Best known as the precocious star of True Grit, Hailee Steinfeld is adding bonafide pop star to her resume, with the release of her first single ‘Love Myself’ causing waves on social media.
It’s not enough to be talented in one area anymore – actors are becoming singers, models are becoming actors, and social media can hardly keep up with whichever transition is trending.
Not that actors becoming singers is anything new: Scarlett Johansson has a few albums under her belt, Zooey Deschanel is one half of band She & Him, and the term ‘Disney Star’ basically means actor slash singer nowadays. They’re a talented bunch, those thespians. But that’s the thing – for the most part, these actors decided to sing for a bit, then ultimately went back to acting. It’s hard to pinpoint the ones who actually tried to make a career out of it – i.e., beyond releasing a few songs – and even harder to pinpoint those who have succeeded.
But Steinfeld is determined to make a serious attempt at it, and frankly speaking, this is the perfect time to do it: her career is not yet defined, so she’s taking it into her own hands.
I’ve been listening to ‘Love Myself’ on repeat for the past hour, and it hasn’t driven me crazy. Quite the opposite, in fact: it’s definitely a solid effort, and with every repeated listen, I am loving it more and more. It’s a far cry from her rendition of ‘Flashlight’, which, let’s admit, was one of the best parts of Pitch Perfect 2, but this at least shows she’s capable of doing something else – even if that something else is the pop star schtick that most young actors seem to like venturing into.
One thing is clear, though: she might be a part of Taylor Swift’s clique, but she ain’t no Taylor Swift copy, and that’s a good thing. There’s a very distinct sound to ‘Love Myself’, and I really, really hope Seinfeld holds on to it and makes it her sound. The raw, stripped vocals of ‘Flashlight’ are definitely here, but the pop beat turns it up a notch, and Steinfeld responds in kind by amping up the power behind her voice – matching tempo with inspired energy. It’s the kind of voice you imagine can go from ‘pop’ to ‘acoustic’ in a matter of seconds, and it’s what makes ‘Love Myself’ better than just-another-pop-song – it’s an authenticity that’s hard to fake.
Steinfeld’s just signed a record deal with Republic Records, which once signed Amy Winehouse and boasts Lorde as part of its roll – both artists with their own unique sound. We can only hope Steinfeld finds her own sound, sticks with it, and doesn’t fall into the trap of becoming ‘Hollywood’. For the time being, this listener will definitely be keeping her ear pressed to the media feeds to see what Steinfeld drops next.
So, without further ado, the single of the hour: word of warning though, it’s seriously catchy.
Maybe more actors-who-can-sing should try their hand at a music career.
