For many years EMMY was best known for her incredibly relatable content on TikTok, a platform where she’s built up 2.2 million followers. However in 2021 the internet sensation released her debut single, ‘STUPID BIG TEETH’ via Godmode records to mass approval – accumulating 9 million streams. It was an incredible opening statement that brought her much loved vocal ability – which was well known thanks to her infamous cover videos – to listeners across the globe. Now EMMY is back with her sophomore single, ‘COOL GIRL’, a candid and joyful pop track that reaffirms all that she’s about.
Inspired by just how easily people follow trends, ‘COOL GIRL’ tells the tale of someone who stands alone, instead choosing to carve her own lane. It’s yet another signal of EMMY’s transparent and honest portrayal of herself both online and within her artistic output. Such a trait has been the cornerstone of her success as a content creator and now looks to spearhead her future accolades as a songwriter. The artist’s journey to date has certainly been unique – she first gained recognition on TikTok thanks to a video she posted where she was having a breakdown due to a parking ticket she received en route to a concert. Although that might sound like an ingenious publicity stunt, it was instead a modern-day outpour of emotion and ultimately went viral overnight.
Now with the arrival of ‘COOL GIRL’, EMMY’s solo career is gaining further ground and both songs she’s released show her to have boundless potential. For us, it felt like the perfect time to sit down with the artist and learn more about her music career, the origins of that famous clip, as well as what we can expect from the artist throughout 2023. You can read our conversation below.
Hey EMMY, Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions! Could you tell us a little about the origins of your musical journey? Was it always your ambition to be a singer-songwriter?
I’ve always loved singing and wanted to make music but I was very private about it when I was younger. I’m not sure why honestly. I was never fully confident in myself until I started posting covers on social media and they were getting good feedback. The positive feedback definitely made me a lot more confident in it
You experienced a pretty surreal internet explosion thanks to a clip you posted on TikTok of an emotional breakdown you were suffering from after receiving a parking ticket on the way to a concert. What inspired you to post that clip originally? Did you ever imagine it would have such an impact?
I posted that video to twitter when I was 17. I expected nothing from it. I had a fan account for a band I liked and some of my friends followed the account, so I really thought only they would see it. It was a genuine breakdown. I’m not even sure why I posted it. I never ever expected anything to come from it and I’m still shocked at the impact it had.
That video immediately introduced you to the world as a completely honest and transparent individual, how important has that image been to your now fully-fledged music career?
I love being open about most things. I’ve always been that way and I’m lucky to have the audience I have, because they all feel like friends. Being transparent online can be hard but I think it’s important and it reminds people that none of us are perfect. No matter what I’m doing in my career I always want the people who support me to feel like they are part of the journey.
Your first single ‘STUPID BIG TEETH’ was released last year and has been streamed over 8 million times so far. How happy were you with the reaction to the project?
I love Stupid Big Teeth. It was everything I could’ve hoped for for my first song. The reaction was not what I expected. Some people liked it, some people hated it but in the end 8 million streams on my first single is crazy to me and I’m just happy people listened.
With over 2.2 million followers on TikTok, did you feel a level of pressure when you began releasing your own music? It’s not often artists already have such a fanbase already in place to impress.
I did feel pressure but not in a bad way. I just really wanted to make sure that I loved what I was putting out and that people knew I was doing music because I have a passion for it. I was definitely nervous that people were going to think that I was just making music as a social media person who has a following. But I’ve always wanted to do this.
You’ve just released your second single ‘COOL GIRL’, a track that showcases your care-free attitude to trends. What was the inspiration behind the single?
We were in the studio talking about how easy it is for people to not truly think for themselves on whether they like something or think it’s cool. It gets easy to follow the masses and not form your own opinion. I definitely used to do this but then I realised nothing is actually cool and you can just decide what is.
Your music has already caught the attention of some of your own heroes such as Haley Williams?
So Haley Williams showed some love to a cover I did of a Paramore song, and it was really sweet and nice. Pretty sure that’s how I got signed to my label.
What plans do you have for the rest of 2023?
To make and release so much more music and dig more into who I am as an artist
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Words: Jake Wright