Grace VanderWaal, Darkness Keeps Chasing Me - A Classical Musician’s First Listen And Analysis

#virginrock #gracewanderwal
I enjoyed the natural and very age appropriate fell of this piece. I’m also happy to have been introduced to Grace this early in her carrier, and I’m eager to see how she develops in the future.

Here’s the link to the original song:

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Amy Shafer, LRSM, FRSM, RYC, is a classical harpist, pianist, and music teacher, Director of Piano Studies and Assistant Director of Harp Studies for The Harp School, Inc., holds multiple degrees in harp and piano performance and teaching, and is active as a solo and collaborative performer. With nearly two decades of teaching experience, she teaches privately, presents masterclasses and coaching sessions, and has performed and taught in Europe and USA.

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Credits: Music written and performed by Grace VanderWaal

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[haroldwilson]

Grace has a sweetness to her singing, and you too have a sweetness in your reacting.🤩

[BrianLarkin-qv]

Glad to see an artist from the "Got Talent" show be able to go on in their career. Shows she actually had talent.

[dporper]

Vlad, I can't believe you had Amy take a look at Grace Vanderwaal. I always felt Grace was an amazing young talent that seemed destined to become one of the biggest stars in the world. Although Grace has not yet found her stride musically, her recent performance of "The impossible Dream" at the Kennedy Center honors for Frances Coppela shows her incredible talent and potential. 😊

[McDevittMike]

This is a beautiful song. Grace was only 13 when she wrote it and it still, to this day, it almost brings me to tears. She is an amazing talent and an excellent actor and seems to still be finding her feet. I've been a fan since she won AGT at 12, and have enjoyed her strange, but interesting musical journey since then. 😎

[Aboz]

Grace was barely into her teens when she wrote this. (Won AGT at 12 in 2016, album released late 2017). In recent months Grace had talked openly about the mental health challenges she and her siblings faced. Her upcoming album promises to be an eye opener.

[namffuak]

She was in the studio with a producer working on a different song. They finished - and _this_ was written in the time remaining that day. She was 13. She won America's Got Talent at 12 performing four originals; the first, "I Don't Know My Name' she wrote at 11. It's a story about her finding her place in society.

She previewed most of this album at Austin City Limits in 2017 (October 7 and 14); she spent most of the following summer as the opening act for Imagine Dragons on the North American leg of their "Evolve" tour. And she finished up the year in New Mexico working on the Disney+ film "Stargirl" based on the award-winning novel. She played the lead, Susan "Stargirl" Caraway.

Her most recent public performance was at the Kennedy Center where she performed "The Impossible Dream" in honor of Francis Ford Coppola. She released two songs, "Call It What You Want" and "What's Left of Me" this fall, both available in fully produced studio releases and as "unplugged" versions with just piano accompaniment.

She has also been a signed model since she was thirteen, modelling for Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent among others.

[Beboham]

She is unique, simply great. Please also note her new performance with *The impossible dream*, also sung live. Captivating!

[russellbuck]

When you listen to Grace, I have found that most of her songs have a few different meanings. She is that good at writing music. It all depends on who is listening. Some think this one about depression. but the song is her writing her sister about on how the Darkness (the record people want her to go pop star) in sister code. And Grace just wants to be herself. And how she misses her sister, they are really close. The smoke in the blue jeans line is in reference to Ido. The guy who is helping her put an album together. Grace just turned 13 when she wrote this song. In about an hours' time. I only heard this explanation one time from Grace in an interview around 7--8 years ago. I wish I could remember which one now. It's very hard to recommend any song from Grace because she has a hundred or so that she wrote and not a bad song in the bunch. I do recommend anything she does live, because she always sounds10 times better live. Good luck on your quest with this young lady. I will be keeping a watch out for more from you.

[idkmm]

thank you for reacting to Grace who's been one of the great singers of our time since before she was a teen.

[stillracer]

DKCM. I've followed Grace since she was a very young girl. Very naturally talented. Taught herself to play the ukulele and had her old line of Ukes. She has been in 3 movies, 2 she starred in. You should check out her latest performance at the Kennedy Center “The Impossible Dream” for Francis Ford Coppola.

[PatCoppock]

Grace preformed at The Kennedy Center Honors about a week ago. She has many great songs and none of them sound the same. All are full of emotion. A few to listen to are "Faults", "Just Kids" and 'What's Left of Me".

[LeeKennison]

My first time hearing Grace (I don't watch AGT TV Show), and I really enjoyed this one a lot, both musically (even though it is just a light musical accompaniment) and in her vocals which blend very well with the music. Also very lyrically interesting. In fact, for being a teenage girl, I can relate to her lyrics far more than in Taylor Swift's music, which for me are very young female centric in their viewpoint (nothing wrong with that, just not who I am😉). Like you I would really to see how her vocals develop, although I really like them as they currently are. They were very expressive to me.

[MegSummersMusic]

There’s no question that Grace has an amazing voice! And no one can forget her AGT performance. However, this is a song written when she was 13 (if that’s correct) so it’s hard to judge this song. At 13, I couldn’t even comprehend what the world was about let alone writing a song. 10:13 But she’s so talented that she wrote the song way above her years. I agree with Amy here totally. It’s a young voice. I’m not sure if she means that about the emotions.

[myblue]

The teen choice kids didn't listen to this song unless they were at one of the few venues she sang this. This was probably one the most adult streamed songs on her JTB Album judging by the early comments on the video .

[PatCoppock]

Grace Vanderwaal "So Much More Than This" I think she was around 13 y/o when she wrote it. It's just beautiful.

[andyuu]

Some people don't like her sound. I have family members like that.
As for me, no one compares to Grace. Her voice rips through me in the best way possible. Since 2016, I listen to her more than all other "artists " combined. - no joke. There are a number of hardcore Fanderwaals that feel the same. It has been painful waiting for that next album to finally drop.

[j_man_]

I have heard thru the grape vine, this was about her brother, he had a drug problem, many of the lines fit that theme... but romantic relationship, it could maybe... but, I believe it was low key about her brother, she wrote it in 30 minutes. they thought it was too sad of a song to perform live, but Grace ended up falling in love with performing it and decided she would!

[happilyeggs]

Critically acclaimed, and Mercury prizewinning, you need to check out the beautiful melodies and poetic lyrics of Elbow. I recommend "Elbow, "The Birds" and "Mirrorball", and "The Night Will Always Win". Britain's greatest musical secret.

[j_man_]

I'm not gonna lie, I was tickled when Taylor Swift came up, that's how memorable her music was, you forgot you did an album... Personally, not a fan, but this little angel... she has a bright future... and the comparison to Taylor Swift has been twisted out of it context. Simon didn't mean she would be the next Taylor Swift in sound, but, Simon saw that Swift was original in the beginning, and she was strong and did things her way, like Grace did in AGT. BTW she was 13 here *13*

[ibeetellingya]

So, what do you think of her performance of Impossible Dream at the Kennedy Center Honors 2024?