- What is your songwriting process
and does it change depending on the genre
that you have to write for?
- I think what makes a songwriter, a great songwriter,
is somebody who is not just putting their own emotions
and validity onto somebody else.
It's taking somebody else's emotions
and making them honest,
even more honest, and making them even more,
I think, just relatable to the world,
because you're taking pieces of them,
not pieces of you, and just slapping them onto an artist.
- Right, right. - Anytime I'm doing a song,
it's Tayla-made.
You know what I mean?
This is specifically for you.
- Let's start from the beginning.
Where did you grow up?
And tell me a little bit about your childhood.
- Man, people, like - when people hear kind of the story,
they're like, "Man, how old are you?"
"Like, 40 or 50 years old?"
But, it's actually, I've been working
since I was, like, 9 years old.
It's just one of those things to where my curiosity
kept leading me to one thing after the other.
I'm from Dallas, Texas.
I come from a very musical family,
but they're not in entertainment at all.
They're very, very shy.
But it was something that - I was really, really lucky
because I had both my family
and then also mentors like Debbie Allen
and Babyface along the way that really,
really helped cultivate that natural ability
and turned it into something. I was like, "OK,
"I'm a student of my craft and we're gonna keep going,
"I guess."
And then all of a sudden, my parents were like,
"OK, we're gonna just make the big move."
They picked up their entire life and came out to L.A.
for me. And it was something, like, I'm really,
really blessed to have parents that believed in it enough
to take a risk.
'Cause that's a massive risk
that you're doing, uprooting your family.
And then next thing you know,
I was doing 'Hairspray' and that was my first big, major,
you know, film. And 'True Jackson, VP,'
which led me into the Nickelodeon phase,
which I didn't realize that I would meet friends
that would last a lifetime,
you know, and we would see each other on the other side.
- How did you ended up making that transition
from acting to a point where singing
and songwriting became a bigger part
of your creative process,
your creative outlet?
- I had a moment where I was like,
I want to just kind of be behind the scenes
and I want to discover who I am, you know?
I don't wanna play roles anymore, for a minute.
I just want to be me and kind of get back to the music.
And from then, it just kind of opened up my entire world
to songwriting, to singing for my own self,
but I think more so for songwriting and producing.
I just dove into it and I dove into it deep.
- When you were 17 years old,
you were in a major professional songwriting session.
How does a girl who's 17 years old
end up in a room with the likes of folks like J.Lo?
- Man, the very first session I can remember, you know,
being like, "I'm surrounded by all of these people
"who do this."
You know what I mean? And I'm used to writing in my bedroom.
You know what I mean?
I'm used to not having an engineer,
I'm used to recording myself, and writing all these lyrics,
and not having a co-writer.
But this was something that, I think,
before the J.Lo session,
it was me saying,
OK, when I was in the studio with Babyface
and Tony Dixon and, you know, Khris Tynes
and Leon Thomas,
I think that was the biggest scary session for me
because you have all of these men,
you know what I mean?
And I'm a young female and these are iconic,
you know, songwriters and producers.
And so, that was my first lesson in learning,
"OK. Tayla, if you're in this room,
"you're in this room for a reason.
"And this reason in particular is to learn."
I'm a student enough of my craft
to be able to be great at this eventually,
you know, if I work with the right people,
the right artists, and everything like that.
So my J.Lo session, it was interesting because
it was the first, like, major artist,
you know? And I was like, of course, this is J.Lo.
- What was that first big placement for you?
- My first major placement.
I think the one that,
you know, I still count it as, like, one of the
major successes of my career
because it's still doing its thing to this day,
is "Boss" by Fifth Harmony.
When you first sign a deal,
everybody talks about radio and, you know,
all of these other things.
But they don't tell you about sync and licensing,
and how amazing that can be for a writer.
You know, so I had a lot of peers
that were always struggling,
like, just to have a radio Top 10 hit, you know?
But I was seeing the success from what a song
that maybe might not be the most popular song
actually still do really well.
And it's still doing really well to this day.
It gave me clarity as to,
oh, OK, so, there's lots of different, you know,
ideas of success regarding publishing in the music business,
when it comes to songwriting.
And that for me, personally, is my idea of success.
You know, not how the song shoots up and down
in a day or two or whatever. That's great.
But I think longevity is the thing that anybody
in our industry should be seeking towards.
- You've written from R&B to pop to country.
Like, you've written across genres.
What is your songwriting process overall,
and does it change depending on the genre
that you have to write for?
- Oh, it definitely changes per artist.
- Mmm. - Because when I'm going in
and I'm getting to know an artist,
I really wanna know, how do you work?
I know how I work, I work by listening,
you know, and then I speak.
