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Addison Grace

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Not to be confused with Addison Rae.

Addison Grace
Born (2001-03-21) March 21, 2001 (age 23)
California, United States
OriginSalt Lake City, Utah
Genres
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter, producer, TikToker
Instrument(s)Vocals, ukulele, guitar
Years active2017–present
LabelsLevel Music, Wally the Wall Shark
Websiteaddisongrace.xyz
TikTok information
Page
Followers3.8M
Likes121.7M
Last updated: January 1, 2023

Addison Grace (born March 21, 2001)[1] is an American singer-songwriter and online personality. Having developed a following on social media sites like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, he[a] has released two EPs, Immaturing and Things That Are Bad for Me (both 2022), and toured with artists including Cavetown, Tessa Violet, Penelope Scott, and Chloe Moriondo.

Early life

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Grace was born on March 21, 2001[1] in California, but grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah, where his family moved when he was a child.[6][3] He was raised by a single mother who encouraged her children (Addison and two older siblings) in sports and performing arts, enrolling Grace in choir, acting, and dance lessons.[2][7][8] Grace was drawn to singing at an early age, performing in various school and church choirs and auditioning for local musicals.[7][9] He was initially drawn to a Broadway career before realizing he "didn't have the vocal type for that".[10] He was also a visual artist as a child.[2] When Grace was 13, his brother brought a ukulele home from France, and Grace, having seen YouTubers use the instrument, began using it to make his own music.[7] Grace graduated high school but did not attend college, instead taking a retail job as a cashier and store manager and performing at coffee shops on the side until his music career took off.[2][9][3]

Career

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Grace created a YouTube channel in 2017, posting ukelele bedroom covers as well as original songs.[11] He also began posting music and other content to Instagram in 2018[12] and TikTok in 2019.[13] After posting a Christmas cover in which he wore a Cavetown sweatshirt (having bought it at a concert in 2019), Grace gained the attention of Alternate Side management, who helped release his 2020 debut single "Sugar Rush" with Cavetown producing.[9][11][14] Shortly afterward, Grace was signed to Warner Music Group's Level Music.[11][9] A second single, "Overthink", was released on October 30, 2020. The following year, Grace released several more singles including "Honeysuckle", "Party Killer", and "Manic Pixie Dream Girl", as well as acoustic versions of his first two singles entitled "Why I Overthink" and "I've Got A Sugar Rush". He also opened for Chloe Moriondo on her fall "Blood Bunny" tour, alongside Wallice, Penelope Scott, and Alfie Templeman.[2][15]

January 2022 saw the official single release of "I Wanna Be a Boy". The song, about Grace's discovery of his gender identity, had been a fan favorite since Grace had posted it as an acoustic demo to YouTube in December 2020; the demo reached over 500K views on YouTube,[16][4][17] while the official release reached over 1 million streams on Spotify.[18] The single's cover art is a scrapbook-style collage of photos of Grace throughout his life.[16] Another single, "Makes Me Sick", was released on March 4; it was produced by Cameron Hale (Claud, Neon Trees, Khalid) and accompanied by a music video directed by Sydney Ostrander (Chloe Moriondo, Beach Bunny),[18] and reached over 100,000 streams within two weeks of its release.[19] In the spring, Grace joined Cavetown as an opening act on his US tour alongside Tessa Violet.[20][21][11]

Grace's debut EP, Immaturing, was released on May 6, 2022, featuring "I Wanna Be a Boy" and "Makes Me Sick" alongside the singles "I Don't Wanna Fall in Love" and "Getting Used To". In July, Grace supported Penelope Scott on several dates in London during her UK tour,[22][23][24] and in August, he embarked on his first headlining tour, "The Immaturing Tour", accompanied by Sydney Rose, Kate Stephenson, and Leanna Firestone.[2][25]

In October, Grace released a new single, "Pretty Girl", produced by Andy Seltzer (Chelsea Cutler, Del Water Gap, Samia); he also announced an upcoming second EP entitled Things That Are Bad For Me.[26] A second single, "If Nobody Likes U", premiered later in the month, and the EP was released on November 11. Also in November, Grace joined Ricky Montgomery on a West Coast tour.[26]

In April 2023, Grace released the single "WW3", a protest song directed at United States Senate action surrounding the climate crisis, gun control, and LGBT rights.[27] The song was produced by Roy Kerr, who co-wrote the song with Grace and Fatherson's Ross Leighton, and was mastered by Chris Gehringer.[28] In July, Grace announced his debut album, Diving Lessons, to be released on September 29, 2023, via AWAL and co-produced by Cavetown, alongside the album's lead single "White Lie".[29][30]

