The singer-songwriter opens up about the artists who inspired her, the meaning behind “Carrie Bradshaw,” and why songwriting has become her safest place to be vulnerable.

I’m a pop-culture writer covering everything from TV and movies, to music, Broadway, books, and games.

Fresh off the release of Descendants: Wicked Wonderland, Kylie is inviting listeners into her world with her deeply personal new EP, Valley Girl Problems.

Ahead of the EP's release, I chatted with Kylie about the artists who inspired her to pursue performing, her upcoming fall tour, and what she hopes listeners take away from the new music.

Kylie: I vividly remember going to see my first concert, which was Beyoncé. I was eight years old, and I had been begging my dad to take me. I knew every single word because we played that album on repeat in the car on the way to school.

I vividly remember being jaw-dropped the entire concert. I walked out of the venue and told my dad, "That's what I want to do. I want to be just like Beyoncé one day." For any performer, especially anyone who is also a dancer, I think Beyoncé is the ultimate icon of icons. So I remember that specific concert really, really inspiring me. 

There are so many others. I can watch Britney's performances over and over again, like the AMAs, "I'm a Slave 4 U," and "Me Against the Music." Janet is another incredible performer who really knows how to put on a show. They are all on my Mount Rushmore.

Kylie: Oh, I do for sure. I'm such an R&B girl. Kehlani and Brandy are two artists I would love to work with.

Kylie: I'm very concept-heavy, so it's usually a title or a lyric. I actually have a songbook filled with different words and titles. If you start with an incredible title and have a concept you're excited about, the melodies come more effortlessly. At least that's how it is for me. 

Having a title is definitely my number one, and then production comes second. I feel like an incredible production inspires melodies.

Kylie: The inspiration was Tricky Stewart, because he did all the production on the EP and he's the GOAT. I've been such a big fan of his work for so long. He's done everything from "Obsessed" by Mariah to "Outrageous" by Britney to "Umbrella" by Rihanna. He's incredible. 

It was really a blend of our tastes. He has this signature sound that feels nostalgic, and we modernized it and made it feel like me by adding my sparkly, feminine touches to the production. 

I think "Carrie Bradshaw" is such a good example of that. There's that hard-hitting bass that feels tough, and it makes you want to dance. But you also have those sparkly synths that feel very pop, and bright, and girly. It's this perfect contrast. 

Kylie: Oh, it's everything. I think because I've grown up being in the public eye, I find it hard to be vulnerable. You always want to appear like everything's good, and you curate your social media and online persona. 

With music, it's my one chance to fully be myself and fully say what I want to say. I can admit things, say the hard things, and process really complex emotions.

What was exciting about creating this EP was feeling empowered to talk about things I never felt I could. It also comes with being older and going through more life experiences. I want my music to authentically reflect who I am in this chapter of my life. 

I feel like Valley Girl Problems is an exact depiction of how I feel right now. I'm letting go of people and things that don't serve me at this point in my life. I think the music really reflects that.

Kylie: That's so sweet. Thank you. I love the song too. It really encapsulates what this whole project is about. 

I think using Carrie and Sex and the City was the perfect symbol for finding beauty in the painful parts of life, and the pain that comes with growing up, growing out of relationships, and growing out of your past self.

I really felt like I captured what I wanted to say with that song.

Kylie: I always wanted to have a flashlight moment, like a ballad moment. That was something inspired by the tour I went on last year. It's such a special moment because the whole crowd goes quiet; they're putting their flashlights up and holding hands. I knew I wanted to write a ballad so I could have that moment when I got to perform live. 

I'm really excited for the choreo. I grew up a dancer, and getting to work with dancers and create these epic numbers is so incredible. I love when you can just take a screenshot from a performance and go, "Oh my God, I know that moment is from this section of this song." I love Zara Larsson, and that photo of her being carried by her dancers. I want to create those moments that people look forward to in a show and want to recreate at home.

Also, I'm excited for the looks that I'm about to put together, and seeing what the fans show up in. There's definitely an aesthetic to the Valley Girl era, so I'm excited to see how the fans come dressed. 

Kylie: I hope they're able to resonate with the songs and hopefully heal through whatever situations they might be going through. That's what's so exciting about putting music out into the world, especially when it's so personal. You hope that it will connect with someone on a deep level.

That's the music that sticks with you — the music that makes you say, "How did this person perfectly capture what I've been feeling?" So I really hope it does that, and it brings people together.

I want people to know that I'm always going to stay true to myself and be honest with every era and every album. I want the music to distinctly capture who I am in this chapter of my life, and I feel like this EP does that. 

This is Kylie right now, and it's going to evolve — but I'm always going to be honest and speak my truth.

Note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.