You wanna make sure
that you're putting out those words and those melodies
and those things that that person would say.
It's not about me, in that instance, as a songwriter.
But I also don't think that, which is also
sometimes a new trend that's happening right now,
I don't think that an artist should write
just to say they wrote a song.
You know what I mean? Because what our job is,
I think, as any type of artist, is to have the best songs.
What are we doing to make sure that this song is getting,
first of all, the best artist singing it?
You know what I mean?
Are these the best lyrics that they could be?
Is this the best melody?
Because this is about the music,
you know, and when you start adding ego into saying,
"Well, I have to write this."
That's not about the song, then that's about you.
And I think any artist, any true artist,
it needs to be about the music. It just has to be.
- From a distance,
it seems like there is no ego involved whatsoever
when it comes to your relationship with Ariana.
Like, you and Ariana Grande, the way you guys work together,
the way you hear the songs, the authenticity there,
you can tell there's true friendship
that brings these things together.
What was your first meeting like
when you met sis, and what was your first placement
on one of her projects?
- Our first meeting was on a Nickelodeon set.
So, we were in completely different places
in our lives.
And we were fans of [each other] even before we met.
She had liked the movie 'Hairspray,'
I liked what she did in '13,'
and, you know, I saw a play she was in
and it was incredible.
Years later, after that, it would be "My Everything"
would be the first record that we did together.
And then it'll be another few years
until we worked again on, "Thank U, Next."
But I think the most exciting thing about it
is, yeah, there is no ego in the room.
Like, if she hates an idea, she can tell me she hates it.
And I'm like, "OK, well, let's find a great one."
If I hate an idea, I'm like, "OK, we can make this better.
"How do we do it this way?"
And she's down with that.
And I think that that's what makes
any type of real friendship work, period,
let alone collaborating.
You need to make sure that you're
in the room with honest people
and people who aren't afraid to be honest with you.
- That's a fact.
And you said it, like, the time goes passed,
you guys end up working on "Thank U, Next."
And I need you to clear up a rumor for me,
because birdie tells me that there are multiple versions,
or at least there were multiple versions of "Thank U, Next."
- Yes, there were multiple versions -
- That's true? - Because, at the time,
you know, it was a very, like, we were going back and forth.
Sometimes it was this, sometimes it was that.
Did we wanna use the names?
Do we not wanna use the names?
Are you gonna be married?
Are you not gonna be married?
Like, so, it was like,
how do we make sure that, no matter what happens,
that this is the most honest song to you?
And then we ended up going with the right version.
You know, the right version
that was meant to be out there in the world.
- Did she record those other versions?
Like, just in case? - Yeah.
Yeah, we just did them.
We, like, knocked them all out.
We were like, "OK, these are gonna be the lyric changes
"that we do."
And this is gonna be this, and this is gonna be this.
So it was just, like, they were small lyric changes.
They weren't massive,
but they were ones that would have changed
a lot of what the song meant.
You know what I mean? Just those few lyrics.
- Fast forward, you end up working on about five records
on 'Positions.'
Tell me about your relationship with the team of writers
that, you know, collaborated on 'Thank U, Next'
and on 'Positions.'
- Yes, it was a very interesting way of doing it
with 'Positions' and 'Thank U, Next'
because we weren't really together like that.
It was during quarantine.
So I think the thing that is nice for all of us
is to know that we were able to collaborate
in a completely different way this time around
and still be extremely proud of the work.
You know what I mean?
We also saw Ariana really, really take the driver's seat
this record, as well, which was like,
obviously something that we knew,
because we know her
and we know those capabilities.
But I think that a lot more people are seeing it now
because it was done over quarantine,
you know, so, everybody was just in a mindset,
I think, that we've all grown since that record.
And so, it was just nice to be able
to look to our left and right this time and be like,
"Wow, OK, we're growin', y'all." And we're gonna make sure
we show that growth with the music, as well.
- I love when Ariana's belting those things out,
where you get to see that vocal range,
when you hear it on records like "POV."
And then, you got the fun records,
like "34+35," that the fans just rock with crazy.
Like, who came up with that concept?
That's a unique way to talk about something
that's very, very grown.
- Yes, yes.
♪ "34+35 by Ariana Grande ♪
As far as I know, that was Ariana's concept
because it was just one of those thing, I was like "34, 35?
"Oh, got it."
[Laughs] You know what I mean?
And then it was just a matter of being like, "OK,
"how do we make sure that this is said in the right way?"
You know what I mean? Because, obviously, we know
that she's getting a little grown and sexy on 'em.
So how do we do it in the right way?
I definitely think that a major kind of secret weapon
that me and [Victoria Monet] and Tommy [Brown] had
while working on both 'Thank U, Next' and 'Positions'
was the trust within the artist, first of all,
that they could actually be open enough
to give us the real deal.
