The Deluxe “You” EP is available now. What did you want to bring into the original “You” EP with this Deluxe edition?
I am so beyond happy that it is officially out. This whole You era was about exploring the concept that there are at least two sides to every story, every relationship. I was fascinated with the idea that your perspective of a shared experience can be wildly different from the person you experienced it with. This deluxe version, which is the last page of this You chapter, features so many amazing artists giving their “perspective” and doing their own version of one of my songs. While the original EP is pretty sonically cohesive, this Deluxe edition features different genres and vibes, giving the EP way more variety.
 
You collaborated with Alextbh on the new version of “Honest With You”. What was it like to make this quarantine-style collaboration? 
Filming a music video quarantine-style is definitely a challenge, and I literally could not have done the video without everyone involved. Our director (who was on FaceTime with both Alex and I while we were filming), my good friend who helped film me, and of course, the wonderful Alex all had to deal with the frustrations of filming and editing remotely. I will say, though, it was also pretty fun. It was probably the chillest video shoot I ever did because it was literally just my friend and I filming on an iPhone, and I was also just drinking wine for most of the video. I then cooked pasta after we finished filming as a thank you to my friend, so all in all, it was a good day. 
 
Are you planning to film other videos from the EP?  
I think I’m done with making videos for this EP, only because I really feel it’s time for me to focus on a new chapter of music and to start writing. It’s funny, for my Me EP, I made some sort of video for every song, and since I wasn’t able to do that for this EP, I definitely feel I got more creative about other promotional opportunities for my fans. I literally made a few digital coloring book pages for one of my songs on this EP. 
 
During the last year, we’ve been telling ourselves a lot about the advantages of staying home. Will you really miss anything from the lifestyle of last year? 
I honestly love being at home, and I know I will definitely miss not being in traffic driving to a meeting, but I have missed that boundary between my work day and my home day. Being home 24/7, it was really hard for me to disconnect from work, which is something I really need to do.
 
As someone who grew up in the public eye, was this long break from everything positive for you? 
It's funny, when I think of 2020, the last thing I think of is a break. I truthfully think I may have worked harder in 2020 than I ever have before. If anything, I kept getting stuck in this feeling that was I working so hard, but not really getting anything done -not being as productive as I wanted. It was a hard year, but it was also a year that I reflected and worked on myself a lot, and that was a really beautiful thing to experience.

If you look back at your whole journey, is there anything you would’ve done differently? 
When I hear this question, my instinct is to instantly say yes, but when I truly stop and think about my journey so far, I become fairly passionate that everything had to happen the way it was supposed to happen. I had to make the choices and mistakes I made to get to the place I am now, and that realization actually makes me really happy. It’s quite freeing actually, looking at your past through a non-judgmental lens. Not to say, you shouldn’t learn from your past, because wow, I have learned so much, but when I look at my past, I really wouldn’t change a thing. 
 
What would you like your fans to take from your story? 
I mostly want fans to interpret these songs however they want to. Whether they like the new versions or prefer the old ones, I hope they connect with all the different energies and perspectives my collaborators and I tried to bring to every song. I also hope they reflect on the importance of perspective and the acknowledgment of what baggage we bring into any shared experience we have. 
 
I’m sure you still have many dreams to fulfill. What would be the most unexpected thing on your wishlist? 
Well, this is super ambitious, but I would love to write a musical, both the music and book (aka the script/non-singing part of a musical). I love musicals, and I’ve always wanted to write one. 
 
Are you working on new acting projects that you can tell us about? 
I am currently in post-production for a new movie I filmed earlier this year, but I can’t tell you too much about it! It’s a romantic comedy, and I can’t wait for my fans to see it. 
 
What do you think is the key to balancing your career between singing and acting?
Time management, but to be honest, I’m still figuring out what the key is. When I find out, I will definitely let you know!
 
What do you love the most about what you do?
Oh wow, it’s hard to pick. If I had to choose, I think it’s the connection I get to make with the people around me. Whether it’s the people on my team or the people I’m working with on the creative side or the people that actually listen and support my music, I truly just love connecting with people. 

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