Internationally acclaimed artist and actress Grace VanderWaal announces today, the release of her highly anticipated sophomore studio album, CHILDSTAR, due April 4 via PULSE Records. Undoubtedly, her most personal body of work to date, on CHILDSTAR VanderWaal amplifies the sound of healing scars, shedding skin, and stepping into her power, channeling her inspiration from artists like Fiona Apple and Björk and exploring her experience growing up in the limelight.
Alongside the album announcement, Grace releases a brand new song, “Proud.” An old music box plays a lilting lullaby in the song’s opening. “Promise I’ll be small. I won’t take up space at all…Ground yourself. Remember your place. You don’t have a voice yet. You don’t get to say,” she sings. Strings hang over a wave of distortion, climaxing on an affirmation, “‘Cause you’re so special.”
“As a kid, you have an undying need for validation,” Grace explains. “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 is the story of the ‘golden child’ archetype. A child who neglects their needs in order to be seen as valued, loved, or mature. It’s the first song off my new album CHILDSTAR.”
Also announced today, Grace will be taking CHILDSTAR on the road, with a six city North American Tour, marking her first tour since 2019. CHILDSTAR – ON TOUR kicks off May 4 in Chicago, and includes dates in Toronto, Washington, DC, New York City, and Los Angeles, before concluding May 21 in San Francisco.
