in this solo episode, i’m sharing the story behind new friends—a song i wrote when i was 16 and going through one of the most painful friendship shifts of my life. it was about feeling someone pull away and wishing things could just go back to the way they were.

but what came out of that heartbreak changed everything.

i talk about how writing new friends helped me process something really hard—and how the song that started from hurt ended up bringing me more connection than i ever imagined. it’s now my most-streamed song, with over 100 million views, and it’s introduced me to so many amazing people who found me because of it.

this is a reminder that sometimes the hardest moments lead to the most beautiful outcomes.

Skylar Lee and I go way back—we first met at a songwriters round a few years ago and reconnected recently after I hit her up for a Raya referral lol. In this episode, we talk about being artists from PA (home to legends like Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter), what we’ve learned from taking different paths after high school, and why chasing your dreams takes more than talent—it takes patience, grit, and speaking them out loud. We also dive into academic validation, social media pressure, and how to keep showing up, even when it feels like your progress is sometimes hard to measure. Whether you’re figuring out school, your career, or just trying to stay motivated toward the life you want—this one’s for you.

Lately I’ve been feeling this pressure to hurry up—to be further ahead in life, in my career, in everything. And honestly? I think a lot of us feel that way, even if we don’t say it out loud. In this first solo episode of New Friends, I’m opening up about how that pressure has shown up in my own life, how comparison has shaped the way I view success, and why I’ve had to remind myself that my younger self would be proud of me—even if things are taking longer than I thought they would.

This episode is short and honest—the kind of episode I want these solo ones to be: just me, sitting down and talking through what’s been on my heart lately. If there’s something you’ve been thinking about or want me to talk through in a future episode, I’d love for you to drop your questions in the comments. 💛