External validation gets the best of Grace VanderWaal on her reflective new single “Proud,” the latest glimpse into her forthcoming studio album Childstar. The record digs into the praise she was condition to crave and count while having her career breakout as a child. “Proud is the story of the ‘golden child’ archetype,” VanderWaal said in a statement. “A child who neglects their needs in order to be seen as valued, loved, or mature.”
“Humble child, promise I’ll be small/I won’t take up space at all/Remember gratitude, you tell me I’m great when I don’t cry and I never ask for nothing/Ground yourself, remember your place,” VanderWaal sings on the opening verse. “You don’t have a voice yet, you don’t get to sayApologize, better self-correct/Promise it’s the best if you never ask for nothing.”
“As a kid, you have an undying need for validation,” VanderWaal said. “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.”
“Proud” follows the release of “Babydoll,” VanderWaal’s collaboration with the viral star Aliyah’s Interlude. It also accompanies the announcement of a brief tour through North America beginning May 4. The 21-year-old will make stops in Chicago, Toronto, Washington D.C., New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Presale begins Monday, March 24 at 10 a.m. local time ahead of the general sale beginning Friday, March 28 at 10 a.m. local time.
Childstar marks the first full-length LP from VanderWaal since she released her debut album Just the Beginning in 2017. “For a long time, I felt stolen. My face, my name, my body,” she shared on Instagram. “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.”
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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.”
Childstar Track List
“Proud”
“Brand New”
“Homesick”
“What’s Left Of Me”
“Call It What You Want”
“Babydoll” (feat. Aliyah’s Interlude)
“Beg For It”
“Behavioral Problems”
“Fade”
