A CONVERSATION WITH... GRAE
We talk to alt-pop artist GRAE about her boldest and most sonically fearless chapter yet with genre-defying album 7 Minutes 'Til Heaven, an album that redefines her artistry through unapologetic emotion, and a deep dive into storytelling, feminine power, and liberation.
7 Minutes 'Til Heaven feels like a bold sonic and emotional evolution — how would you describe the headspace you were in while making this record?
7 Minutes ‘Til Heaven came to life during a transitional period in both my life and career. I was struggling with the pressure to stay the same, even though my interests were shifting, especially when it came to genre. I’ve always known I’d be the kind of artist who explores different sounds and directions, and this felt like the right moment to lean into that. A big inspiration behind the project was my best friend, who’s a pole artist. I wanted to create something dancers could move to and feel empowered by. At the time, I was in a mindset of letting go of limitations. I felt fearless and wanted to challenge myself and push my creative boundaries.
You mentioned channelling your “feminine rage and power” — what does that look or sound like for you artistically on this album?
Channelling my “feminine rage and power” on this album has been all about tapping into that untamed part of me. It’s about embracing every emotion and transforming it into something that really hits, whether it’s rage, vulnerability, or confidence. What that sounds like to me are songs like ‘Wet Dream’, ‘God In A Woman’, and ‘Scarlet’, those tracks where the production really goes off and the lyrics are fierce.
There’s a clear sense of storytelling throughout the album. Did you approach this project as a narrative arc from the beginning, or did that emerge naturally as songs came together?
There’s definitely a storytelling element woven throughout the album. I started the project with the intention of creating a narrative and developing a character. At first, the idea of telling a story was much more defined than what ended up being released. I even considered not showing my face and having all the videos feature someone else, so I could really create a character outside of the GRAE everyone knew. In retrospect, though, that probably would’ve been a bit odd, haha. Over time, it evolved into something that felt more natural, less about sticking to a rigid concept and more about letting the music flow in a way that actually resonated with me. I really relate to all the songs on the project, and I’m glad it ended up the way it did.
The title 7 Minutes 'Til Heaven is evocative. What does it symbolise for you, beyond the nod to the game?
For me, it symbolises that brief, intense moment before a big change or transformation. It's that in-between space when everything feels like it could go either really right or really wrong. Which is exactly where I felt I was. There's this sense of urgency and anticipation, but also this feeling that once those seven minutes are up, there's no turning back.
This is your most experimental and fearless album yet — what was the most creatively liberating moment in the studio while making it?
There are two moments that stand out to me. The first was creating ‘God In A Woman’. I went into that session with no limitations at all, really wanting to push both myself and my producer. We kept saying, "this is insane," over and over throughout that session because we couldn’t believe what we were creating. It was so different from anything either of us had ever made before, and I remember telling him to just go crazy, especially on the chorus. The second moment was working on ‘Wet Dream’. That session was another where I couldn’t believe what we had just made. Both of those songs gave me the freedom to do whatever I wanted, without any fear. They were incredibly creatively liberating for me.
‘God In A Woman’ is such a powerful track — what inspired you to write that anthem of divine femininity?
I wanted to capture the strength, grace, and depth that a woman embodies, and the inspiration behind it was all about tapping into a force that is both nurturing and fierce. The production really reflects that, it’s bold and unapologetically fierce. Funny enough, the song was actually inspired by my best friend! I find the way she taps into her divine feminine while she dances is super badass, and I wanted to create an anthem to celebrate that, something she could actually dance to.
‘Fantasy’ feels deeply vulnerable. How do you navigate the line between personal catharsis and public sharing in your songwriting?
This is such an amazing question. I was actually talking to someone about this the other day, how interesting it is to be an artist and songwriter and really just put yourself out there like that haha. Bringing it back to one of the previous questions about creating a story and character, I didn’t have many deeply personal songs for this album at the start until it began to evolve. That was really interesting for me because all of my other projects have been so personal, with no "character" or true "storytelling." It was just raw.
