worm tune that showcases Amy's one-a-kind vocals, blending struggles, heartbreak and truth into a candy-coated melody, all while paying homage with an interpolation of Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell's classic "Ain't No Mountain High Enough."

She Was A Budding Icon Gone Too Soon

Alessia Cara (singer): I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing. It was my second year of high school, so I was sitting on my bed writing an essay on my laptop. My mom came in, sat on my bed with me, and told me. I remember feeling my heart sink. One of my first thoughts after the initial questions of how, why, and where, was selfishly: "Oh my God. I will never meet her."Looking back, it’s kind of an ambitious thing to say. The thought that me, a high school student from Brampton, would have definitely met her had it not been for her passing was so far-fetched, yet it was crushing. As long as she was alive, there would still be the one percent chance that I’d run into her and get to tell her what she meant to me. But this solidified that I would never have that chance.

That moment sparked so many devastating truths. She was never going to write a song again. We will never hear her sing again. How was someone so poignantly human, with an endless stream of emotions, never going to feel a single emotion again? It felt like she was robbed of the chances she was supposed to have. I felt her pain through her words and the thought that her life ended within that pain felt so wrong. Death never feels right, but this felt especially wrong.

Thinking back now, her passing ultimately taught us all the true purpose of songwriting and how music lives on despite any circumstances. Her words continue to touch whoever hears [them] — even 10 years later — and will continue to for generations. She’s still very much alive within that. I didn’t get to know her, but her art makes us all feel like we do. Her spirit is transcendent and her heart is still on earth, every time we dance around our kitchens to "Tears Dry On Their Own"or ugly cry to "Love is a Losing Game."Through her beautiful work and the awe she continues to leave us in, Amy will always be here.

Suchandrika Chakrabarti (journalist, comedian and performer): It was a Saturday lunchtime when the news broke. I was at home in Finsbury Park, which is about a 10-minute drive from Camden. I couldn’t tell you which medium brought me the news first — radio, TV, or online — but the moment I knew, I was on all three at once, trying to find out more.

I was utterly shocked. Amy had been photographed walking around London just two days earlier, looking much healthier and stronger than she had in a long time. I genuinely thought that she would be able to turn things around. She was only 27, six months younger than me. Of course, there would be more songs, there would be more sightings of her around Camden, she would shepherd her goddaughter Dionne Bromfield into a promising music career of her own...

I was working in broadcast news at the time and two days after her death, I was sent down to the scene outside her flat to collect interviews. It was an extraordinary scene. The buildings on Amy’s streets are gorgeous mid-19th-century townhouses arranged around a large rectangle of grass, and every inch of it was covered in mourners.

These were teenagers, not 20-somethings like Amy or myself. They had created their own festival outside Amy’s home: drinking, smoking, and smearing their black eyeliner with their tears. It seemed like a strange tribute to a singer who had probably died due to drugs or alcohol — at this point we didn’t know for sure — and I still wonder now what those fans got from being there. I suppose they felt that they were being witnesses to the private, lonely death of such a public, much-photographed star.

Her Artistry Impacted A New Generation

Charlotte Day Wilson (singer): Just that the world of music was a better place with her in it. There will always be an empty space where she should've remained.

Nicholas Vega (GRAMMY Musem’s Curator and Director of Exhibitions): As I closely worked with her family and friends to develop the "Beyond Black – The Style of Amy Winehouse"exhibition, it became immediately clear that there are so many rich layers to her story. Having been able to hear first-hand accounts from those who knew her best and to be able to examine and analyze different objects from her personal collection, I learned that she was truly dedicated to her craft. Her passion for music and [music-making] was such a huge part of her DNA. Although she was blessed with a beautiful and soulful voice, she did not take that for granted. This really stands out as something special, as many people do not know this side of her story.

Suchandrika Chakrabarti (journalist, comedian and performer): While Amy’s music is timeless, she lived in a very specific age. One in which her obvious difficulties were met with mocking headlines, cruel jokes on TV and a lack of support. We watched a career and life unfold, blossom and then end in real-time. So much more has to be done to care for people in her position. It would be nice to think that future generations of fans will find the values of the 2000s archaic, and that Amy’s sad trajectory in full view of the world won’t be repeated.

Lolo Zouaï (singer): She was always authentically herself and just wanted to make music because that was her way of coping with her life, which was not easy. She never wanted to be famous, she was just born an artist and felt everything so deeply.

Daya (singer): I would hope that her addiction and death don’t cast a shadow on everything that she was and everything she contributed to the world. I hope her legacy continues to live on as one of the most important and brilliant songwriters and pop culture influences who’s ever lived. She was undergoing heavy personal battles and the people around her — combined with the industry/media — continued to manipulate and exploit her for their own monetary or social gain. It was completely unfair and tragic what happened to her, which shouldn’t at all take away from the beautiful artist and person she was.

Big Voices, Ballads and Blockbuster Hits: How 1996 Became The Year Of The Pop Diva

Katy Perry poses backstage on the set of 'American Idol' in 2024.

Photo: Eric McCandless/Disney via Getty Images

list

From "Teenage Dream" to "Firework," Katy Perry has delivered some of the most memorable pop anthems of her time. As the superstar releases her seventh studio album, jam out to 15 of her GRAMMY-nominated and chart-topping songs.

Tássia Assis

|GRAMMYs/Sep 19, 2024 - 02:28 pm

When Katy Perry announced her seventh studio album, 143, in July, a press release described the LP as "sexy, fearless return to form." While the first single from the project, "Woman's World," was panned by critics, its bold lyrics, punchy melody and outlandishly fun video are as Katy Perry as they come.

There's no denying that Perry is one of the most important artists to shape pop music in the 21st century. Her easygoing, sunny hits have soundtracked countless summers, and her vulnerable power ballads have affected millions. She's been nominated for 13 GRAMMY Awards, and is one of the best-selling artists of all time, even sharing company with Michael Jackson as the only two artists to ever land five No. 1 hits from a single album.

Just before 143's Sept. 20 arrival, Perry further proved her influence — and that her past hits hold up — with a stellar mashup performance at MTV's 2024 VMA Awards on Sept. 11. Even if her seventh studio set doesn't achieve the heights of Perry's earlier albums, she's crafted some of the most iconic pop songs of the 21st century, from "I Kissed a Girl" to "Roar."

