Kayla Grace Talks Mental Health On “Nobody Loves Me”

Pop’s latest newcomer opens up about mental health following the release of her unfiltered new single, “no one loves me.”

We all have to fight those invasive thoughts. From doubting the feelings of those closest to you to falling into a spiral of self-loathing, mental health is not an easy topic to tackle. But, newcomer Kayla Grace is here to let you know that you’re not in this alone with the release of her new song, “no one loves me.” A candid outpouring of emotion from the pop artist, we’re invited to delve into the depths of her mind with the new song, all while angelic voices akin to those of Olivia Rodrigo and Gracie Abrams promise to captivate from the first note.

Speaking about the message she hopes to get across to listeners, Grace explains, “I need people to know that no matter how abandoned they feel, they’re never alone with all the crap. There is always someone there for you, even if you haven’t found them yet, and you can always get over them. It’s a cliché, but honestly, it’s something I have to remind myself of every day.”

Following the release of “Nobody Loves Me” and its unfiltered music video, the pop artist took some time to open up to Wonderland about her personal battles with mental health and music’s ability to start important conversations. Head below to enjoy our interview with Kayla Grace…

Hi Kayla! How are you? Where are we talking to you from?
I am emotionally unstable, but I am about to make such a prosperous bubble tea, thank you! I am in Watford, my hometown, sitting in my mother’s ugly office chair.

Let’s start at the beginning, what is your earliest memory of music?
I think most of my childhood memories were erased for the sake of self-protection honestly, but I just remember being obsessed with X Factor and record singing videos on my Blackberry Curve. In fact, I was atrocious. My mother had to perform an intervention on me to make sure that she didn’t actually think I was good, she was afraid that she would try to pursue music, but here we are.

When did you decide to pursue it yourself? What prompted you?
I started out posting covers on YouTube which we won’t talk about haha, but I think I realized that despite the toxicity of social media, it also gave me a lot of freedom to post creative things without knowing anyone. My music teacher at school helped me too, he used to sing in shows, but he would only let me perform if I sang something I had written myself, so I realized how much I loved showing people original music.

How do you tend to approach your music? Are you finding yourself based on personal experiences?
My music is 10000% my own personal experience. I love opening up songs to whatever people resonate with, but when I write them, the story behind them is always very specific and I do these rants on a Google Doc of everything that’s going on in my head and try to piece it together. . together, painful cliché but it really is like therapy. I sing about stuff I’m too scared to talk about normally and to be fair, it gets me in trouble.

Congratulations on the release of “Nobody Loves Me”! The title is obviously quite poignant, but what was your mindset like when you coined the piece?
Honestly, I was overwhelmed by a feeling of loneliness and it made me feel like a kid again. I grew up with a disabled sister and she needed much more care and attention than I did, so my needs were often neglected and that probably shaped my derangement. My parents really tried their best, but I think I will always carry this feeling that no one loves me or cares about me, even when they try to prove to me that they do. It shows up in my whole life: I think my friends hate me, my cat, and my boyfriend.

How important is it for you to address mental health within your music?
It’s so important to address it because I selfishly feel like it’s the only way I can talk about it and not get a bunch of messages of concern. I can write it all as creativity. But jokes aside, it shouldn’t be taboo to talk openly about our brains, like they’re balls of porridge and sometimes they go bad, I don’t think it’s something we should feel bad about talking about. I think it’s good to see other people feel comfortable or find inspiration in my opening as well, and hear the stories they’ve overcome.

What were some of the reactions to the track? Do you remember who you first wore it with?
I think I probably first put it on my boyfriend, who I can only imagine was frustrated by how often he has to reassure me that he doesn’t hate me, but I just remember him being like, ‘oooh, come on, queen. and then I looked kind of sad, so I was like, ‘hmm, perfect reaction there.’ The reaction on TikTok has been lovely: many people have felt comfortable enough to share their stories and mental health struggles with the song, and many amazing musicians have already covered the little snippets I’ve shared since connecting with the song. verse. .

What do you hope people take away from it?
I need people to know that no matter how abandoned they feel, they are never alone with all the crap. There is always someone there for you, even if you haven’t found them yet, and you can always get over them. It’s a cliché, but honestly, it’s something I have to remind myself of every day.

And finally, what’s next for you?
I think the next thing is to put out the EP, really! I feel so close to all the tracks and it’s been a long time coming so I’m ready!