Thirty seconds into Grace VanderWaal’s show, I completely understood the Taylor Swift comparisons. No, it is not because they are tall, slender blondes with eyes bluer than a sunny sky, nor is it because T-Swizzle sent her flowers, years ago, and solidified the girl as a promising star. At Webster Hall, for me, what unites this rampant comparison is their ability to make intelligence feel like a sweet, meek strength.

I often talk about the accessibility of artists, of which Taylor Swift dominate swith literal listening sessions to her home. Yet, it is her presence and ability to capture how epically horrible “tweenhood” heartbreak can feel that makes her seem like the eternal songbird for women between 15 and 45. We may mock the 17 year old girl or boy presuming their life is over because their first crush has rejected them, but your first heartbreak can be your most powerful because …. IT IS YOUR FIRST! You remember your first heartbreak because it is the beginning of a life-long lesson you will learn a million times as an adult: no one has to love you back, including yourself. Tracks like “I Don’t Know My Name,” “Clearly,” “Stray,” and “Poseuer’ approach this truth with depth and simplicity.

Grace VanderWaal – Waste My Time (Official Video)

Lyrically, Grace’s lyrics are succinct and memorable, which is why her show is as much a sing-along with fellow fans as it is witnessing Grace as a performer. This young woman has a bonafide cult of love for her; powerful enough to even make Leah Remini stay away (lol!). The point is her fans adored as if she was the most iconic version of themselves. She puts her hair in little buns, stickers across her body, swings and swoons across the stage, and floats her voice as if she ships her vocals through clouds. Her high notes are ethereal, which is why when she sinkers down to talk to her fans like friends, she appears both smart and strong.

Grace VanderWaal – Clearly (Official Video)

Nowadays, vulnerability is promoted as strength, which it always was, but, because more know this, it is smart to be vulnerable. Why hide? If you want to free love within people then you have to free it within yourself, and Grace Vanderwaal is doing that. She is young, perceptive, and has the voice, in range and reason, to emote this. For More Information On Grace VanderWaal Click Here.

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