To celebrate the beginning of a new era and the blazing legacy of Perry's artistry, GRAMMY.com looks back at the most defining songs in her dazzling career.

"I Kissed A Girl," 'One Of The Boys' (2008)

Perry's debut single was the song that changed her trajectory forever. "I Kissed a Girl" became a massive hit, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for seven consecutive weeks, and earning Perry her first GRAMMY nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 2009.

While the track has been widely criticized for its "queerbaiting" lyrics, Perry recognized them as problematic in a 2018 YouTube video for Glamour, and affirmed she would "probably make an edit" if given the chance to rewrite it. "We've really changed, conversationally, in the past 10 years," she said. "We've come a long way. Bisexuality wasn't as talked about back then, or any type of fluidity." Even if its lyrics haven't aged well, the propulsive electropop and instant catchiness of "I Kissed A Girl" introduced Perry as a pop force in the making.

"Hot N Cold," 'One Of The Boys' (2008)

Following the success of "I Kissed A Girl," Perry's follow-up single, "Hot N Cold," hinted that she wasn't a flash-in-the-pan artist. Co-produced by Dr. Luke and Benny Blanco — the duo behind both singles — "Hot N Cold" soared to No. 3 on the Hot 100, and also scored Perry her second GRAMMY nomination for Best Female Vocal Performance in 2010.

The upbeat, synth-filled hit is filled with sturdy synths and simple, yet witty lyricism about a loved one's fluctuating moods. "You're yes then you're no /You're in then you're out /You're up then you're down /You're wrong when it's right," she sings, unknowingly creating a relatable anthem for generations to come.

"Thinking of You," 'One Of The Boys' (2008)

The third single off One Of The Boys showcased a different facet to the splashy, sassy singer. In this stirring ballad, Perry — who wrote the lyrics by herself — pricks on old wounds as she pines for a former lover, despite being in a new relationship.

"You said move on, where do I go?/ I guess second best is all I will know," she sings in one of the most evocative compositions in her career. "Comparisons are easily done/ Once you've had a taste of perfection/ Like an apple hanging from a tree /I picked the ripest one, I still got the seed."

While "Thinking of You" did not achieve the same chart success as some of Perry's other early singles, it still stands as a testament to her powerful vocals and ability to turn universal experiences into utterly personal tracks.

"California Gurls," 'Teenage Dream' (2010)

This cheeky, carefree homage to California — where both Perry and featuring rapper Snoop Dogg were born — revels in the depiction of a "warm, wet n' wild" paradise, filled with girls so hot they will "melt your popsicle." "They're unforgettable," Perry sings, and she might have been onto something, as "California Gurls" was arguably the song of the summer in 2010.

A co-production of Dr. Luke, Benny Blanco and pop master Max Martin, it spearheaded one of the singer's most successful eras: her third album, Teenage Dream. The track dominated charts and radio stations across the globe, also earning a GRAMMY nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals — and a permanent place in our minds.

"Teenage Dream," 'Teenage Dream' (2010)

After delivering another smash with Teenage Dream's lead single, Perry did it again with its title track. The album's second single manages to bottle all the euphoria and trepidation of being a teenager into one masterful, ageless hit. Adolescents all over the world can listen to this song and feel contemplated, in the same way that elders might hear it and remember the rush of their first loves.

While the melody packs some of Dr. Luke, Blanco and Martin's arguably best synths and guitar riffs, it's the exhilarating "I'ma get your heart racing in my skin-tight jeans/ Be your teenage dream tonight" bridge that makes this track truly unforgettable. "Teenage Dream" granted Perry both her third No. 1 hit on the Hot 100 and her third GRAMMY nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, setting the stage for even more massive success that was to come.

"Firework," 'Teenage Dream' (2010)

"Do you ever feel like a plastic bag/ Drifting through the wind, wanting to start again?" Perry asks in the first line of her 2010 self-empowering anthem, "Firework." Although the question went on to become a meme due to its uncanny — yet oddly relatable — comparison, the track remains as one of her most successful efforts and a dynamic display of her grandiose vocals.

Inspired by a passage from Jack Kerouac's beatnik classic On the Road, "Firework" inspired listeners all over the world to "ignite the light and let it shine." Its inspiring message and belt-along hook helped "Firework" become Perry's fourth No.1 single on the Hot 100 and secure GRAMMY nominations for Record Of The Year and Best Pop Solo Performance.

"Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)" 'Teenage Dream' (2010)

After scoring yet another Hot 100 chart-topper with the freaky techno-pop "E.T." with Kanye West, Perry returned with her fifth single off Teenage Dream, "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)." Like its four predecessors, the peppy track landed at No. 1 on the Hot 100 — making Perry the first (and, as of press time, only) female singer to topple five No.1 singles off the same album at Billboard's Hot 100 chart.

In yet another Dr. Luke and Max Martin co-production, Perry spiritedly retells a wild night drinking with friends. Dancing on tabletops? Check. Skinny-dipping in the dark? Check. Smelling like a mini bar? Check. As if playing the quintessential bingo of youth, she earns the jackpot and then some. However, despite the consequences (Towed car? Check!), her only goal is to "do it all again" next week. Oh, to be young and reckless…

"Wide Awake," 'Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection' (2012)

With the release of her 2012 biopic, Katy Perry: Part of Me, the Californian singer also put forward one of her most touching power ballads. "I wish I knew then what I know now/ Wouldn't dive in, wouldn't bow down/ Gravity hurts, you made it so sweet/ 'Til I woke up on the concrete," she sings of a disenchanting breakup.

But the overall message of "Wide Awake" is an uplifting one — vowing to see the truth with clear eyes and eventually feel "born again." The song takes after Perry's personal experiences at the time, following her divorce from English comedian Russell Brand. "Wide Awake" was added to the reissue album, Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection, alongside "Dressin' Up" and "Part of Me," and earned a 2013 GRAMMY nomination for Best Pop Solo Performance.

