Gayle

"I wrote 'abcdefu' when I was 17, and it came from a very honest place of anger and frustration after a breakup. I think a lot of people, especially young people, feel those emotions but don't always find the words to express them. I just wanted to say exactly what I felt, even if it wasn't pretty. I think people are tired of hearing perfect, polished pop songs. Sometimes you just want to scream and curse, and that's okay. My music is about authenticity. I don't want to sugarcoat anything. If I'm angry, I'll write an angry song; if I'm sad, I'll write a sad song. I want people who listen to my music to feel like they're hearing a real person's story, not some manufactured pop star. It's really empowering to be able to put out music that's this raw and unfiltered. It's like, 'This is me, take it or leave it.' And the fact that so many people embraced it shows there's a hunger for that kind of authenticity."