I don't want the political answers,
you know what I mean?
I want to know how you feel,
you know what I mea?
I know where you were in the last project
and all those things, but how have you grown,
you know what I mean, since then? Let's get into that.
You know what I mean? So I think that
that was our secret weapon,
is being able to have those honest conversations,
and sometimes you can't - you can't do it.
And also, we're around the same age
and we're both females.
So it's just one of those things
of just a different perspective, you know, on life.
And that's one thing that I think helped us out a lot.
It was less method acting
than I would've had to do for another artist, you know?
- On the real.
You know, I wanna get to your project,
but before you released 'We Need To Talk,'
you ended off 2018 with three songs in the Top 10.
- Mmm. - What was that season like?
And then, how did you make the decision to transition
from this crazy spot that you're in,
where you've got three songs on the Billboard charts,
and then you know that it's time for you
to release your own project and get your music out there
from your perspective?
- Well, it was definitely a slow start for me.
So I started off with the 'Tayla Made' mixtape,
and we had Khalid and Syd on it, you know?
And that was the thing, that it was released independently,
and I just wanted to see,
"OK, what is our, what is our voice?"
Let's, "Mm, mm, mm."
Let's just clear the throat a little bit.
And that was what my 'Tayla Made' mixtape was.
Then, it was, OK, we've grown a little bit more,
and I'm interested in this kind of music now
and that kind of music now.
And also, I'm at a time in my life where
I was really, really, like, satisfied
with the artists that I was writing with.
I knew that I was working with artists that pushed me,
as both as an artist and a writer,
and a creative overall,
and also, people that just inspired me.
You know what I mean?
And they were inspiring me saying,
"You need to put out your own projects.
"It's about that time."
You know what I mean?
And I was always kind of like,
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
"When it's the time, I'll know when it's the time."
- Right. - And so, I always wanted
to make sure that it was happening naturally,
regarding my project.
So 'We Need To Talk' was really my first,
first official, we'll call it, entrance into my artistry.
- When I look at 'Coping Mechanisms,'
one of the songs I really vibe with was "System."
Probably the most toxic one,
where you going out and you partying to stop
thinking about somebody, get them out your system. - Yes.
♪ "System" by Tayla Parx ♪
And the visual is just so fun.
I saw those dance moves coming.
That's why I was surprised
when you said you weren't a dancer,
you know, at first.
- The visuals are extremely important
because I think the thing
that differentiates a singer from an artist
is what are you doing overall as an artist, you know?
What is the artistic value
that you're doing outside of your instrument, your voice?
You know what I mean?
How are you showing people?
How are you inviting people?
How are you making it into an experience overall?
And even, you know,
in the very, very beginning of, like, touring,
I was like, "Well, we're gonna have to put some cacti
on this stage, OK?" [Laughs]
We gon' have to get on it because my set and my music
don't sound like a little black box.
You know what I mean?
People can say it's doing the most,
but I think that when it's adding
to your art and when it goes into that story
that you're trying to tell people,
it's just as important as the music.
You know what what I mean?
It's just as important as the words
that are coming out of your mouth.
For me, personally, I show people who I am.
I show people who I am through my fashion.
I show people who I am through the different things
that I choose to buy.
I show people who I am in every little thing
that there is, just because I feel like, what's the point,
you know, if I'm not showing you who I am,
authentically? And also,
I'm also honest about the fact that it changes over time.
But look, I'm gonna be evolving anyway,
and you might as well be a part of that
and be there, you know, to witness it with me.
- What do you see for your future,
for the future of your career?
What do you want your legacy to be
when it's all said and done?
- Man, that is a really, really, really good question.
I think that when I'm long gone,
I want my legacy to be seen in the way
that the music industry works, regarding the business
you know what I mean, and creative.
I want my legacy to be a part of the next artist saying,
"No, I actually know a little bit about my business.
"I actually know a little bit about this.
"I'm actually taking my career into my own hands
"and building strong teams around me to do so."
'Cause I feel like a lot of people take this
away from artists.
And they're just like,
"You just worry about the other stuff.
"We'll worry about this."
And that is something that has always irked me
from the very, very beginning
because if we can actually start taking care
of our creatives in a better way,
we can have better art and we can have better music.
We can have better directors.
We can have better actresses.
We can have all of those things,
but we're not taking care of our artists
and that's just the simple facts of it.
And so, that's the legacy that I would like to leave
is just more artists knowing you don't have
to just sit back and just say,
"This is how the business is."
You don't have to do that.
You could be a part of the trailblazers,
you know, that say,
"Look, take what I'm doing and add another 10 steps to it."