Fresh from the Garden State, 18 year-old Baker Grace premieres her newest EP “Girl, I Know,” a five track cohesive project which takes listeners on a journey through the work week, complete with distinct moods and mindsets which echo the selected days. From Monday’s “Wrong Kind of People,” a song which chronicles the feeling of wanting to do what you want instead of what other people tell you, to Friday’s “Girl, I Know,” an uptempo song with an infectious chorus which preps you for the weekend, this concept EP showcases a future pop princess discovering her powers and performing with confidence and style.
“I want people to come away with the confidence to really trust themselves, and realize that everyone else in the world goes through the same things they do,” Baker Grace says. “Of course you’re alone in the decisions you have to make in life-but so is everyone, so in that way, there’s a strong sense of community.”
Grace recently spoke with Flaunt about what inspired her towards making a project about the work week and how to stay authentic in an inauthentic society. Check out the interview below, then scroll on down and stream her newest EP.
Photo by Chuck Willis
**What made you produced this project geared towards the work week?
**I wanted to represent the way I tackle my life: one day at a time. Each day we feel different and our perspective constantly changes. Each day a million things come to life and a million things come to an end but at the end of the week, we can look back and see the full picture, the growth, and reflect on how we felt before it started and how we feel now that it has ended. I like to look at people the same way, there are a million things growing, changing, and coming to an end in our body and minds constantly. When we get a minute to rest, we can acknowledge the beautiful, whole picture that all the hard work creates, despite how that picture may be judged and perceived by people who see it for what it is and not what it took to create it.
**Is the desensitizing vantage point one you wish to lift the veil on, what is it that is so tortured about this aspect?
**The days of the week are a metaphor for the many struggles and obstacles we face on a day to day basis. My goal with this EP is to promote the self-empowerment that it takes to be happy, strong, and successful in such an unforgiving world. I am not pointing out the negativity but the importance of being honest and in touch with yourself in songs such as “Wrong Kind of People” and “Girl I Know” when it’s so easy to get caught up in other people’s perceptions.
**Why do you feel that Girl, I Know and handcuffs expand on the way you have initial voiced the way you take in media where random violence acts were blasted on screens and seemed to take place everywhere?**
I turned to music to help me cope with the anxiety of knowing I was not immune to the violence that seems to spread across the world like a disease. “Handcuffs” was born to help me regain power and the strength to live life fully and realize I have no control over what happens to me, good or bad. For the first time in my life, I am no longer scared of the unknown and anticipate positive things instead of the worst possible scenario and I think that fearlessness shows in my music.
**How do you react to this culture of filterless social media outburst that has been more prevalent recently?**I think social media can be very destructive if it isn’t used correctly. The amount of comparing, whether it be of bodies, faces, lifestyles, or economic status, can drive anyone insane and on the wrong path. I think it is so important to be as honest and real as possible on social media. It is so easy to lose yourself by showing the world a fake version of who you are. We all have ups and downs and strengths and weakness. We shouldn’t miss an opportunity to make each other stronger because we want to make others feel they are less than or weaker than we are.
**Where do you see yourself going musically and visually as you navigate the digital surroundings?
**I’m working on creating a world for my music to live in. I struggled with visuals for awhile until I realized I was trying to create something that didn’t exist instead of bringing to life what already does. I have always had this world in my head that I draw inspiration from. I discovered that I can just bring my daydreams, actual dreams, and the many scenarios I play out in my head into the real world through my photos, videos, and social media. Musically, I’m giving myself more freedom and less structure, I don’t want to put any limitations on myself anymore. Enough with inauthenticity, I’m saying what I feel through my music. My music is my cry, my smile, my laugh, and my desire given a beat and a melody. I can’t wait to see what happens.
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