- Words Millie Dunn-Christensen
With her debut album, Loser, releasing today, Bailey Spinn talks proving the haters wrong, the power of Paramore and how a lucky pink pen is the secret to writing her viral tracks.
Since TikTok’s early days, Bailey Spinn has captured the hearts of millions of people. Now, as she continues marching to the beat of her drum, she is taking us along on her rock princess ride. Her journey to releasing music started with ‘Romance is Dead’, and in less than a year, the 22-year-old garnered over 25 million streams and 300,000 monthly Spotify listeners. The triumph of her first single gave her the fuel she needed to produce her sold-out Happy Ending Tour in 2024, and provide a standout performance at the When We Were Young festival in Las Vegas.
Of course, being in the spotlight at such a young age and finding yourself under the watchful eyes of over 15 million followers is no easy feat. And the hate that comes along with displaying yourself on a large platform is almost inevitable. But Bailey takes charge of that, clapping back at the hate comments that tell her she “fell off” by responding, “I can live with lower views if it means I’m happy.”
Admirable in her ability to be herself, ignore the hate, and for the success of her debut EP My Worst Enemy, the pop-rock sensation is soaring and has just released her highly anticipated debut album, Loser. In all her musical chaos, we sat down to talk about life in the spotlight, what Loser has in store, and how her relationship with music has grown over the years.
Tell us a bit about My Worst Enemy and how it feels to have reached so many people!
My Worst Enemy was my first ever full project. It was a huge learning experience, and my first time creating music! Writing has always been a creative outlet, and My Worst Enemy directly reflects how I feel. When creating the EP I worked on topics that felt true to me, bringing up experiences in friendships, relationships, and more. I was nervous to release the project and show it to my fans because it was so personal, and I had no idea if anyone would relate to it. I was blown away and honoured by the amount of support I got on the project. Making music is beautiful because you can have a positive impact on someone’s life, even though you have never met them before. I’m so grateful people seek comfort while listening to my music, and without all their support on the first project, I don’t know where I would be now!
You’ve just released your debut album Loser. Can you tell us about what people can expect from the album? How did My Worst Enemy lead you to Loser?
In my first project, My Worst Enemy, I didn’t branch out very much with my sound, or try anything new. I love every avenue of rock music: metal, shoegaze, grunge, pop rock, and more. I wanted this album to reflect my taste, which makes it a fun ride of different alternative genres. I even have a track on this album that’s fully orchestrated and doesn’t feature an electric guitar. I learnt a lot about building a song between the two projects, and I think people will be able to hear the growth in my musical abilities. I tried to branch out and challenge myself to do new things with this album, even sometimes writing about entirely fictional scenarios, instead of things that have personally happened to me. Loser represents a lot of the same topics I tackled in My Worst Enemy, but in a new light!
How did your relationship with music begin and what shaped it into what it is now?
Growing up, I was a musical theatre fan, and I played many instruments. I always found comfort in singing and I loved to do it even though I was too anxious to let anyone hear. I would hide in the basement and sing karaoke for hours on end. I played instruments because it felt less vulnerable than singing. I loved the excitement because orchestral music includes all the drama of musical theatre. I saw many shows in New York on Broadway with my dad. When I started posting on social media, I would sing occasionally but still fought the anxiety of letting people hear my voice. After a few years, I started gaining confidence and integrating music into my content. I started by covering some artists that I love on YouTube before creating any original music. Once I became comfortable creating covers and making music, I finally had a session where we created a song I fell in love with. That song was ‘Runner Up’, and it changed my life! Although it wasn’t my first single, it was my first approved song, which means so much to me. After that, I released an EP and continued working on music, which brings us back to where we are today!
How would you describe your sound in 3 words?
Sad Girl Rock!
Where do you draw inspiration and influence from?
My biggest inspirations come from artists like Pierce The Veil, All Time Low, Paramore, Evanescence, and Flyleaf. I’m inspired by a lot of 2000s rock music, and I always bring that into my sessions, whether instrumentally or lyrically. All of my music comes from experiences I’ve had in life: the good and the bad. I find it easy to express my feelings while writing, and a lot of the time I turn my emotions into a song to take some power back. Sometimes creating a song can help me move on from a breakup or a turning point in my life. I’ve even taken inspiration from hate comments to build myself back up, despite what the internet had to say.
Your debut single ‘Romance is Dead’ now has millions of streams. What was the biggest lesson you learned from releasing your first project?
My biggest lesson was learning that not everyone online is going to support my music career! Dealing with hate online never gets easier, but it used to affect me way more. The right audience will always find you.
What did the creative process for the new album look like? Was it different to how you’ve worked in the past?
I love to write songs in my journal with a lucky pink pen! I always bring in my ideas, and some tracks I love as references. From there, my producers build out the track and brainstorm even more on the lyrical content. My song planning always looks like a mess and probably doesn’t make sense to anyone but me. I spew all of my thoughts and phrases onto the page, even if I don’t think they’ll make it in the song. Sometimes, writing it down anyway can spark a different idea that can turn into something new. I also love to see where the session takes me. If I’m feeling stuck or uninspired by something, I try to pivot and move on to a different idea. I love to collaborate with other writers to get my thoughts more organised, and a lot of my producers also help on the writing side!
You’re now collaborating with a lot of exciting names in the industry like Kodeblooded and Courtney Ballard. What do you look for in a collaborator?
I love to work with collaborators who understand my creative vision and specialise in alternative music. I put a lot of trust in my producers; it’s important I know they are going to create an awesome track! I also love to befriend my producers. It’s nice to share some of my interests so they can better understand what I like!
A lot of your work is gaining virality, particularly your covers on YouTube. How do you balance wanting your work to be seen and well-received with staying true to yourself?
It can be difficult to balance being seen and well-received. Many people have a lot of hate towards my music because they think it’s inauthentic or bad, and I firmly disagree with them. Being alternative is a huge part of my personality and background, but people tend to doubt that I’m interested in history or music. Despite people reacting negatively to my more alternative aesthetic, it’s what makes me happy. I’ve learnt not to let the internet ruin my interests for me. It can be hard to see past the hate comments and continue, but I know that people love the change and will keep supporting me as long as I’m happy!
What do you hope listeners take away from your music?
I hope listeners take away some understanding of my life and what I’ve been through, along with comfort in knowing they are not alone. I make music for others to relate to, writing songs has helped tremendously with my mental health and I hope to help others in the same way!
What’s next for Bailey Spinn?
I’ll be working on some new music soon, and maybe even another project! I cannot wait to continue sharing what I’ve been working on with my audience!