After impressing the nation on Season 11 of NBC’s America’s Got Talent, 12-year-old winner Grace Vanderwaal released her first EP, Perfectly Imperfect. The EP includes the four songs she performed on AGT and a new song, “Gossip Girl.”
Vanderwaal signed to Simon Cowell’s record, Syco, which falls under Columbia Records’ parent company, Sony. Cowell currently judges AGT and became a huge supporter of Vanderwaal’s music. Her raspier, singer-songwriter style emulates artists such as Sia.
The first song, “I don’t know my name,” became Vanderwaal’s most iconic song. After she auditioned with this song, all four judges gave her a standing ovation. The song focuses on self-discovery and not conforming to societal expectations. The song’s tempo picks up quickly and then suddenly decreases. At the end, she picks up the song and the emotional intensity. When her voice cracks, one can sense her passion in performing which leaves the listener with an empathetic, warm feeling.
Vanderwaal follows “I don’t know my name” with “Clay,” a song about anti-bullying. Once again, her natural voice cracks and her vocal range assists in making it a touching song. Since Vanderwaal exudes uniqueness and creativity, this song embodies a person who will not change herself for others. This message resonates with her younger audience who may experience bullying, and she encourages listeners to not pay attention to others hurtful words. Her lyrics, “try to change my shape, but baby I’m not clay,” states her refusal to mold to what others expect from her. The first two songs are the two best of the EP.
The following songs, “Light the Sky” and “Beautiful Thing,” are light-hearted songs about being with someone that makes one happy. She approaches the song with maturity, but also innocent naivety. Her ability to hit higher notes shows in both of the songs.
The EP ends with, “Gossip Girl.” The song starts with a bunch of whispers. While what she whispers is unidentifiable, the light voices sound like derogatory comments. She discusses individualism and not listening to others who are trying to bring people down. The song discusses a sleepover and school, showing her ability to address serious topics while preserving her childlike innocence.
Overall, Vanderwaal’s voice and style reflect a newfound, interesting singer-songwriter style. On “America’s Got Talent,” she played every song with her ukulele. On her album, other instruments accompany her ukulele. Fortunately, the other instruments do not overpower her voice or ukulele, showing her true original style. Hopefully, in upcoming albums, she will stick to using the ukulele to preserve this originality.
The EP accurately portrays Vanderwaal’s personality. She possesses a powerhouse voice and limitless creativity. Her EP emphasizes her musicality and successful future.
The Hilights
Album: Perfectly Imperfect
Price: $4.99
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Release Date: Dec. 2, 2016