For 7 Minutes ‘Til Heaven, I tapped into a different side of me, wanting to challenge myself as a writer and write about things outside of just myself. It came at a time in my life and career where I felt more inward and private than I had on any of my previous albums. ‘Fantasy’ was actually one of the first songs I wrote for the album that was really about me, Emily, and not the character I had created for the storyline. Writing it was therapeutic. I remember feeling so grounded during that session, almost like I was getting back on my feet. It was like, “Oh yeah, I’m a writer and I can write about my life and put it out there.” For a moment, it felt scary to do that, but it reminded me that songwriting has always been a way for me to process emotions.
I’ve always just wanted to be as honest as I can, but there’s also that part of me that thinks about how others might interpret it. I try to leave room for the listener to connect with the song in their own way, while still being true to what I’m feeling. Sometimes, I feel like it’s my job to create these songs from a place of good intention and honesty and then put them out into the world, hoping that they help or are there for someone else, and I’ve always been okay letting people in like that.
‘Motorcade’ reimagines a moment in history through a personal lens — how did that concept take shape, and why Jackie Kennedy?
The concept came about because I was deep into my 1950s/60s obsession. It started with Marilyn Monroe, and naturally, my curiosity about her led me to JFK and the whole era. From there, I became really immersed in that time and, of course, came across that horrific moment in history with JFK’s passing. I started reading everything I could find about it and found myself really thinking about Jackie, imagining what she must have felt in those moments. I put myself in her shoes and cried a lot, thinking about her, him, and the impact that moment had, not just on America, but on the world. I carried a lot of those emotions with me while writing ‘Motorcade.’ It was an emotional session, for sure.
Jackie Kennedy stood out to me because of how strong and vulnerable she was in the face of tragedy. The way she handled everything, with grace despite the chaos, made her such an interesting figure to center the story around. It wasn’t just about the history, though; it was about how one person’s experience can ripple through time. In that moment of losing JFK, Jackie became a symbol of resilience, even though she was hurting so much, and I wanted to capture that feeling in a way that connects to our own struggles. Everyone has experienced loss; it’s a universal feeling. I’ve actually had a lot of people ask me what "Motorcade" is about, and they think it’s just about a breakup or something, which shows how people can relate it back to their own experiences. It’s not just about Jackie and JFK to them, and it’s not just about them to me either. There are so many lines I can relate back to myself in that song, especially "Damn, stand up for the man, the way he's ripping my heart out and I'm running right back to him."
‘Cha-Ching’ critiques glamour with a sharp edge — what sparked the idea behind this track?
‘Cha-Ching’ was inspired by my time spent in Vegas. I wasn’t really part of the wild scene, more of a fly on the wall, as I’m pretty reserved and didn’t engage in the crazy activities or behavior around me haha. But the whole scenery really stuck with me, and I wanted to write from an outsider’s perspective. The excess, the obsession with money, and the superficiality of it all really made me think.
‘Wet Dream’ stands out as a wild ride — how did that track evolve, and was there a moment where you gave yourself full permission to go all in creatively?
‘Wet Dream’ definitely took me on a wild ride. It evolved from this playful, almost rebellious idea into something way more powerful than I expected. The turning point for me was really the bridge into the ending part of the song. That’s when it clicked, and I realized I didn’t want to box the song in. I gave myself full permission to make it a bit more abstract and just let the creativity flow without worrying about fitting into a certain structure.
How did the collaboration with Apollonia come about, and what did her spoken-word interludes bring to the emotional landscape of the album?
The collaboration with Apollonia actually came about in a pretty wild way. We first connected online back in 2020, and I’ve been a huge Prince fan for a long time, so I had been following her for a while. One day, she came into one of my Instagram livestreams after following me back and mentioned that we should work together. I was honestly beyond shocked and messaged her right away. At the time, I was working on my first album Whiplash, and it was during the pandemic, so the timing didn’t feel right for a collab. Fast forward to April 2023, I finally met her in person, and she’s honestly just the sweetest, most supportive person. She’s turned into not only an amazing mentor but also a friend, which still blows my mind.
