- 2025-04-02
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MUSIC
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Grace VanderWaal Releases New Song “Proud”
American singer-songwriter Grace VanderWaal will release her sophomore album “CHILDSTAR” this Friday (April 4th).
It is her first album in eight years since the 2017 debut album “Just the Beginning”.
From the album, she released a new song “Proud” on March 21, 2025.
The song is the fourth single off of the album, following “Babydoll” featuring Aliyah's Interlude, “What's Left Of Me”, and “Call It What You Want”.
It was written by Brittany Campbell, Eren Cannata, Grace VanderWaal, and Niko Mansikka-aho. Produced by Eren Cannata and DTK.
“Proud is the story of the 'golden child' archetype. A child who neglects their needs in order to be seen as valued, loved, or mature,” Grace VanderWaal said of the song. “As a kid, you have an undying need for validation. In some cases, you abandon yourself, and you aren't granted what you need mentally. You're choosing to be strong, only because it's your responsibility to be strong. You're adopting strength when it's not appropriate. It was important for me to use phrases like, 'Cause you're so special', because they're weaponized words to control children. Since you're young, you want to feel strong, mature, and grown up, but no kid should have to do all of those things.”- The accompanying music video was co-directed by Grace VanderWaal and Luca Renzi.
Grace VanderWaal said of the video, “I co-choreographed and co-directed this very vulnerable performance piece with Luca Renzi to tell the story of proud through physical storytelling. It's the desperate confusing inner battle between being controlled by the need validation and being controlled by what instilled that need. A child who is so special. Never cries. Never asks for anything. This first video is part of a 5 song, 18 minute performance piece that I have created for CHILDSTAR.” -
The new album comprises a 9-track, featuring a guest appearance from American rapper Aliyah's Interlude. Produced by DTK, Eren Cannata, Jack Riley, John Samuel Gerhart, Max Margolis and POM POM.
Grace VanderWaal said of the album, “For a long time, I felt stolen. My face, my name, my body. I wrote and created my dream album/project, 'CHILDSTAR,' as a means of processing those experiences. I am so proud of this body of work - I literally put all my tears into every word. A lot of people feel close to my story and nostalgic for my past. As much as I would like to honor that, it's cathartic for me to proclaim truth and what is mine.”
She continued, “I wanted to make a project that exercised all my passions: writing and producing, but also world building with fashion, color, and movement. Everything has been done with ultimate intention to carefully tell a story about girlhood, grief, identity, and control. I want this project to be the last time I ever speak on my past, so I figure I might as well go out with some honesty.”
Photo by Ally Chen - source : Apple Music