"Roar," 'Prism' (2013)

"People talk about bullying, but you can be your own bully in some ways," Perry told W Magazine about "Roar," the lead single off her fourth album, 2013's Prism. "You can be the person who is standing in the way of your success, and that was the case for me. I was having a great professional streak, but personally, I was really immature, so I had to balance those things out."

A fitting opener to a new era of Katy Perry, "Roar" is a celebration of growing up, shaking off the dust, and moving on. With its lofty melodies, it's a song made to be performed in stadiums and sung in unison by thousands, amplifying its healing powers like a mantra. It's no surprise, then, that "Roar" became her eighth No. 1 hit and earned two GRAMMY nominations for Song Of The Year and Best Pop Solo Performance.

"Unconditionally," 'Prism' (2013)

Inspired by her then-new boyfriend, John Mayer, and a UNICEF trip she took to Madagascar, "Unconditionally" is Perry's celebration of the purest form of love: acceptance. "All your insecurities/ All the dirty laundry/ Never made me blink one time," she sings, promising to love without restraints and without fear.

Whether that love is directed to a partner, a friend, or even a pet, it doesn't matter — "Unconditionally" suits human relationships as a whole, and attests to Perry's ability in capturing universal experiences. Here, her soaring vocals take the spotlight. Over a spacious instrumental, Perry reminds us that to love unconditionally is to be free.

"Dark Horse" feat. Juicy J, 'Prism' (2013)

Katy Perry is careful when choosing musical experimentations, but she nailed it by trying her hand in trap and hip-hop for "Dark Horse." Written from the point of view of a witch casting a love spell, the single's slow, sultry verses are hypnotizing, and the polished production makes it a standout on Prism and in her discography as a whole.

Perry's delivery is so remarkable that it makes you forget rapper Juicy J's subpar verses. But even that wasn't enough to dim "Dark Horse'"s light: the single was a commercial success, becoming her ninth No. 1, and earning a GRAMMY nomination for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.

"By the Grace of God," 'Prism' (2013)

Written while Perry suffered through the breakup from Russell Brand — so painful it made her consider if being alive was even worth it — the piano-led "By the Grace of God" is one of her most vulnerable efforts, and closes Prism on a stirring note.

In the lyrics, she moves from self-loathing to self-loving, once again hitting a relatable spot for anyone with a shattered heart. While songs like "Roar" had a more straightforward approach to empowerment, "By the Grace of God" shows that softness is strength, and being honest about your feelings makes them easier to bear. "I put one foot in front of the other and I /Looked in the mirror and decided to stay /Wasn't gonna let love take me out that way," she sings, confident that a better future lies ahead.

"Déjà Vu," 'Witness' (2017)

Witness, Perry's divisive fifth LP, came out four years after Prism, in 2017. By then, not only had she changed, but the world as well — Hillary Clinton's (whom Perry openly supported) loss at the 2016 presidential campaign, the burgeoning of streaming platforms. Amidst all that, Perry wanted to rebrand herself and make "purposeful pop."

The disc marked a departure from Perry's high-octane hits and partnership with Dr. Luke, diving into EDM and electropop rhythms. However, the package fell flat, and failed to achieve the commercial success that Perry hoped for, partly due to debatable single choices (think "Swish Swish" with Nicki Minaj).

But hiding in Witness' deep cuts lie true sonic gems, and "Déjà Vu" is arguably the shiniest one. In its addictive R&B melody, electronic synths, and vocal distortions, the track evokes a dead-end relationship that keeps repeating itself, like an unsolvable riddle. If people were willing to listen, they would see that Witness is quite compelling and a matured exploration of Perry's talents — she just needed a better marketing direction.

"Never Really Over," 'Smile' (2020)

After the troubled waters of Witness, Perry was ready to launch a new, promising era. 2019's "Never Really Over" was her best single since 2013's "Dark Horse," harking back to the sugary sweet hooks of Teenage Dream and swirling in dance floor-ready house beats. The tongue twisting post-chorus accurately depicts an on-and-off relationship, repetitive nature included: "Just because it's over doesn't mean it's really over/ And if I think it over, maybe you'll be coming over again/ And I'll have to get over you all over again."

"Never Really Over" marked the second collaboration with EDM producer Zedd in 2019, following the lackluster performance of their previous team-up, "365." In fact, the song was her most successful in the past five years, reaching No. 15 — her last Top 20 hit to date.

"Cry About It Later," 'Smile' (2020)

Smile marked a shift in Perry's personal life: She announced her pregnancy with fiancé Orlando Bloom in single "Never Worn White" (which appeared on the "Fan" and Japanese versions of the album), hinted at the baby's name through lead single "Daisies," and gave birth to daughter Daisy Dove just two days before the album release, on August 28, 2020.

Perry was in a better place — and that reflected on her songs. While the album was not a chart-topper like its three predecessors, its reception was mostly favorable among critics and the public. Smile felt like the true upgraded version of the singer: a resilient pop maven, shrugging at the "flops" and "fails" of life with bright enthusiasm.

The glittering, nostalgic "Cry About it Later" sums it up: "I'll cry about it later/ Tonight, I'm havin' fun/ I'll cry about it later/ Tonight I'm gettin' some/ Tonight I'm gettin' something brand new." And though "Cry" features a verse that says, "I'm gonna fake it 'til it makes me feel good," it seems 143 is ushering in an era where Perry doesn't have to fake any happiness — or anything at all, for that matter.

"I'm very proud of everything I accomplished, and I don't feel like I have anything to prove," she said in a recent interview with Audacy. "I'm creating from this abundance [of] artistic space. I always wanted to make a dance-pop record, so I've checked that [off my] bucket list. And there [are] a couple of records that I have in my mind that I still want to make, and I'll just go along that process if I get the opportunity to. This is a part of my purpose [and] my vision for myself."

Latest News & Exclusive Videos

Anything But Predictable: How 'Korn' Pioneered Nu-Metal

It Showed Minogue Taking Creative Control

Kylie Minogue began her career as a manufactured teen star. From her launch on the Australia soap opera "Neighbours" to her first hit, "I Should Be So Lucky" and first two albums, Kylie and Enjoy Yourself, Minogue was known for catchy bubblegum pop. But within a few years, her music became formulaic releases pumped out by British production house PWL (aptly known as "The Hit Factory"). Her 1990 song "Better the Devil You Know" featured some overt (and controversial) sexuality, though it largely stuck close to her familiar dance-pop format approved by her record label.

