Vanessa Hudgens

Vanessa Hudgens is a 26-year-old singer/songwriter from New York City. Over the past year, she’s built up a following with her signature sugar-drenched pop, but she has also proven herself capable of traversing the country with her band, Vanessah. On their forthcoming album, Happy to Have You Back, she addresses the state of the nation with her biting wit and unrivalled perspective.

Here, she talks us through some of her favourite albums, the power of nostalgia, and what she’s been listening to on her road to recovery.

Albums That Have Inspired Her

It’s difficult to pinpoint the exact moment that you realize you’ve fallen in love with an album, but for Vanessa, it was during the filming of the video for her breakout single, ‘Vanessa‘. She remembers: “The director called for a break and I was left alone in the room with my headphones on. That album just started playing in my head and I lost myself in it.”

From the outside, Vanessa’s music might seem like a safe bet: a polished, radio-friendly pop with a massive hook. But in reality, she’s been working hard to build her own unique identity, and ‘Vanessa‘ is definitely the beginning of that journey. Not only does it represent the singer/songwriter’s breakaway moment, but the sonic landscape of the album is also unique to her. From the driving synths and massive drums of ‘Jungle‘ to the tropical stutters of ‘Sober‘, Vanessa’s music has always been characterised by its vibrant energy and unique style.

An eclectic mix of ‘70s soul and ‘80s new wave, with a dash of early 2000s pop and rock thrown in for good measure, ‘Vanessa‘ perfectly encapsulates the singer’s influences. Yet rather than feel like a collection of chart-toppers thrown together by a discerning producer, it feels more like an organic album grown from the ground up. This is an album for the fans, and it’s an album that the fans deserve to hear.

Recovery And How It Has Inspired Her

“Vanessa” is a record that, at the time of writing, has not yet been officially released. However, after touring the album around the US with rock band, The Pretty Reckless, and cutting a handful of TV and radio spots, it seems likely that the album will see the light of day in the near future.

For Vanessa, “Vanessa” represents a turning point. During a career that has seen her rise from relative obscurity to arena-filling stardom in the space of a year, it is apparent that this album represents the culmination of all her hard work. And it’s an album that she wanted to make for fans like her who have stuck by her over the years. “I put a lot of energy into making this album and I hope that people can hear that,” she says. “After touring with The Pretty Reckless, I went back to my dorm room and sat down with my friends to listen to the album. We all cried, we were so happy.”

The album’s lead single, ‘Close‘, is the quintessential summer jam. Rolling along to a thumping disco beat, the track sees the singer unleash her inner child as she sings with delight about falling in love. In typical Vanessa fashion, her lyrics are sharp and dark, but surrounded by enough melodies and hooks to keep even the most jaded listener entertained.

Other songs on the album delve even deeper into darker themes. ‘Sober‘, for example, is an ode to addiction, while ‘Killer‘ is a stark warning about the perils of fame. When the drums drop, you can almost guarantee that trouble is on the horizon. But that’s what makes ‘Vanessa’ such an ambitious project: it’s an album about facing one’s demons, and it sees the singer confront her past with both courage and elegance. It’s an album about finding the courage to change, and how much better that change can be when you have friends by your side.

Why Revivalism Is Powerful

What is it about returning to nature that speaks to us? Whether it’s a hike, a camping trip, or a visit to the great outdoors, there’s something about being in a place where technology and the human-made world cannot interfere that reconnects us with nature. And it’s that feeling of connection that is the driving force behind revivalism.

Revivalism is all around us. From going back to basics with minimalism and the purchase of only necessary belongings, to swapping your Netflix accounts for BBC iPlayer and getting your fix of old-school sitcoms, the desire to be “off-line” and disconnected from the world of technology and the constant connective ping of social media is at an all-time high. But for those interested in music, the way forward seems to be a return to what worked for us in the first place. As humans, we find comfort in nostalgia, and it shows in our listening habits. According to Future Inc., our desire to listen to music from the ‘90s and ‘70s increased by 69% between 2016 and 2018. What’s more, 55% of respondents said that they would prefer to listen to music from that era rather than any other.

And it’s not just music. When it comes to movies, we’re drawn to period pieces, whether it’s the ‘70s or the ‘90s, because we feel that they capture the ‘70s or ‘90s nostalgia better than any other time period. According to Netflix, people have already started requesting specific ‘70s TV shows and looking up movies from that era on their phones. And it’s not just about the nostalgia either; films from the ‘70s and ‘90s allow for more opportunities for friendship, love, and emotion, which makes us connect with the music and the movies even more.

Revivalism is about putting the world back together again. It’s about unplugging from the electronic clutter that surrounds us. It’s about getting back to basics and reconnecting with what made us happy in the first place. And it’s a movement that stands for freedom, individuality, and independence.

For those looking for a change, “Vanessa” is an album that can serve as a blueprint for a better and more fulfilling life. It’s a record that sees the prolific songwriter and vocalist take a step back, examine the root of her problems, and find a way to overcome them. And it’s an album that the fans can celebrate as well because, more often than not, these are the kind of songs that the fans have wanted to hear for years.