Grace VanderWaal's debut album, 'Just the Beginning,' defies Taylor Swift comparisons.
Grace VanderWaal, a confident 12-year-old ukulele player, came onto the America's Got Talent stage a year and a half ago to audition for the NBC reality competition's 11th season. She performed an original song named "I Don't Know My Name" while dressed in banana yellow pants, earning the coveted Golden Buzzer from judge Howie Mandel. The Suffern, New York, native, now 13 and just as fearless, is gearing up for the release of her self-titled debut album, Just the Beginning.
Grace said that, "I like to think I haven't changed all that much''. I'm still just a regular adolescent with the same friends and family," VanderWaal tells Us Weekly exclusively. "She also said that "All I have now is music and a tour!"
She might not have changed, but she has progressed. The singer-songwriter transcends the comparisons that have followed her since AGT judge Simon Cowell initially called her the "next Taylor Swift" on her first full-length LP (out Friday, November 3). VanderWaal harnesses the folky twang of Swift's earlier endeavors throughout the album, but also incorporates the sounds of other performers Florence Welch, Regina Spektor, and even Miley Cyrus.
Though she has her favorites ("Moonlight" and "Florets," to name a few), VanderWaal holds a particular place in her heart for each of her new tunes. She tells Us, "The album is purely based on life experiences." "Every song is about something that has happened to me." Through each song, I kind of turned these events I've had into mini-movies, which was a lot of fun."
Nine of the twelve songs were composed entirely by the adolescent. She enlisted the help of some of her favorite songwriters for the rest. "At the end of the day, this is all new to me, and this is my first album," she continues, "so it was incredible to get to work with other writers and producers who have so much expertise." "It's weird to be in that situation since I've worked with folks like Ido Zmishlany and Greg Wells, who have collaborated with some of my favorite artists like Shawn Mendes and Adele."
For the time being, VanderWaal is taking each day as it comes. "I love performing and can't wait to start my tour [on November 5 in Los Angeles]," she tells Us, "but I also like to balance it with being at home and going to school like any other 13-year-old." "I'm still learning how to do it, but I'm going to give it everything I've got."
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