Grace VanderWaal began creating songs at the age of 11, became popular at the age of 12, and is ready to release her full-length first album, "Just the Beginning," at the age of thirteen.
She appeared on the TV talent show "America's Got Talent" in the summer of 2016, equipped only with some songs she had written and her ukulele. On the phone from her home outside of New York City, VanderWaal adds, "It was horrifying and anxious, every emotion rolled into one." "However, looking back on it, I only have completely positive memories."
After defeating the Clairvoyants, a band of mentalists who read Paula Abdul's mind for their final performance, VanderWaal took home the show's million-dollar prize, but there was never much doubt about who would win. VanderWaal, a hiccupy, preternaturally poised, exceptionally good folk-pop singer who could be the spawn of Jewel or Feist, could be the show's — or any reality talent show's — closest thing to a ready-made celebrity.
VanderWaal had an easy time becoming renowned, as she signed with Columbia Records shortly after winning. Now comes the difficult part: defending her most valuable asset, her raw, unforced naturalness, against a record industry bent on turning her become someone else, preferably Taylor Swift.
It's a feud that dates back to when VanderWaal was still a regular on the show. "Every show wants that huge quote-unquote 'blow-up and transformation,' where they're like, 'Oh, look, now they're a pop star,'" she explains. The narrator states, "They'll try to tell you what to say, wear, and do." 'No, I don't want to do that,' I would say. 'No, I don't want to put that on.' That's a difficult thing to do, especially since I've never done anything like that before, and it's frightening and embarrassing, but it's worth it."
VanderWaal sang covers on YouTube and at open mic nights before her mother enrolled her up for AGT, though she lacked the creepy, career-focused single-mindedness of many child stars. By the time they compete, most singing competition candidates are adults, and they're old enough to realize how badly they want it. Is VanderWaal prepared to live a life that revolves around the album-tour-album-tour cycle? "I suppose so," she says. "I'm not sure." "Everything is fresh to me." Is that what she's looking for? "Um, yeah?" says the narrator. I believe? ” Who would she tell if she didn't want that? "It's my father." And he'd tell her she could leave whenever she wanted? "Absolutely," says the narrator. My mother would as well."
Since winning, VanderWaal has worked constantly, releasing "Perfectly Imperfect," a Top 10 debut EP, and appearing on "Live With Kelly," "Ellen," a Windex commercial, award events, and the Austin City Limits festival. VanderWaal has been in and out of normal school, lately telling a Teen Vogue interviewer that she doesn't have many friends. "Going to traditional school is a million times easier than going to online school." I want to make new friends, socialize, and acquire experience.
Along the way, VanderWaal has met fellow celebrities whose work she admires (like Shawn Mendes, who is very sweet), celebrities who have inspired her to consider how she, as a fellow celebrity, should act. Tween fans are becoming increasingly emotional when they meet her, much as she was when she met Jason Mraz. "It's completely inconvenient," she admits. "I'm simply standing there starring at someone bawling their eyes out, thinking to myself, 'What do I do?'" ' What can I do to help you? It's strange."
VanderWaal has been dubbed "the next Taylor Swift" by AGT judge Simon Cowell, and she, like Swift, is gradually shifting from acoustic-based music to built-up, pop star pop. The move, according to VanderWaal, has nothing to do with her production team, co-songwriters, or label. “No. Without a doubt, the answer is no. 'Here, let's see what you can do with a genuine producer,' it was more like. The label executives and entrepreneurs were not involved in any way in the actual music-making process."
At 13, there's a lot to figure out: who you want to be, how you want to be, and how you want to sound. "I'm just trying to get through it," she adds, "and figure out what's best for me and what's next." " I'd love to sit down and perform only on the ukulele in front of a small crowd." I'd also like to sing all of the super-pop songs and the background music. "I believe both paths would be intriguing."
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