By 1994, Minogue "had two choices: to record pop songs that would sell, or to experiment, let me loose in a field and see what happens," Minogue told Deconstruction. The resulting Kylie Minogue made a statement: Minogue was reclaiming her artistry and pop star profile.

By abandoning PWL and approaching artists like Brothers in Rhythm and M People to help produce her record, Minogue — only about 24 — imbued her self-titled album with more adult imagery and a breadth of genres: dance, deep house, R&B, and even acid jazz.

This newfound freedom is best reflected on "Confide in Me," one of Minogue’s most unique releases thanks to its hookiness, orchestral excess and seductive lyrics musing on love and fame. The song offered an enticing blend of Middle Eastern strings and slower trip-hop beats for an intimate, if not unfamiliar, listening experience. Minogue would continue to showcase herself as a cool, confident and sexualized woman for the remainder of her career.

It Started Minogue’s Love Affair With Electronic Music

"Padam Padam" might have been the standout smash hit from 2023’s Tension, but the album also has several strong electronic and house tracks. Minogue's interest in those genres traces back over 30 years, and her experiments with dance music are deeply connected to Kylie Minogue. Her new label, Deconstruction, was known for its house anthems (like "Rhythm Is a Mystery" by K-Klass) while producers Brothers in Rhythm helped galvanize her predilection for the genre. The British electronic trio were making waves on the UK club scene, and pushed Minogue deeper into this space.

Kylie Minogue saw the singer step away from the frothy disco and pop work she had built her career on, and commit more fully to the sonic pleasures of the club scene. Album tracks "Where Has the Love Gone" and "Time Will Pass You By" are playful and uplifting, emblematic of the playfully upbeat house and feel-good messages that would characterize Minogue’s later output.

The breathy and erotic "Where is the Feeling" was recorded twice. The album version embraced the tenets of "handbag house" with its uplifting chord progressions, disco sound and Minogue's soaring and soulful voice. The single version, by contrast, had a psychedelic trip-hop and ambient sound with demonstrated vulnerability. (Minogue later released an extended cut with confessional lyrics: "So why do I still feel this way?/ Detached and vulnerable/ The world on my shoulders/ Left alone to face the unknown.")

The album also let Minogue nod to the classic house music format of 12-inch singles. Songs like "Where Has the Love Gone" and "Falling " each ran close to seven minutes a piece, offering extended dance floor pleasures. Minogue has since continued this approach of longer dance-floor releases with extended cuts of Disco and Extension (The Extended Mixes) for Tension.

Further establishing her as a leading figure in the electronic/dance music world, Minogue would go on to win the inaugural GRAMMY Award for Best Pop Dance Recording for "Padam Padam" at the 2024 GRAMMYs.

Read More:

It Showed The Minogue Was A Serious Vocalist

Minogue was sometimes criticized for having tinny vocals and a weak range, but Kylie Minogue allowed the singer to flaunt her vocal prowess away from the strictures of the Hit Factory. "[H]er voice has been coaxed from a squeak to a more resonant entity," The Guardian’s music critic wrote.

Kylie Minogue proved to be her most vocally accomplished exercise, and a far cry from her earlier teeny-bopper output. "It was the first time I had sung like that," Minogue told the Guardian of tracks like "Confide in Me." Not only could Minogue hold a note, but she indulged in diverse vocal effects.

Case in point: the uptempo ballad "Put Yourself in My Place." Minogue's vocal maturity and strength are on display as she sings about suffering through a one-sided split. Minogue's emotive vocals show mastery of the elusive pop ballad, while the song's soft and seductive melody embody the pains of a failed romance.

"Automatic Love" is also a vocal triumph. A smooth and sensuous ballad, the song features a cascading sonic arc that ends with Minogue showcasing her chops with a theatrical high note.

It Revealed Minogue Was Willing To Experiment Musically

Much like today, a global view of music and a desire to evolve was necessary to navigate the changing tastes and interests of the mid-'90s. With a coterie of edgy producers, Minogue played with unexpected genres and harmonies — like Middle Eastern instrumentation, new jack swing, R&B and even ambient sounds.

"If I Was Your Lover" may be a polarizing entry into the Minogue songbook, but it still highlights an ambition to take on the mammoth genre of R&B and the United States charts — a long allusive market for Minogue. Its rhythmic and percussive energy channels Janet Jackson, while a spoken word section (à la Madonna’s "Justify My Love") spotlights a remarkably different but developed voice for the singer.
Minogue took vocal risks on the record as well. The album captures a wide range of notes alongside whispers, murmurs and even sighs, framing Minogue as an ingenious vocalist who was broadening her sonic offerings. The intimacy afforded by these vocal gestures — such as the "s" emphasis in the spoken section of "Confide in Me" evoking a snake’s hiss — charges the songs with an erotic and hypnotic energy. The effect imbues Kylie Minogue with both a baring self-exposure and erotic intensity that listeners hadn't yet experienced previously.

It Transformed Her Image

The aesthetics that accompanied Kylie Minogue, from the iconic album cover of a barefoot Minogue crouching in a suit and spectacles, to the visuals of provocative music videos, asserted and affirmed that she was shedding her playful pop princess image and in favor of a refined, urbane and worldly one. From this release onward, Minogue would embrace her own sensuality and own her satisfaction.

Music videos for the album threaded together elevated cinematography and unique art direction, often playing with ideas of impersonality and objectification. "Confide in Me" sees the star as various "dolls" viewers can call up and seek comfort and confidence in — much like a candy machine, love is for sale. "Where Is the Feeling?" is a gritty black-and-white episode that sees Minogue swim seductively around a pool — rubbing her lips, stroking her wet hair, giving lowered gazes to the camera — while unknowingly being pursued by a man. "Put Yourself in My Place" is Barbarella redone, with Minogue taking this iconic objectified woman of pop culture but remaking it as an exposed, naked body on display in outer space.The music video sees Minogue take the Barbarella character and playfully undress in space, a figurative gesture that reminds of her rawest and most baring vocals yet.