Artistry and public image

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Grace's music typically occupies the indie pop and bedroom pop genres,[2][5][22] influenced by artists including Cavetown, Tessa Violet, Orla Gartland, Dodie, Taylor Swift, Phoebe Bridgers, Lizzy McAlpine, Mitski, and Rex Orange County.[6][14] He has named Swift's "Teardrops on My Guitar" as the first song that emotionally affected him: "I had this broken-down Hannah Montana guitar that was not tuned correctly, and I was like, 'Oh, my God, I can feel her emotion.'"[2] Discussing his evolution prior to the release of Immaturing, Grace said, "If you listen to [my first single] "Sugar Rush," it's this lo-fi ukulele song, and now I'm writing "I Don't Wanna Fall in Love," these hyper-pop electronic songs."[2] The latter song has also been described as "rock-leaning",[31][25] while "Makes Me Sick" incorporates a harp and acoustic guitar.[32] "Pretty Girl", the lead single from Things That Are Bad For Me, introduced a darker and more melancholy sound than Grace's previous work.[26]

Lyrically, both Grace and the media have compared his songwriting to diary entries.[2][7][6][16] Several songs are informed by Grace's queer identity; "Sugar Rush" metaphorically describes a queer awakening and first crush,[8] while "I Wanna Be a Boy" and "Pretty Girl" reflect Grace's evolving trans identity and its impact on relationships.[2][16][4][26] Other songs have dealt with anxiety and self-sabotage ("Makes Me Sick"),[2][18][19][32][33] societal ideas of romance ("I Don't Wanna Fall in Love"),[2] coming of age ("Getting Used To", "Kill The Switch"),[2][8][5] and self-acceptance ("If Nobody Likes U").[26] Grace told BroadwayWorld that the Immaturing EP was "my journey of growing up, discovering myself, and transitioning", whereas Things That Are Bad for Me was "the journey of not only learning to live with yourself but also learning to feel those difficult, gross emotions and be able to accept them."[26]

Social media use

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Grace is known for his use of social media, being active on platforms including YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Twitch, and most prominently TikTok.[2][22] As of July 2022, Grace had over 3.8 million TikTok followers, 500K on Instagram, and 200K on YouTube.[2][4][16] His TikTok account features song and tour promos, content about being a trans artist, and short unrelated humorous videos.[22] Grace's early online persona was described as "bubbly", marked by "expressiveness", "e-girl makeup and twee style",[14] while a 2022 profile described his persona as "bold, funny, utterly idiosyncratic".[5] Grace has expressed a preference for TikTok among his platforms, citing its ease of use and allowance for genuine expression.[22][6][14]

Personal life

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Grace is bisexual and a non-binary trans man who uses he/him pronouns.[2][3][4][5] Having identified as a bisexual cis woman at the beginning of his career, Grace discovered his identity while writing the song "I Wanna Be a Boy" and came out ahead of the song's official release.[11][4][16]

Grace is autistic[34][35] and has ADHD, and has often spoken about mental health online.[4][9][16] Outside of music, Grace crochets as a hobby and is known among fans for making stuffed animals, particularly sharks and frogs; his business, Wally the Wall Shark, is named for his stuffed shark.[2] He has a tattoo above his knee of a lyric from the Phoebe Bridgers song "Graceland Too", which he performed while touring with Cavetown.[3] He owns an adopted cat named Killua.[34]

During the George Floyd protests in 2020, Grace participated in Blackout Tuesday, encouraging followers to vote in upcoming elections and donate to a list of progressive and anti-racist organizations, including the Minnesota Freedom Fund, the Innocence Project, Reclaim the Block, and Black Lives Matter.[36][37] In March 2022, following a series of legislation in Florida and Texas targeting LGBT youth such as the "Don't Say Gay" bill, Grace tweeted that he was "nauseatingly sick" of such legislation and to "keep speaking up against each one".[38] Speaking to GoPride.com the following month, he said, "There are a lot of issues that I care about like global warming and the insane amount of attacks that are happening to transgender kids around the country. It is heartbreaking and still hurts even though it is not affecting the state where I live now. It is saying that someone does not deserve to feel comfortable in their body. I want to be able to be a voice for those kids."[3]

Discography

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EPs

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  • Immaturing (2022)
  • Things That Are Bad for Me (2022)

Studio albums

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  • Diving Lessons (2023)

