GAYLE Is Reclaiming Her Story One Song at a Time

The Grammy-nominated artist revealed the inspiration behind her latest single, "everybody hates me," and talked upcoming shows in Taylor Swift's "The Eras Tour."

If you turned on the radio last summer it was a guarantee you'd hear GAYLE’s hit song “abcdefu," which not only topped the charts for weeks but also landed a coveted Grammy nomination for “Song of the Year." Almost a year since the release of “a study of the human experience volume one," GAYLE has released her newest single, “everybody hates me," and is preparing for 15 nights as an opening artist for Taylor Swift on "The Eras Tour." The 18-year-old Texas native was ecstatic as she recalled the feeling and experience of having a top-charting single.

“I left to go on tour after dropping “abcdefu” and I still remember the moment my manager woke me up one night and said, ‘your song is going viral.' We checked the charts and it was in the viral top 50 in countries like Indonesia at first. And then I saw it starting to trend on TikTok, and it just kept going up from there. The day the music video hit one million views, I was so excited," GAYLE said.

As our conversation went on, GAYLE opened up about the inspiration behind her new single, “everybody hates me," which is out today. She spoke about her struggles with the criticism on her music, especially with her song “abcdefu." Her new single marks a new chapter for the talented artist, one she's writing as a reminder to herself that it's impossible to make everyone happy, and that other people’s opinions do not and will never define her self worth.

“I wrote 'everybody hates me' in February of 2021. I was in a very specific moment of time in my life where 'abcdefu' was about to peak on the radio, and I started getting more attention than I'd ever had. But with that, I was also getting more criticism than ever too. I thought I knew what to expect when this happened, but I really didn't know how that would personally affect me until it became real. It was a feeling that I didn't know how to sit with, especially when it was coming at me in such a new way. I didn't know how to comprehend it. It made me spiral quite a bit, especially early last year. I almost felt like I ruined my life. I felt like I put out this song and nobody was ever going to take me seriously again. Especially, since it was a sarcastic, lighthearted song that I wrote with my best friend as a teenager. So I was thinking, everybody hates me, and nobody's ever going to take me seriously. My life is over. I've ruined it. And then I almost contorted it to be empowering to live my life like everybody hates me. Because if people hate me and they're just going to hate what I do anyways, then it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter what I'm going to do. I'm going to have to like it if people are going to hate it," Gayle said.

Despite the criticism that she takes in stride, her career and music have continued to flourish. This year particularly has some exciting things for GAYLE, starting off with 15 nights where she'll open for Taylor Swift on her highly anticipated "The Eras Tour." GAYLE was ecstatic about this opportunity, and even reminisced on how she will be performing at the same stadium that she once saw Taylor Swift play when she was younger.

“I have to be completely honest, I've been really anxious about [The Eras Tour]. It’s honestly been hard to sleep! It's been hard to just kind of not do anything but practice. One of the songs I will be performing I've never played live before, so it's very intimidating knowing you're going to play it for the first time at a stadium, opening up for Taylor. It's very intimidating, and anxiety-inducing, and nerve-wracking, but also so exciting," she said.

It was endearing and heartfelt the way that GAYLE gushed about how grateful she is for the opportunity to open up for someone she admires so much. Her smile lit up as she told me about her dream of performing at the same stadium where she watched Taylor perform with openers Charlie XCX and Camila Cabello just a few years ago. This opportunity is one that not many people can say they have accomplished, and is such a full circle moment in her career.

“I just remember driving past Nissan Stadium, I always used to knock on my window and tell myself, ‘One day, I want to play at Nissan Stadium. I have no idea how, but one day I will.’ And I just had no idea that, four years later, Taylor would be the one putting me on that stage to open up for her alongside Phoebe Bridgers," she said.

Photo: Acacia Evans

In addition to opening up "The Eras Tour," GAYLE is also slotted to perform on a guest run of P!NK’s "European Summer Carnival Tour," which kicks off on July of this year in Vienna. These feats and accomplishments are something every music artist dreams of, and after talking to GAYLE, it is clear that she is every bit deserving of these victories. She is wise beyond her years, and her positive energy and bubbly personality are contagious. Her on-stage presence is one that you do not want to miss live.

One thing is certain, the future is bright for this young star.

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Stream all of GAYLE'S music here, including her new single, "everybody hates me." Make sure to follow MUD for all the latest content with your favorite artists.