Emmy-nominated actress Mckenna Grace, best known for her role as Phoebe Spengler in “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” (2021), started her music career with her debut single “Haunted House” in the same year.
Grace said she wrote “Haunted House” when she was having a rough time during the pandemic, according to Entertainment Tonight. It’s about an ended relationship that can be taken in different directions. This was co-written with Lily Kincade, an actress and writer.
In 2022, Grace wrote four more singles: “do all my friends hate me?,” “You Ruined Nirvana,” “Post Party Trauma” and “Self Dysmorphia.” “do all my friends hate me?” is similar to “Haunted House” because she wrote it when she was at a low point in her life, according to Genius. In this song she sings about her insecurities and anxiety because none of her friends were texting her back. This was co-written with songwriters Kanner, Jenna Andrews and Cody Tarpley.
“You Ruined Nirvana” is a fun song with a 2000’s vibe, according to Girls’ Life magazine. Grace wanted listeners to have that feeling of thinking of a past situation while listening to a song. With this track, she wanted to get into pop rock and embrace a fierce side, referencing Green Day and Arctic Monkeys.
“Self Dysmorphia” is about Grace’s struggle with scoliosis and other body issues, according to pmstudio.com. She compared herself to others on social media and to hurtful comments she got about her acting, appearance and voice. With the song, she wants to help listeners feel like they aren’t alone.
“Post Party Trauma” is about feeling anxious at parties like dressing up fancy and talking to people, Grace said to Under the Radar magazine. This song played at the end of the “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” however it wasn’t written for the movie.
After those four singles, in 2023 Grace released her first EP “Bittersweet 16,” which includes “Post Party Trauma” as the sixth track on the album. It also includes singles “Ugly Crier” and “Checkered Vans,” and Grace sees it as a little time capsule, according to People’s magazine. The songs are about her personal life and how she’s dealt with heartbreak in a pop punk vibe.
After “Bittersweet 16,” Grace came out with “Casual Kisser,” which is about Grace’s experience with relationships, according to Girls’ Life magazine. She’s not someone who just kisses someone or dates someone without a reason. She wants the relationship to mean something, so she leaned toward the idea of telling a story like Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version).”
After the single, Grace made a second EP called “Autumn Leaves” that features five tracks that tell the story of how she got her heart broken. She wanted this to feel cinematic with a cozy, sad fall vibe while they listen to her be vulnerable with her emotions, according to Offcultured. She calls songwriting her therapy.
Besides writing music for herself, Grace wrote the song “Bark to the Beat” with rapper blackbear for “PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie” (2023), where she voiced Skye. She’s also been featured on the song “No love left for me” by George Wilson.
Recently, Grace released “Natalie” last month about her friendship with Xochitl Gomez who debuted the character America Chavez in “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” according to Forbes magazine. Grace was jealous of how beautiful Gomez was so she made a song about her love for Gomez as a friend, asking her how to be beautiful like her.
With her passion for storytelling through music, Grace has grown to be a strong singer and songwriter. She transports listeners to think about their past or current relationships by telling stories and hopefully she will continue to do so with future releases.