Singles

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Year Song Album Producer(s) Writer(s)
2020 "Sugar Rush" non-album single Cavetown Addison Grace
"Overthink" Addison Grace Addison Grace & Elie Rizk
2021 "Honeysuckle" Addison Grace & Charli Adams
"Party Killer" Addison Grace
"Manic Pixie Dream Girl" Addison Grace & Pete Robertson Addison Grace & Charli Adams
"Why I Overthink" Addison Grace Addison Grace & Elie Rizk
"I've Got a Sugar Rush" (ft. Sydney Rose) Cavetown Addison Grace
2022 "I Wanna Be a Boy" Immaturing Jake Aaron
"Makes Me Sick" Cameron Hale Cameron Hale & Addison Grace
"Getting Used To" Addison Grace (as Wally the Wall Shark) Michael Hart & Addison Grace
"I Don't Wanna Fall in Love" Addison Grace, Cameron Hale Lazar & Lucas Arens
"Pretty Girl" Things That Are Bad For Me Andy Seltzer Addison Grace, Andy Seltzer & Charli Adams
"If Nobody Likes U" Cameron Hale Addison Grace & Robyn Dell'Unto
"Valerie" Jake Aron Addison Grace & Charli Adams
2023 "WW3" non-album single Roy Kerr Roy Kerr, Addison Grace, Ross Leighton
"White Lie" Diving Lessons Cameron Hale Addison Grace
"SLIME!" Cavetown

Music videos

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Year Title Director
2020 "Sugar Rush" Addison Grace
"Overthink"
2021 "Honeysuckle"
"Party Killer"
"Manic Pixie Dream Girl"
2022 "Makes Me Sick" Sydney Ostrander
"Pretty Girl"
"If Nobody Likes U"
2023 "White Lie"
"SLIME!"

Notes

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  1. ^ Grace uses he/him and they/them pronouns.[2][3][4][5] This article uses he/him pronouns for consistency.

