Rising songstress Lucy Cloud is out with a reflective single just in time for Mental Health Awareness Month.
The 18-year-old’s introspective pop tune “Crash and Learn” is so much more than any other breakthrough melody–it’s an empowering self-love anthem that encourages audiences to take frequent breaks. In a fast-paced society that often glorifies hustle culture, Cloud’s song serves as a much needed reminder to embrace the rollercoaster of life without setting rigid expectations.
“‘Crash and Learn’ is about accepting that it is okay to focus on your mental health. You can only bottle up everything going on in your life for so long – until you explode,” Cloud says in a press release. “It’s about feeling all of your emotions and realizing you have the strength within to get through difficult situations.”
As a university freshman hailing from Los Angeles, Cloud recently signed with Jonas Group Entertainment where she’s managed by music icon Kevin Jonas, Sr. Although it may seem like she’s had a rapid rise to fame, Cloud admits she endured a fair share of crashing and learning.
To paint a visual scene about growing from past mistakes, Cloud stars in a music video that accompanies her breakout single. Set in a rustic and isolated room, Cloud plays a few notes on the piano while a ballerina dances circles around her. “She represents all of the hardships and obstacles that I have gone through,” Cloud says. “The ballerina also symbolizes the voice inside my head that’s inspiring and motivating me to embrace my emotions and push through.”
Since launching on March 25, the emotive music video has already garnered over 120k YouTube views and counting. In celebration of the milestone moment, Cloud took over our Instagram account where she shared live answers to your burning questions. If you didn’t make it out to the live discussion, then you’re in luck because we followed up with Cloud in an exclusive Q & A via email.
To discover more about Cloud’s backstage secrets and inner motivations, be sure to check out our full interview below. Then, let us know if you plan on adding “Crash & Learn” to your go-to playlist anytime soon by tweeting @celebsecrets or leaving a reaction at the end of this post.
Celeb Secrets: What are some of the lived experiences that inspired you to write the lyrics for “Crash and Learn?”
Lucy Cloud: “I pulled inspiration from certain experiences I have had these past couple of years – for example, losing developed relationships with people I deeply cared for. I’ve learned that you are going to make mistakes and you can’t be too hard on yourself because you can learn from those experiences.”
CS: Did you ever face any challenges while opening up about the times you personally ‘crashed and learned’ amid the songwriting process?
LC: “I definitely faced some challenges as I allowed myself to feel the emotions that I had been pushing down. It is a bittersweet experience talking and writing about what you have faced and admitting the times you have messed up. Overall, I think the song is empowering, so it was good to be able to talk about everything that is happening in my life whether it be good or bad.”
CS: What are some of the highlights of working with Seth Mosley and Justin Morgan to produce the new song?
LC: “I always have an inspiring time when I work with Seth [Mosley] and Justin [Morgan]. ‘Crash and Learn’ actually came from our first writing session together, and a highlight is simply having the opportunity to write with such incredible people. They are so genuine and they want the music to portray exactly what the artist is feeling. It was comforting being able to talk about my experiences with them, and it was cool to see how they could relate to what I had been or am still going through.”
CS: We know you feel truly motivated by several strong women in the music industry. Was there a particular songstress who moved you to write “Crash and Learn?”
LC: “Noah Cyrus has constantly been an artist that I look up to and I have been very inspired by her song, ‘Lonely.’ It has a beautiful choir in it which is something I wanted to capture in my own song. We actually created our choir with just three voices – myself, Seth [Mosley], and Justin [Morgan].”
CS: In what ways do you think this new single will resonate with your fans?
LC: “I think that listeners will be able to relate to the emotions that are in this song. I hope that they will be able to resonate with the idea that they are not alone. I’m only 18 years old so I am constantly learning from my mistakes, and I hope listeners will understand that what they go through does not define them but that they can grow from their mistakes.”
CS: What’s the story behind your music video for “Crash and Learn?”
LC: “The video shows me playing the piano and artistically expressing my emotions as the ballerina comforts my healing. The ballerina symbolizes the voice inside my head that’s inspiring and motivating me to embrace my feelings and push through the hardships I face.”
CS: Did the pandemic create any additional challenges in the filming process for the music video?
LC: “We were very mindful of following all CDC protocols while shooting with a very small crew. It was a large space, so we were able to spread out and keep masked when possible. I’m so grateful for the crew who not only worked fast, but made everyone feel comfortable and safe on set.”
CS: If you could only pick one moment, what would you rank as your absolute favorite part of filming the “Crash and Learn” video?
LC: “My favorite part of the filming process was actually being able to watch the ballerina. She is extremely talented and it is so inspiring to see her literally feel the song that I wrote. The fact that she is able to relay the same emotion that the song holds in dance is absolutely amazing to me. It is so encouraging to see another artist be motivated by my music.”
CS: How do you hope your friends and family members will react when they listen to this song?
LC: “I hope that everyone will appreciate the work that went into this song because it definitely took a lot of energy mentally, as I tried to write about my own mental health. I hope my friends and family will also be proud of me and how I have turned my hardships into something beautiful.”
CS: More than anything else, what’s the number one message you hope audience members walk away with after listening to “Crash and Learn?”
LC: “I really want people to understand the importance of mental health and that you can’t rush healing – healing takes time. The song is me talking to my younger self, and listeners, about what I’ve learned. It is also me accepting that I am not okay all of the time, and I deserve the healing process. In addition, it’s about appreciating the little wins even when things are falling apart in your life.”
CS: Since we’re Celeb Secrets, do you have any behind-the-scenes secrets from making “Crash and Learn” that we wouldn’t know when listening to it/watching the music video?
LC: “The warehouse we filmed in had no heating and we shot right when there was an unexpected snowstorm in Nashville. The town was basically shutdown from the weather and it was freezing. I was putting on sweatpants, using hand warmers, and find any heat I could between takes.”
