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On Valley Girl Problems, the multi-hyphenate actress, singer and songwriter is leaving the characters behind and embracing her most personal chapter yet.
WORDS Melvin Boateng
Growing up in front of millions of people leaves little room to figure life out in private. For Kylie Cantrall, that process has unfolded in real time, from posting videos online as a child to leading Disney’s Descendants franchise. Now she is stepping into her most personal chapter yet. “I’ve been curating myself since I was 10 years old,” she tells IMAGINE. “This EP is me peeling back the veil a little bit.”
That honesty sits at the heart of her new project Valley Girl Problems. Produced by Tricky Stewart, the EP sees Cantrall trading scripts for diary entries, as she explores friendship breakdowns, first heartbreaks and the uncertainty of growing up in the public eye. The music embraces contradiction and imperfection.
Speaking over Zoom from Miami, Cantrall is thoughtful and refreshingly self-aware. While acting remains a huge part of her life, music is where she feels most exposed. “With songwriting, it’s all about being authentic and finding a way to connect with my audience,” she explains, “When I’m acting, I’m a vessel and I’m thinking about the project as a whole.”
Sitting down with IMAGINE, Cantrall reflects on artistic direction, growing up alongside her fans, embracing vulnerability and accepting herself, flaws and all.
Melvin Boateng: Valley Girl Problems feels like a new chapter for you. What do you want this EP to say?
Kylie Cantrall: I’m embracing this very new chapter of my life, not only as a freshly 21 year old but also I’m making that transition from where I’ve been to where I’m going, and I that definitely comes across sonically. Tricky Stewart produced the whole EP with me, and he’s really elevated my sound. Thematically, I’m singing about things that I haven’t talked about in my music yet. I feel like I have the freedom now to be more vulnerable and express myself without any limitations, so the EP is almost like a diary entry where I’m expressing everything that I’ve gone through in this last year, from friendship breakups to boy problems. Everything that has left a bruise on my heart has made its way onto the EP.
MB: You’ve had such a successful career at such a young age, but as you said, the problems that affect humans daily such as friendship issues, dating, career aspirations, those still happen to you. You show this vulnerability a lot on your single Carrie Bradshaw. The production is playful and stylish but the lyrics are very honest. What made you choose it as your first single?
KC: I feel like that song just encapsulates all the themes of the EP. It’s a coming of age type of project, where I’m going through these first time heartbreaks, but I’m also dealing with them in the public eye. So it’s like that dichotomy of going through pain and trying to make it look pretty and presentable. Which I think is like Carrie Bradshaw.
MB: Very Carrie Bradshaw, she’s a hot mess, but she makes it look good.
KC: That’s why she was the perfect symbol for this whole era I’m in. It felt very Carrie.
MB: It must be hard growing up in the public eye!
KC: I am literally a pro at curating myself and making everything look pretty and presentable, I’ve been doing it since I was 10 years old. I’ve had a phone and had a social media presence for most of my life, so it’s made me very good at curating things on the surface. But, there’s still a lot happening behind the scenes, and I think this is me peeling back the veil a little bit.
MB: You started your Hello Kylie YouTube channel at 8 years old, and the first thing that jumped out to me was at such a young age you had such a hunger, drive and passion. It seems like this has always been the career for you?
KC: 100%. There’s just this quiet kind of knowing that I’ve always had since I was younger. I’m following a path that feels very aligned with my purpose. Me being a Disney fanatic growing up has definitely manifested into the current Disney chapter of my life, which has given me such an incredible platform. But alongside that, I have also always known that I wanted to be an artist, and I’ve always seen myself as an artist first. So I’m excited that this EP is coming out and people get to see my true artistry. Descendants is out now so I can focus on the music and tour later in the year. It’s exciting that this is going to be my life for the next few months, being able to really enjoy this project being out and singing it live.
MB: Doing a big franchise like Descendants must be such a time-consuming thing, not just filming, but like all the other extra bits of press runs etc. So it must feel refreshing to give this EP all of your attention. This is your baby and you want to make sure that it’s presented to the world in the best way.
KC: Exactly, and I’m so protective over my EP. I mean, it is literally my brainchild. That’s the biggest difference between doing a giant franchise like Descendants, where I’m a piece in a huge puzzle, and a lot is figured out for me. Like I’m just showing up to set, playing a character and performing, but the lines, the costumes, and everything else is decided for me. However, with music, it’s like I’m the only person that’s steering the ship, coming up with the creative ideas and writing the songs. Of course I have amazing collaborators, but every aspect of the music is a direct reflection of me, so there’s a lot more at stake.
MB: Growing up in the industry, how did you make sure that you were becoming yourself and not just the image you’re projecting?
KC: By trying to stay true to myself in every moment. I think that’s also why i’ve developed such a close bond with my audience, because they’ve grown up with me and have been there with me for all my different eras. They’ve always made me feel so supported, so it really is because of the fans that I feel like I can always be myself through everything. On the reverse side, I think they see that I’ve always tried to stay authentic, which is what makes our bond really special. Me and the QTs, we are a family!
MB: In terms of sonic direction, how would you define the sound of the EP?
KC: Valley Girl Problems feels like Boy‘s older sister. I think it still has that same essence of blending R&B and pop, with a 2000s nostalgia nod. Of course, I went to literally the Y2K Godfather essentially so it’s very noticeable in the production. Tricky was such a big part of the 2000s with everything he did with Mariah, Britney, and Rihanna, so I think there is the signature tricky sound on the project. We were definitely able to blend both of our tastes and create the best music we possibly could, it’s the strong collaboration between us that has made this EP so special and elevated me sonically. I also had some amazing co-writers, Tayla Parx, who worked with Ariana a lot. Tayla really gets the R&B and the pop thing, and she is just such an incredible lyricist. I also had Lisa Shinta and Jim Levine, who have been with me since I first got signed at 16. They’ve been like my ride or dies, and it’s super important for me to have a core squad that I am comfortable with and an environment where I feel safe to explore.
MB: Me against the music by Britney and Madonna is incredible, Tricky’s production is just so unique, Is there a Tricky song that’s your favorite?
KC: Umbrella is always going to be my favorite, it’s amazing. Also Outrageous by Britney, when I was younger, I used to dance to it in every dance class. It’s funny because a lot of my favorite songs of his aren’t his own favorite songs.
MB: What song on the EP do you have the strongest emotional connection with?
KC: One that I can listen to on repeat is Space Between, it still gives me chills when I listen to it, which is so corny to say about your own song, but it really does give me chills. It’s my first true ballad, so I was like I need to do my big one. I get very emotional and vulnerable on that song, it’s very special to me.
MB:Ballads are very hard, they really require a big performance and emotional vocal delivery. So you do need to do your big one!
KC: Exactly and the song is the most honest I think I’ve ever been, writing about something that’s so true but so painful. I was able to really articulate all that I was feeling at the time and put it into a song that just feels right.
MB: 10 years on from your first single, “Sleep is 4 Suckas”, who is Kylie Cantrall today?
KC: 10 years, that is so crazy. That song title is very 10-year-old Kylie coded. I hated sleep but I definitely love sleep now! But Kylie now is confident and honest. I think the most confident thing that you can do is embrace the parts of yourself that you haven’t figured out yet. Finding the beauty in the messier parts of life. I think that’s what makes me confident.
Talent KYLIE CANTRALL
Photographer TYLER NEVITT
Stylist MARISA ELLISON represented by OPUS Beauty
Hair Stylist GEORGE COZMA represented by The Wall Group
Makeup Artist ROBERT BRYAN represented by The Wall Group
