You may recognize her as Little J or Jenny Humphrey, her role from the hit TV series Gossip Girl, but 16-year-old Taylor Momsen wants to be known as a rockstar.
“I’ve been acting since I was 2,” she told Entertainment Weekly. “I don’t dislike it by any means, but it’s a job to me. Music is who I am.” True enough, she’s been spending more time with her band, The Pretty Reckless, whose debut album is coming out this summer.
The band’s first single, “Make Me Wanna Die,” is part of the soundtrack of Kick-Ass, and is available for download on iTunes. A music video is also in the works.
I listened to the single on the band’s MySpace page, and I was surprised. I was expecting another Vanessa Hudgens/Demi Lovato/Selena Gomez sound-alike. Don’t blame me for being a cynic. All teen actresses who want to branch out to music end up dressing the same way and singing the same processed pop tunes.
For a 16-year-old, Taylor has a raspy, sexy, and grownup singing style. Now I know why she’s being compared to Hole’s Courtney Love. “Make Me Wanna Die” takes a few steps away from the usual emo, punk/rock, and pop tunes that I’m frankly getting sick of.
Listen to The Pretty Reckless here. Tell me what you think about Taylor’s singing. Do you prefer Taylor Momsen the actress or Taylor the rockstar?