Minogue's nuanced understanding of her public image showed that she was a new kind of pop princess: sophisticated and sensual, introspective and detached. Minogue was now comfortable exploring her womanhood and sexuality publicly, and challenging her previously girlish persona.

Much like Madonna, the 1990s saw Minogue increasingly become preoccupied with her status as a pop star, which she mined for artistic experimentation. It’s no surprise, then, that there was an accompanying photobook for Kylie Minogue, which saw the singer stand behind the camera lens and have her beauty and blondeness examined or a camp parody.

The album ultimately represented a moment for her to look from the outside in, and critically examine and challenge the image the singer was projecting publicly. Kylie Minogue stressed to both skeptics and stans that she was now abandoning the naivete of her past career to re-enter the music scene as a creative and elevated artist really to be reckoned with.

The Latest Pop Music News & Releases

Michael Bublé On Why His 10-Year Struggle Was "The Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me"Watch Bruno Mars' 2014 GRAMMY WinKaty Perry's Biggest Songs: Revisiting Her Most Iconic Hits In Honor Of New Album '143'Creative Control On The Dance Floor: How 'Kylie Minogue' Transformed The Singer Into A Brash BombshellFrom 'Child Star' To Director: Breaking Down Demi Lovato's Multifaceted Career

Demi Lovato attends the Los Angeles premiere of Hulu's 'Child Star.'

Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

list

After more than two decades in the entertainment industry, Demi Lovato adds “director” to her resume. With her documentary ‘Child Star’ now streaming on Hulu, dig into all of the ways she’s flexed her creativity — and told her truth.

Glenn Rowley

|GRAMMYs/Sep 18, 2024 - 03:42 pm

Demi Lovato has come a long way from her days as a Disney Channel darling. Since her beginnings in Disney Channel smashes like Camp Rock and "Sonny with a Chance," the pop star has been a constant force in the music industry, releasing eight top 10 albums and garnering millions of loyal fans around the world.

The two-time GRAMMY nominee hasn't been shy about sharing her struggles in the spotlight, either. Through perseverance and unrelenting will power, Lovato has conquered demons, overcome trauma and refused to be defined by any setback or obstacle as she's dealt with decades of substance abuse, body image issues and mental health struggles.

Now, she's on the cusp of making her directorial debut with Child Star, a new Hulu documentary that arrived Sept. 17. The film sees Lovato reflect on a childhood spent in the entertainment industry, from her start on "Barney & Friends" at just 10 years old through her adolescence as a teen idol — and, ultimately, how it all impacted who she's become, for better or worse. The pop star also interviews fellow former child stars, including Christina Ricci, Raven-Symoné, JoJo Siwa and Drew Barrymore, for candid reflections on their own experiences.

As Lovato adds "director" to her resume, take a look back at all of the ventures she's pursued throughout her career — from music, to television, to simply telling her truth.

The Voice Behind The Music

From the moment she burst into the national consciousness in the late 2000s, Lovato was known for her dynamic voice. While the star's earliest musical output — particularly her 2008 debut album, Don't Forget, and its 2009 follow-up, Here We Go Again — was pop-rock perfectly primed for Radio Disney, her sound continued to evolve as she graduated from teen idol to grown-up superstar.

Across eight albums and counting, Lovato has delivered unforgettable anthems like 2013's "Heart Attack," 2015's "Cool for the Summer" and 2017's "Sorry Not Sorry." Along the way, she's put her unique stamp on everything from R&B and dance music to confessional balladry and snarling pop-punk.

Almost exactly one year before Child Star arrived, Lovato first looked back at her career with 2023's Revamped, a compilation that turned the amps up on 10 of her past hits and transformed them into bonafide rock bangers. And just days before Child Star's release, the singer unveiled her new song "You'll Be OK, Kid," an emotional love letter to her younger self, as well as future generations of kids dreaming about seeing their names in lights.

The Screen Starlet

Long before becoming a singer, however, Lovato got her start as a child actor. In fact, the superstar's first on-screen role was playing Angela for two seasons on "Barney & Friends" from 2002 to 2004. The long-running children's show is also where she first met fellow future Disney Channel star (and one-time bestie) Selena Gomez, who played the character Gianna at the very same time.

In 2008, a then-16-year-old Lovato booked her breakout role headlining the 2008 Disney Channel Original Movie Camp Rock opposite the Jonas Brothers. Not only did the TV movie launch the teenager's singing career, it also cemented her status as one of the brightest stars in the Disney Channel class of the late '00s and early 2010s.

Soon enough, Lovato was virtually everywhere on the channel — starring in 2009's Princess Protection Program opposite Gomez, reuniting with the JoBros for 2010's Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam, and having her music videos for singles like "Get Back," "La La Land" and "Remember December" played in between programming on commercial breaks.

She even got her very own sitcom, playing the titular role on "Sonny with a Chance," which ran for two seasons from 2009 to 2011. Unfortunately, Lovato's early struggles with addiction brought the series to a sudden halt when she announced in April 2011 that she'd be leaving the show before its third season. As a result, already-produced episodes were rebranded as the spinoff "So Random!," which only lasted a single season before being canceled in early 2012.

Lovato later branched out to acting projects outside of Disney Channel, including a four-episode stint on Season 5 of "Glee"in 2013. She also lent her voice as Smurfette in the 2017 animated feature Smurfs: The Lost Village,and landed a guest-starring role on the revival of "Will & Grace" as Jenny, a cam girl Will hires as his surrogate, in 2020.

The Relatable Host & Judge

Lovato also has plenty of experience playing herself on TV. Fresh out of treatment in 2012, the singer expanded her resume by appearing as a judge on season 2 of the U.S. iteration of "The X Factor" alongside Simon Cowell, Britney Spears and L.A. Reid. Later joined by Paulina Rubio and Kelly Rowland for season 3, Lovato mentored contestants in the Young Adult and Girls categories across her two seasons on the show, and accomplished her entire stint as a judge while living in a sober facility, proving she was dedicated to both the job and her recovery.

Nearly a decade later, Lovato also hosted her very own talk show, "The Demi Lovato Show," on The Roku Channel. The short-lived series premiered in 2021 and featured interviews with fellow celebs, including actresses Olivia Munn, Lucy Hale, Jameela Jamil, and rapper YG, as well as wellness guru and author Jay Shetty and YouTube sensation and makeup artist Nikita Dragun.