When I was putting together 7 Minutes 'Til Heaven, my creative director, Piper, and I were sitting in a coffee shop brainstorming ways to tie the world of the album together. I had mentioned to Piper before how cool it would be to include Apollonia, but I wasn’t sure how to make it fit yet. Then, months later, while we were at the coffee shop, we came up with the idea to include interludes throughout the album to help tell a story. That’s when it clicked for both of us. Apollonia should be a part of it! She should be the one to speak these interludes! I reached out to her right away, even though I hadn’t actually written anything yet, haha, and asked if she’d be willing to be part of my album and bring the interludes to life. She was so excited, supportive, and totally on board.
Apollonia inspired so much of the beginning of the rollout, especially with ‘American Dream’ and ‘Dark Energy’, and the whole presidential vibe. I’ll never forget receiving her vocals for ‘American Dream’ and hearing them for the first time. There was so much power in her voice. It felt political, like she had real-life experiences that made her connect to this poem I’d written. I had sent her a reference vocal of me saying it, and mine was a lot more... sultry, I guess? I was saying it in a very sexy, seductive way. But when she brought it to life, she added so much attitude, maturity, and feminine anger. That’s when Piper and I were like, “Woah, the video for this should be me at a podium, running for president, saying this as a speech.” It just felt so presidential, like that commanding, larger-than-life energy. I don’t know how else to explain it. That really was the rebirth of GRAE when it came to this whole new era. The decision made in that coffee shop to include Apollonia, her being so on board, and sending back an insane vocal performance for the interludes... It was like, okay, we've got this! This was the missing piece to everything.
Apollonia’s history with Prince ties into your inspiration from ‘80s icons. What lessons or energies from that era do you channel in your own artistry?
The boldness and unapologetic energy from so many artists in the '80s is incredibly inspiring, especially Prince, who I love so much. It’s absolutely crazy that I got to work with Apollonia on this project, especially because I watched Purple Rain when I was just 16 years old, and it really changed everything for me. The way those artists pushed boundaries and embraced their individuality is something I try to channel in my own artistry every day.
You’ve talked about pushing past others’ expectations — have you felt pressure to fit a certain mould as an alt-pop artist, and how did you break that?
There are definitely certain expectations placed upon artists, but what I meant by pushing past those expectations wasn’t necessarily about feeling pressure from others to be something I’m not. It was more about giving myself the freedom to do something completely different and step outside of the world I had previously created with Whiplash and Permanent Maniac. People obviously expected me to stay the same and keep making the same kind of music, and those expectations weren’t bad or negative! I just wanted to challenge myself and break outside of what anyone would’ve expected from me because I wanted to grow and evolve as an artist.
Your music has appeared on shows like The L Word and Virgin River — how does it feel to have your art woven into those cultural moments?
It’s honestly so cool to have my music in shows, and it still trips me out every time something I’ve written gets placed in one. Music has this way of amplifying emotions and making a scene hit even harder, so knowing my songs play a part in that is pretty special. It’s also so fun to see all the fan edits people make for those shows, using my songs. What’s even cooler is that someone who might have never known me before can now connect my music to what could be their favorite show. It’s such an awesome feeling to have people discover my art in that way.
With 7 Minutes 'Til Heaven marking such a bold new era, what are you most excited or even scared about in this next chapter of your career?
I’m excited and a little nervous about this next chapter. 7 Minutes 'Til Heaven is a big shift in my sound and vision. It’s something totally different from what I’ve done before. It’s nerve-wracking, but that’s also what makes it exciting. I’ve always wanted the freedom to keep evolving as an artist, and it’s cool that I get to do that. I’m really happy to have opened the door for people to experience this more experimental side of me. There’s definitely more where that came from. I can’t even promise I’ll be the same for the next project because it’ll probably be something different again, haha. But that’s just who I am. I’m inspired by so many different things, and it’s always been hard for me to think about boxing myself in. It’s nice to have set that expectation early in my career, though, that I’m always evolving and not afraid to take risks with my sound.
