Grace VanderWaal explores childhood fame, healing, and identity in her deeply personal album “CHILDSTAR”.
Grace VanderWaal’s long-awaited sophomore album CHILDSTAR is here, and it’s her most intimate work yet. Out today via PULSE Records, the project is an unfiltered exploration of the scars, strength, and transformation that come from growing up in the spotlight.
Alongside the album, VanderWaal co-directed CHILDSTAR: Final Act, a performance film that brings five tracks—“Proud,” “Brand New,” “Homesick,” “Behavioral Problems,” and “Fade”—to visceral, expressive life.
“‘Proud’ is the story of the ‘golden child’ archetype,” she explains. “A child who neglects their needs in order to be seen as valued, loved, or mature.” 
The album’s focus track “Brand New” confronts her experience with early objectification. “It’s important to talk about all the different layers,” she says. “What if I dream of being a sexy woman? Am I still just a girl at the end of the day?”
Elsewhere, “Homesick” grapples with nostalgia for moments that never happened. “Everything would be okay if I was just waiting for the school bus again,” she sings.
“This album gifted me something I’m eternally grateful for, and that’s my power,” Grace shares. “I hope this album grants you a gift as it did to me.”
With a North American headline tour beginning May 4, CHILDSTAR is the start of a bold new chapter for VanderWaal—one built on reclaiming identity through unflinching self-expression.
