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Grace VanderWaal rose to fame when she appeared on America’s Got Talent at 12 years old; now 20, the singer is looking back and reflecting on her experience on the NBC talent show.
Speaking to TikToker David Carmi for his Confidence Heist video series, VanderWaal was stopped on a New York City street and asked what makes her confident.
“Having somewhere to go makes you look confident because you’re just in a rush,” she said, noting how she likes going “shopping” and “to dinner.”
Carmi then asked about her “biggest struggle,” especially as someone who was thrust into the limelight at such a young age.
“I honestly felt like it helped me as a person because it threw me into scrutiny,” she explained. “And just kinda forced me to sink or swim.”
When asked what her secret is to becoming a more confident person, VanderWaal stated, “Just accept who you are and don’t try to be anyone… ew, that’s so corny, but it’s true… focus on your strengths.”
@confidenceheist Going against your fears, is what builds confidence #confidenceheist #inspiringwithconfidence #davidcarmi #nyc #gracevanderwaal #gracevanderwaaledit #gracevanderwaalfan #confidence #overcomefear #confident ♬ original sound – David Carmi
As for her advice to her younger self, the former reality show star said, “Don’t trust everyone.”
VanderWaal won the 11th season of AGT in 2016, where she performed a number of her original songs. At the time, judge Simon Cowell called her “the next Taylor Swift.” She’d go on to sign with Columbia Records and Syco Music, releasing the EP Perfectly Imperfect in December 2016 and her first album Just the Beginning in November 2017.
In a 2022 interview with E! News, VanderWaal reflected on the Swift comparison, saying, “Looking back, I have definitely faced the mental repercussions of that growing up,. I keep learning about how to take care of myself better and my biggest thing recently is just acknowledging your triggers.”
She added, “I’ve been doing this for so long that you get desensitized to hate online. I went through a ton of hate online when I was really young. I’m happy it happened though because it prepared me for this life.”
In 2020, VanderWaal made her acting debut in the Disney+ jukebox musical romance film Stargirl. She then appeared in its sequel, Hollywood Stargirl, in 2022. She will next be seen in Francis Ford Coppola‘s epic science fiction drama film Megalopolis, scheduled for release on September 27, 2024.