References

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  1. ^ a b Addison Grace [@graceful.addison] (March 21, 2019). "Happy 18th birthday to meee!!! 🎉🎊 Thank you all for supporting me and for going through my journey with me. It means the absolute world to me! 💕". Retrieved December 31, 2022 – via Instagram.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Riggs, Jonathan (July 29, 2022). "Addison Grace Talks Transition From TikTok to Indie Pop Artist". Shondaland. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Nunn, Jerry. "Singer Addison Grace gives good advice". GoPride.com. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Moseley, Rebekah (January 31, 2022). "Addison Grace and Gender Identity in "I Wanna Be a Boy"". Glasse Factory. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d e Pearson, Alex (April 27, 2022). "TikTok sensation Addison Grace releases bittersweet indie pop". IndieCentralMusic. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  6. ^ a b c d Staff (February 14, 2022). "Addison Grace Explores Gender Through Songwriting And Shares The Song That Led Him Home To Himself, "I Wanna Be A Boy"". Mundane Magazine. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  7. ^ a b c d Williams, Brittney (November 29, 2022). "Interview with....TikTok bedroom pop artist Addison Grace". The Reclusive Blogger. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  8. ^ a b c Anderson, Tori (July 17, 2022). "Solo Musician Interview: Addison Grace". Off the Record. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
  9. ^ a b c d e Pearson, Alex (June 10, 2022). "'I want people to not be so scared': Addison Grace". abridged. No. 4. IndieCentralMusic. pp. 26–33. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  10. ^ Zhao, Ming (October 25, 2022). "Rising Music Star Addison Grace of Wally The Wall Shark On The Five Things You Need To Shine In The Music Industry". Authority Magazine. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
  11. ^ a b c d e Fuller, Whit (May 5, 2022). "Addison Grace Is a Local Queer Musician Whose Voice Is Stronger Than Ever". The Daily Utah Chronicle. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
  12. ^ Addison Grace [@graceful.addison] (July 9, 2018). "💫Till Kingdom Come – Coldplay💫 Here's a tired voice quick cover of this amazing song..." Retrieved December 16, 2022 – via Instagram.
  13. ^ Grace, Addison (August 13, 2019). "Regaining the confidence my toxic ex tried to take: day one #foryou #f..." TikTok. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
  14. ^ a b c d Russell, Erica (November 24, 2020). "The Double Life of TikTok Star Addison Grace". Level. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
  15. ^ Addison Grace [@graceful.addison] (September 15, 2021). "hello!! we have some new peeps joining on @chloemoriondo 's tour since our pal @thomasheadon won't be able to make it :,( i'll still be playing all the same shows so get excited for @wallice @jack1ehayes & @penelope_creature_scott :^) go to addisongrace.xyz/tour for tix". Retrieved December 16, 2022 – via Instagram.
  16. ^ a b c d e f g Major, Michael (January 24, 2022). "TikTok Star Addison Grace Releases New Single 'I Wanna Be A Boy'". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
  17. ^ McArthur, Amanda (January 26, 2022). "Addison Grace Reveals How Writing 'I Wanna Be a Boy' Was an Important Act of Self-Discovery". Sweety High. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
  18. ^ a b c Major, Michael (March 4, 2022). "TikTok Star Addison Grace Shares Second Single 'Makes Me Sick'". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
  19. ^ a b Goldberg, Alyssa (March 16, 2022). "Addison Grace welcomes love in bittersweet single "Makes Me Sick"". Melodic Magazine. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
  20. ^ Leatherman, Jim (April 3, 2022). "Everyone we saw at Tessa Violet, Addison Grace and Cavetown's show at Orlando's House of Blues". Orlando Weekly. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
  21. ^ Rueffert, Ella (April 6, 2022). "Cavetown's Atlanta Show Was Anything But Sour". Melodic Magazine. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
  22. ^ a b c d e Stanley, Grace (July 12, 2022). "4 million followers and one EP later, Addison Grace successfully used the power of TikTok to market their music". Passionfruit. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  23. ^ Addison Grace [@gracefuladdison] (June 1, 2022). "excited to say i'm joining penelope scott on her london shows next month!! thanks for letting me join :) and see you soon london!" (Tweet). Retrieved December 31, 2022 – via Twitter.
  24. ^ "Penelope Scott Setlist at The Grace, London". setlist.fm. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  25. ^ a b Frazer, Neill (June 28, 2022). "INsiders Guide: Addison Grace, MNYS, Julian Marley, Duke Deuce, Bethany, BEX, ELEPHANTE, ANNIKA WELLS, AG CLUB, Method Man..." OutLoud! Culture. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  26. ^ a b c d e f Major, Michael (October 7, 2022). "Addison Grace Announces Sophomore EP & Shares New Single". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
  27. ^ Polo, Maximillian (April 7, 2023). "Addison Grace Delivers a Gen Z Rallying Cry in "WW3"". Ones to Watch. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  28. ^ Addison Grace [@graceful.addison] (April 7, 2023). "HELLO !!! my new song "WW3" is out everywhere now !! i want to give a big thank you to everyone who worked on this one with me. thank you to @rossleighton & @royekerr for helping me cowrite this and for getting all my big emotions and thoughts into words!!! ..." Retrieved April 9, 2023 – via Instagram.
  29. ^ Major, Michael (July 27, 2023). "ADDISON GRACE Announces Debut Album 'Diving Lessons' & Shares Lead Single". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  30. ^ Grey, Charlie (July 29, 2023). "New Melissa Etheridge, Brooke Candy, and More on This Week's Queer Music Mixtape". INTO. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  31. ^ Miller, Jen (June 7, 2022). "Addison Grace Shares Debut EP". Girl Gang Music. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  32. ^ a b Bright, Kenzie (March 5, 2022). "Addison Grace — Makes Me Sick". EUPHORIA. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  33. ^ Daw, Stephen (March 4, 2022). "First Out: New Music From G Flip, Michelle, Alex the Astronaut & More". Billboard. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  34. ^ a b Grace, Addison (March 17, 2023). "Replying to @red.violet.sky hi i'm addison grace #greenscreen #trans #lgbtq #SeeHerGreatness". TikTok. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  35. ^ Addison Grace [@gracefuladdison] (January 6, 2023). "autistic hot take: eating w/ big spoon > eating with little spoon" (Tweet). Retrieved March 18, 2023 – via Twitter.
  36. ^ Addison Grace [@graceful.addison] (June 2, 2020). "#blackouttuesday". Retrieved December 21, 2022 – via Instagram.
  37. ^ Grace, Addison (@graceful.addison) (June 2, 2020). "#blackouttuesday". TikTok. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  38. ^ Addison Grace [@gracefuladdison] (March 10, 2022). "nauseatingly sick of all these anti-trans/LGBTQ laws against teens popping up everywhere but not as much as i'm sure the queer teens in these states are. it's disgusting. please, if you can, keep speaking up against each one" (Tweet). Retrieved December 21, 2022 – via Twitter.
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