The "Heart Attack" singer also delved into her proud obsession with the paranormal by hosting 2021's "Unidentified with Demi Lovato," a passion project she conceived after allegedly making contact with extraterrestrials on her 28th birthday. The four-episode Peacock series followed the star as she researched UFOs with her friends, interviewed alleged alien abductees, conducted sky-watches and more.

The Advocate

Lovato has long been passionate about using her platform for good, and that includes combining her music with causes close to her heart, especially LGBTQIA+ rights and mental health.

In 2016, the star was honored with GLAAD's Vanguard Award, given to allies in the entertainment industry who have "made a significant difference in promoting acceptance of LGBTQ people and issues." (Just a couple of years later, Lovato revealed in a 2018 interview that she identified as "very fluid," and used both she/her and they/them pronouns for a number of years before announcing in June 2023 that she would only use feminine pronouns going forward.)

On both her 2017 Future Now Tour with Nick Jonas and her 2018 world tour in support of her sixth album, Tell Me You Love Me, the singer raised awareness about mental health by bringing advocacy organization CAST Foundation on the road. Through the recovery center's CAST on Tour initiative, Lovato and CAST Foundation chairman Mike Bayer hosted pre-show get-togethers with fans to talk about mental health awareness and allow attendees to share their personal experiences with mental illness.

Lovato has also attached herself to numerous causes as an ambassador and spokesperson. In 2010, the singer became a spokesperson for the anti-bullying organization PACER, and in 2012, she took another stand against bullying as ambassador for the Mean Stinks! Campaign.

Five years later, she was named a Global Citizen ambassador for her work advocating for the mental health of thousands of displaced children within Iraq and surrounding communities, and helped fund a Save the Children pilot program in the region. In 2020, the singer also partnered with Talkspace, becoming a mental health spokesperson for the online therapy company.

The Truth Teller

At several pivotal moments throughout her career, Lovato has told her story through a number of vulnerable, confessional-style documentaries.

The singer's first doc, Demi Lovato: Stay Strong, was released six months after the release of her 2011 album, Unbroken. Following the singer after she left rehab, the MTV film showed Lovato attempting to reorient her career and navigate sobriety while getting bracingly honest about her eating disorder, mental health struggles, alcoholism, and drug addiction.

However, in her second documentary, 2017's Demi Lovato: Simply Complicated, the star corrected the record, admitting that she was actually under the influence of cocaine while filming confessionals for the earlier project touting her sobriety. She also opened up further in the YouTube Original Documentary about her career as a child star, her family life, working for Disney Channel, being diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and more.

Lovato's third experience opening up for the cameras correlated with her seventh album, 2021's Dancing with the Devil… the Art of Starting Over. Filming for the four-part YouTube series, Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil, picked up in the wake of her near-fatal 2018 drug overdose, and included the star getting vulnerable about returning to the stage, maintaining her sobriety, breaking off her whirlwind engagement to actor Max Ehrich, and the creation of her first album since leaving Hollywood Records.

The Newly Minted Director

After dabbling in co-directing on music videos like 2013's "Made in the USA" (with Ryan Pallotta) and 2021's "Dancing with the Devil" (with Michael D. Ratner), Lovato made her official directorial debut with Hulu's Child Star.

The budding multi-hyphenate opened up about the intensely personal project — which puts the singer entirely at the helm while utilizing the same candid, soul-baring approach she's employed to tell her story in past documentaries — in a September 2024 Teen Vogue cover story coinciding with the doc's release.

"I knew right out the gate that it was a challenging aspect to my life," Lovato told the magazine of rocketing to stardom on the Disney Channel. "It was bittersweet because it was all I wanted, and it was miserable."

To get a wider look at the phenomenon of child stardom, as well as its wide-reaching effects, Lovato also sat down for one-on-one conversations with the likes of Kenan Thompson, JoJo Siwa, Drew Barrymore and her Camp Rock co-star Alyson Stoner — all of whom have their own traumas, triumphs and stories to share about growing up in the spotlight.

"While [Child Star is] a cautionary tale to some degree, it's also a form of self-exploration," the singer concluded to Teen Vogue before contemplating, "Would things have turned out differently had I not been in the public eye? I don't know. And that's what I'm still learning."

Latest News & Exclusive Videos

Anything But Predictable: How 'Korn' Pioneered Nu-Metal

keshi

Photo: Angella Choe

interview

On his fittingly titled second album, keshi pays tribute to a late friend who was "a big champion of me and my art." The ever-evolving artist details how loss, existential questions and arena-ready sounds inspired his latest project.

Tássia Assis

|GRAMMYs/Sep 16, 2024 - 10:13 pm

"The thing with me is, you're never going to get an album that sounds homogenous," says singer/songwriter keshi over a video call from his studio in Texas. "I'm a very proud musician, and I want to be able to showcase that I can make a lot of different types of songs."

As he alludes, each of keshi's releases has incorporated something different. "I want fans to expect that something is going to change," he continues. "Nothing is worse to me than the idea of making an album that sounds like my [previous] one. Things can be familiar, but at the same time, if you want a song that sounds like "Limbo," just go listen to "Limbo." I don't want to make a diet version of any song. That's boring."

Keshi brought that desire for change and newness to life on his recently released sophomore album, Requiem. The 13-track project features a daring range of influences — from Queen to city pop — and iterates on his dreamy, soothing sound with enticing layers of electronic music, classic rock, prog leanings, and more.

Born Casey Luong, the Vietnamese-American star developed his passion for music in high school, when he discovered artists like John Mayer and Ed Sheeran. But before realizing that music was his true calling, keshi took a heavy detour, working as an oncology nurse for two years.

The 9-to-5 job at Texas Medical Center left him drained and uninspired. Making music became a welcome, meaningful escape from the grind and, in 2017, he began to craft songs on GarageBand and upload them to Soundcloud. It didn't take long for online audiences to discover his comforting soundscapes and sensitive lyrics; within two years, keshi had signed a deal with Island Records, quit his nursing job, and immersed himself in his art.

