Take this as your sign to add Griff to your playlist ASAP.
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What does it mean to be a pop girl? Is it measured in hit singles? Albums sold? Stage presence? A fun personality? Or a mix of all that and more? Regardless of what you think makes a pop girl, you can’t deny that a new generation of artists is working their way towards taking the mantle as the next batch of young women taking over pop. And there’s one Gen Z artist on the rise who has “next main pop girl” energy written all over her, and her name is Griff. While the UK-based artist may not be a household name (yet), her career has the hallmarks of a rising star.
Her music is filled with bangers that are equal parts personal and explosive. Vertigo and Miss Me Too are that bops. And with the release of her debut album, Vertigo, last July, she’s proving her musical chops. She also is very hands-on when it comes to her projects, from her songs to the outfits she wears on stage.
Most impressively, the award-winning musician has been co-signed by some of the biggest artists in the world and served as an opening act for superstars like Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa, Ed Sheeran, and Coldplay. And the hits keep on coming as later this year, Griff will join Sabrina Carpenter on the Short N’ Sweet Tour as one of the opening acts of the US leg. Griff is on the radar of all your faves if that isn’t proof enough that she’s on the come-up.
Get to know more about Griff in our chat with the artist below as we caught up with her during her recent trip to Manila.
Is this your first time in the Philippines?
Yes. I’ve been wanting to come here for so long. I’ve got a really close friend in London whos’ Filipino. We did some karaoke. I was drinking Red Horse. I had some food. I had some, like, fried quail egg (kwek-kwek).
You are also performing at UP Diliman for the We Play Here concert. You’ve performed in the biggest stadiums in the world, but have you ever done something like a school show before?
No, it’s not something we do in the UK.
So what was your reaction when you were told about the concert?
I was excited, because I feel like students are the best audiences. So that’s to me, that’s like, a great news, because it means the audience is gonna be cool,
If you had a concert in your school, what would be your dream lineup?
I would have loved to see, obviously, Taylor Swift would have been cool. Maybe Alicia Keys would have been really cool. And Whitney Houston. That lineup would have been cool.
You just came off opening for Taylor Swift in London for the Eras Tour. Could you recall the first time you met her?
I first met her at the Brits Awards a year before. She had won an award, and I won an award. So that’s when I first met but then I saw her again at a Kendrick Lamar concert.
So what was it like when she told you she wanted you to open for the Eras Tour?
It was so loud, I wasn’t sure I heard her. And I don’t know, actually, she just kind of mentioned it very casually. So I was just like, oh my god, that’d be insane.
Then you also made your dress for the show. What was that like getting to work on the look?
If I’m honest, I don’t know if I like it anymore. I didn’t have a lot of time. I was touring so much, and then I was like, I want to make my dress. And I had an idea of what I wanted to make, but I didn’t have loads of time.
You’re no stranger to opening up for the biggest arts in the world. There’s Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa, and Ed Sheeran just to name a few. What’s it like whenever you prepare to open up to such massive crowds?
Yeah, it’s fun. Each crowd is really different, I think, you kind of learn what different crowds in different countries are like, and also, each artist is really different, but it’s always really nerve-wracking, because these are big venues. There’s so many people at their shows.
From your years of performing, have you noticed a difference between being an opening act as compared to performing at your own shows?
There’s no feeling like doing your own show, because you know that everyone’s coming to hear your songs, and they want to sing back the lyrics. So I think that I would always pick my own shows over the support ones.
How does it feel to finally have your debut album, Vertigo, finally out after all this time for the world to enjoy?
Feels like a relief. Honestly, I’ve been working on this album for so long in between all of my touring. Like, if I had a week off or something, I would go and, like, book a Airbnb or something and write some songs, and I produced the whole thing. So it’s been, like, a lot of work, because it’s been a lot of going back, finishing productions, going back on the music.
Given how busy you were, was there a point where you felt like, oh, maybe I need a break, or were you just full steam ahead?
Of course there is. But I think also when you feel so grateful for all the opportunities that you just almost don’t want to stop you know, you want to, like, make the most of the moment.
Your mom often steals the show in your TikTok videos with how nonchalantly she reacts to you working with the biggest artists in the world. Could you describe your relationship with your mom?
My mom, I’d say it’s probably a very stereotypical relationship of anyone who has an immigrant mom of that generation, and then a Western daughter. She definitely doesn’t really care about pop culture at all, which I think is very typical of an Asian mum. When I was growing up, she was very strict, very loving, very tiger mum, but I think it’s definitely made me who I am today. I mean, her story is crazy. So I think I’ve always been very aware that my life is built off a lot of sacrifice off her, and everything I have is super privileged compared to what she grew up with.
Touching upon your mixed background and multicultural heritage, do you feel that it plays a factor in how you approach your artistry?
Yeah, I think so. Growing up, it always put me a bit on the outside, because you don’t really fit in with any group. You know, I’m not really fully Asian, I’m not fully Jamaican, I’m definitely not white and British, so I think a lot of mixed race kids will probably experience the same feeling of like isolation, because you don’t feel like they belong to any group. That’s why I loved music, because it was like a thing that I felt like was a safe place.
When you make music, do you feel like there’s a difference between making songs in your bedroom versus making songs in the studio? Do you have a preference?
I always prefer making music outside of studios. Studios, for some reason, they feel too much pressure or something, which is why this whole album’s been made in like, Airbnbs. I think songwriting, like creativity, you have to be so relaxed in order to really feel like you can channel something. And so sometimes when it feels like you’re in a big studio, it’s too much pressure.
A lot of people see you as a rising star, even as one of the next main pop girls. But for you, what does it mean to be a main pop girl? Does that resonate with you?
I mean, it’s funny the word, pop. I never really loved the word. I never thought I could be pop. It’s only like the last couple years that I’ve managed to accept that word, because I think growing up, you didn’t see much representation in pop. You know, for me, that was a very like white thing to be a pop girl. So I think it’s cool now that the meaning of that word is shifting, and that’s like a narrative that exists now.
I think at the moment, we’re just seeing such incredible pop that it’s kind of a privilege to be alongside everyone you know. This year we’ve had the most insane pop girl music from Taylor, Billie, Charli, Chappell Roan, Sabrina, Olivia, like so much happening that it’s an exciting time to be a part of it.
For you personally, who are the other up and coming or young artists you love watching?
There’s a guy called Dijon that I really love. There’s a guy called Ryan Beatty, who’s from America that I love. In terms of pop girls, I would say Holly Humberstone, who’s a friend, I think she’s amazing, she’s back in the UK. Ethel Cain is amazing.
As someone who’s been making music for years, what advice would you give to young artists who maybe are starting to figure out what they want or trying to see what’s meant for them?
I would say don’t think about it as a job. Just do it because it’s your hobby and you love it. I never thought I’d actually have it as a job. And I would say, just keep writing the songs. Like it takes years and years to find your sound. I’m not even sure I’ve still found myself, you know. And you’ve just got to ask yourself if you think what you make is the best thing ever, that’s what matters. If it’s the best thing ever, then it’s worth putting out. And if it’s not, then keep going and write something new.
If you were to meet someone who is not familiar or didn’t know who you are, how would you describe yourself?
I would say I’m a singer-songwriter from London who writes very emotional, euphoric pop songs. I love fashion, and I’m half-Chinese, half-Jamaican and I’m just kind of at the beginning of my pop career.
The interview has been edited for length and clarity
Photos taken from Griff’s Instagram
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