He released his first major label EP, skeletons, in July 2019. The record was part of a trilogy later completed by 2020's bandaids and always. Approaching themes of loneliness, heartbreak, and yearning, he soon became a lo-fi paragon — a bedroom pop darling ready to get out of bed and take over the world.

His mainstream breakthrough came in 2022, with his debut album, Gabriel. Through 12 tracks, keshi expanded on the usual sadboy vibes by playing with sultry R&B, heated trap, and lush synths. Gabriel reached Top 20 of the Billboard 200, and featured some of his most popular hits, such as "Limbo" and "Somebody."

After two years of sold-out touring around the globe, the singer stands once again on the threshold of a new era. Requiem was designed for the global arenas that keshi will play during his upcoming Requiem World Tour, a 35-city run that includes stops at New York's famed Madison Square Garden and Los Angeles' Kia Forum. "Instead of making music…and reshaping it for live, I would rather make music already intended for the stage," he says.

GRAMMY.com caught up with keshi to discuss his new album, bargaining with God, selling his soul to the devil, and trusting his team's decisions.

This interview has been edited for clarity.

You titled your second album Requiem. Who is this requiem for?

This requiem is for a friend of mine who was a collaborator [on my team], who passed away a couple of years ago. I've been dealing with that loss — my first experience with loss in general — and I wish I'd known him better than I did.

I didn't expect his passing to impact me the way that it did, but he was such a big champion of me and my art, and I don't have that many of them. I didn't realize how important it was for me. It really changed my perspective on how I view my time, and how I prioritize things. It was so fundamental that I wanted to name the entire album after it.

When did you realize that your friend's passing was shaping up to be the main theme of your second album?

I started writing songs for my second album when I finished my last tour [in 2023]. I had one album before this one, Gabriel, and I toured Gabriel twice. People were always asking, "Why did you tour two times, even though there was no new music?" The answer is, because, the first time I toured it, we kept it very exclusive and small.

I didn't want it to [stay] like that. My team and I wanted to make sure that everyone who wanted to see me was going to see me. But when you start out, agencies want to see you fill 1,000 [capacity] rooms first, then 2,000, then 4,000, then 5,000, so we had to do that first run. I was lucky enough that there was so much demand that I did a victory lap. Because I did that, it took two years out of my life, and people have been waiting a very, very long time for new music.

I didn't want to use any old demos. "Requiem" wasn't the first [song] we made…. I didn't think it was going to be the theme for the entire album until I wrote it, but because the feelings in there were so strong and important to me, I decided to name the whole album after it.

The first song in this album, "Amen," is quite commanding and different from what you usually do, just like the opener for Gabriel, "Get It."

Yeah, I like having the first song on an album be abrasive, or different. I want people to go into it and just be hooked immediately. But the thing about "Amen" specifically was that I knew that we were going to be doing some really insane venues [for my upcoming tour], and I wanted to walk out to a song that was just gonna go insane with the lights, the band and everything.

Touring for two years really informed how I made [this album]. When we went to tour those first two times, it was kind of tricky changing some songs. This time around, it was very intentional. If you listen to "Amen" and you can imagine being at a concert, that's the whole goal.

Will it open the concerts?

Yeah, it probably will. There might be some stuff a little bit before it, but I don't want to spoil too much. But yeah, there's a lot of bravado and big d— energy in that song. I'm a very proud musician, and I want to be able to showcase that I can make a lot of different types of songs. I don't want to be pigeonholed into being this kind of artist, or that kind of artist.

And the thing is, I've gotten new fans along the way. When I started in 2017, 2018, my music sounded like lo-fi. In 2019, 2020, it sounded like R&B and pop-ish. And in 2022 with Gabriel, It turned into more of an alternative/pop album. I've always been changing.

Musically, what inspired you to make Requiem?

I wanted it to feel like a classic, timeless pop album. I took inspiration from rock stars of old, like Queen — you can hear that on the solo on "Euphoria" [and on] "Just to Die." And I was very inspired by this old folk singer/songwriter — whoever your favorite singer/songwriter is, their favorite singer/songwriter is Nick Drake. He's so good.

But also, I knew that just the same kind of songs weren't gonna [make] a compelling live show, that's why "Amen" was such a great addition. I still love R&B, so that is a really, really important one too. I love classic pop songs, you can hear it on "Say." I admire city pop, an increased tempo, and a moody sort of cadence, and all that.

Yes, it's like each song you're going through a different moment in your life, or a different stage of your grief.

Not the whole album is about mourning, but I will say that my life in the past couple of years has gotten a little bit contentious. Whether it's with my partner, or whether it's with my collaborators, or even with my relationship with my art, I wrangled a lot. I think you can feel that drama, that tension. There's a grandness to the album, but you can definitely feel there's dissonance on it.

Why do you think that your life has become a little bit contentious?

After so many years doing this [and] being under public scrutiny, it gets kind of hard to deal with. Especially with how long I've kept fans waiting, and their demands get higher, and their expectations get higher, and the longer I have them wait, it's almost like I'll never meet their expectations. It just gets to a point where it's unrealistic. Nothing will make them happy.

So, out of a desire to satisfy them and make sure that they get the music that they want, I've put a lot of love and care into [this album]. I think the best medicine for me is to have the album be out, and then I can stop being apprehensive and anxious about it. I'm very in my head, it's stressing me so, so much. [Now that the album is out, I'm] finally free.

Is thinking that your fans might not like your new music a factor that influences your creations?

I don't think it influences my work; it influences my mental stability. At the end of the day, the art that I make, it's my responsibility to curate and to give to my fans. I can make all kinds of music, but what's the music that I like? What does my taste gravitate towards?

I think that's the responsibility of an artist. So, I'm unabashed; I move forward in the way that I want to, in the kind of music that I want to make, but that doesn't mean that I don't worry about expectations. But I have to stay focused so that I can make the best art that I feel like I'm destined to make.

You said in the past that you aren't religious, but there's a lot of religious themes in your music, even more so in this album.

I'm not religious, but I think that bargaining with God is… universally human? It's like you're bargaining with something greater than yourself, and you sometimes just beg for things, and then other times you're so prideful that you're like, I will bend reality to my will.

It's that sort of tumultuous back-and-forth that I feel has been dictating my life the past couple of years with my dreams and my goals. But what am I willing to trade for, to have those things? How much normalcy in my life am I willing to give away, to achieve the things that I want to achieve?

I don't ever want to give things away that I can never get back. At the same time, I know that what I have is rare and special, and not many people get these opportunities. It's like, how do you not sell your soul to the devil in times like this? When you want something so bad, what will you do to achieve it?

Do you think that this album is also a requiem for the person that you were before fame?

That's actually really beautiful, I didn't think about it like that. I always thought that "Requiem," just the song, was my requiem for [my friend], but when I think about it, honestly… wow, the whole album really is like a testament to him. And I think my biggest sadness is that I wish that he could have been here to see how everything that he did helped me blossom. This is my love letter to him, I guess.

In "Texas," you say that you "should've never left it" and reminisce about your past. I guess it relates to this as well?

Absolutely. And also, "Texas" is special because I actually still live here. But when I'm talking about that idea of "I should've never left," it's the possibility of, Oh, what if I never did this? Would I have been happier, in a different sense?

Sometimes, a part of me thinks that there's a version of me that doesn't have any ambition, and sometimes I think that he's happier than me. That's kind of what I'm talking about.

You mentioned selling your soul to the devil. What would that be for you?

Oh, that would be… leaving all of my loved ones behind to go have your sort of "idyllic" celebrity life in Los Angeles, [doing] copious amounts of drugs [so] that I can have crazy inspirations to write insane music, and eventually wake up dead on the sidewalk at 33 years old. [Laughs.] That's romanticized depression and addiction!

I have something very real here in Texas. Everything online, and everything that happens in the limelight, that's not reality. When you come home after being piss drunk, that's real life.

What things did you learn from making Gabriel that you didn't bring to the making of Requiem?

For Gabriel, Elie [Rizk] and I were the producers, and we both work in the same software, which is called Logic. Oftentimes I would be in the producer chair, and he would say, "Get out, it's my turn." And then I would get out, and he would sit down, and then I would say, "Get out, it's my turn." And we would switch around like that.

This time, we brought our good friend Imad Royal to drive the computer — we call it driving — so he's the one engineering, tweaking all the knobs and stuff, hitting record, and helping us. It taught me something really special: learning how to let go a bit from being overprotective of things, and listening to what the song needed.

And how was the experience of working with producer j.Que, who has worked with the likes of Britney Spears, Beyoncé and Ariana Grande?

Oh my god, j.Que is so funny. Having j.Que was sort of our compass in the room. He would always be listening, and everybody would be throwing suggestions out in the air, but whenever he spoke, it was full of wisdom, because he's been in the game for a long time.

If we started to veer off in the song, he would perk up and say, "Nope, you can't say that. You said this other thing earlier that contradicts you." It was so much fun, but also contentious. Everyone had their own ideas of what would best serve the song, and… I learned that, if someone was really excited about something, I wanted to figure out why, hear them out, and maybe I could also understand why they were excited.

Why did you choose "Soft Spot" for the lead single?

That was not my decision, actually. They bullied me! [Laughs.]

"Soft Spot" was not my favorite on the album. There's something about that '80s kind of song that I'm sensitive about, or I'm cautious about. Because it's so easy to listen to it and pin it like, It's that kind of music. That's why it feels good, because it's nostalgic, or it uses this, and that. But I'm very proud of the song.

[The song was] sugary sweet, and I just wasn't really comfortable leaning into it quite as much. But it's so funny, this is what I mean by putting your hubris aside and understanding when everyone at the label, my producers, and even my best friends are like, "Dude, this song f—s, it's so good. You should definitely prioritize it."

If it was by your judgment, what would be the lead single?

I would have chosen "Night," because it's so moody and I gravitate towards that kind of music. But I understand why it's not the song a person is going to listen to and be like, Wow, I want to listen to it over and over again.

It feels more like a world-building song. I think my fans will appreciate the production, how it's a little bit aggressive. But the goal is to rope in a new audience to combine with my existing one, and I think "Soft Spot" achieves that.

Lastly, how are the preparations for your arena tour going?

Oh, there's so much work to do. I have to get all these live arrangements done, get all this content made, we have to go to rehearsal, and then production rehearsal, there are so many moving parts.

I'm very grateful to have so many people involved. But also it is kind of daunting — one thing affects the next thing, affects the next thing. I think it'll pay off once people see it. But for now, my priority is making live versions of everything with my music director, and then we'll tackle it from there.

Latest News & Exclusive Videos

Anything But Predictable: How 'Korn' Pioneered Nu-Metal

We Only Said Goodbye With Words: Remembering Amy Winehouse 10 Years Later | GRAMMY.com (2024)

She Tapped Into Everyone’s Emotions

Her Music Was Both Charming & Timeless

Her Sense of Fashion Style Was Unapologetic

She Created Soulful Hits

She Was A Budding Icon Gone Too Soon

Her Artistry Impacted A New Generation

"I Kissed A Girl," 'One Of The Boys' (2008)

"Hot N Cold," 'One Of The Boys' (2008)

"Thinking of You," 'One Of The Boys' (2008)

"California Gurls," 'Teenage Dream' (2010)

"Teenage Dream," 'Teenage Dream' (2010)

"Firework," 'Teenage Dream' (2010)

"Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)" 'Teenage Dream' (2010)

"Wide Awake," 'Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection' (2012)

"Roar," 'Prism' (2013)

"Unconditionally," 'Prism' (2013)

"Dark Horse" feat. Juicy J, 'Prism' (2013)

"By the Grace of God," 'Prism' (2013)

"Déjà Vu," 'Witness' (2017)

"Never Really Over," 'Smile' (2020)

"Cry About It Later," 'Smile' (2020)

Latest News & Exclusive Videos

It Showed Minogue Taking Creative Control

It Started Minogue’s Love Affair With Electronic Music

It Showed The Minogue Was A Serious Vocalist

It Revealed Minogue Was Willing To Experiment Musically

It Transformed Her Image

The Latest Pop Music News & Releases

The Voice Behind The Music

The Screen Starlet

The Relatable Host & Judge

The Advocate

The Truth Teller

The Newly Minted Director

Latest News & Exclusive Videos

Latest News & Exclusive Videos

Read List

References