The Evolution of Grace Vanderwaal (2004 -2020)

X's and the O's, they haunt me like ghosts, they want me to make them bow. Born in January of 2004 in Lenexa, Kansas, Grace is the youngest of three children born to Tina and David Vanderwall. For her third birthday, Grace received a wireless microphone and would often perform for her family, making up the lyrics herself. And I sit down on it, then I said, what's wrong? And she said, nothing. Grace was the first singing act to win AGT performing only original songs. In an interview with People Magazine, Grace explained, I always made up silly songs when I was little. It's always been there. Just never did anything with it. But when I got the ukulele, I tried writing a little tune and my songs kept getting better. Depending on who you ask, Grace drew inspiration to learn the ukulele from either watching a video of Twenty One Pilots' Tyler Joseph or watching her Brazilian au pair play the instrument. During a 2016 interview, Grace told the Daily Beast, My sister had introduced me to Twenty One Pilots and I saw the lead singer play the ukulele, so I just had to learn it. In a 2019 interview with Ukulele Magazine, Grace explained, We had someone from Brazil stay with us and I looked up to her and thought she was really cool. She played the ukulele and I love the look and sound of it. And the second I started playing it, I picked it up really fast and loved it. For her 11th birthday, Grace asked for a ukulele, but her parents refused, thinking she'd never learn to play it. Grace then bought her own ukulele using money she received for her birthday and allowance. She taught herself to play watching YouTube videos and it wasn't long before she began to record covers and original songs, accompanying herself on ukulele and posting them to her own YouTube channel. As Grace's confidence increased, she set her sights on the show that launched Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood to stardom, American Idol. Unfortunately, the age limit for the show was 15 and Grace was not old enough to audition, but this would open the door for another talent show. The singer told Teen Vogue in 2016, We always said that when I was 15, I was going to audition for American Idol. And then one day my mom just called me downstairs and she had her laptop out and was like, I signed you up for America's Got Talent. And the next weekend I auditioned. From the moment she started singing, Grace captivated the judges and viewers with her performance of her original song, I Don't Know My Name. The performance earned Grace a standing ovation and judge Harry Mandel called Grace a living, beautiful, walking miracle before hitting the golden buzzer, sending Grace straight to the live shows. Grace continued to perform her original songs, capturing the hearts of AGT viewers with her charm and talent over the course of the show. She would go on to win season 11 of America's Got Talent, making her the second female winner and only the second child act to win in the show's history. Shortly after winning America's Got Talent, Grace signed a recording deal with Columbia Records and released her debut EP, Perfectly Imperfect. She returned to America's Got Talent to perform Frosty the Snowman during the show's Holiday Spectacular, which aired in December of 2016. In May of 2017, the 13-year-old singer won her first award, taking home Best New Artist at the Radio Disney Music Awards. The next month, Grace launched her Perfectly Imperfect EP in Japan, performing and meeting with fans there. Grace also created the Little Miracles Foundation, which brings music to school districts that don't have access to music programs due to lack of funding. She donated funds to help establish an elementary school choir in the East Ramapo School District. In addition, she also sponsored scholarships for graduating seniors from Ramapo and Spring Valley High Schools who were pursuing music. In November of 2017, Grace released her first full-length album, Just the Beginning, which debuted on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart at No. 22. Two days later, she embarked on her first solo concert tour, the Just Beginning Tour. The tour ran through February of 2018, and tickets for all 13 cities were sold out months before the first tour date. In April of 2018, Grace became the opening act for Imagine Dragons on the North American leg of their Evolve World Tour. Later that year, Grace teamed up with legendary guitar maker Fender to design two limited-edition ukuleles. Grace is the first ukulele player to have a Fender Signature model, and also the youngest. The end of 2018 saw Grace featured on two prestigious music-related lists. In November, Forbes included Grace on its 2019 30 Under 30 Music list. At 14, Grace was the youngest person ever to land on the list. Billboard Magazine also announced that Grace made its 21 Under 21 list of fast-rising music stars for the third consecutive year. The new year saw Grace releasing new music with a single and music video for her song, Stray. She explained the song was about finding your way through that unsure ground as you grow up and allowing your personality to mature with you. Grace also recorded her first soundtrack song, Hideaway, for the animated film Wonder Park. In May of 2019, the New York Senate presented Grace with the New York Senate Women of Distinction Honor in Albany, New York. Every year, the New York Senate recognizes outstanding women living and working in New York whose contributions have enriched the quality of life in their communities and beyond. Grace received the award being nominated by New York State Senator David Carlucci. In June of 2019, Grace also had the opportunity to tour with Florence and the Machine for their last four shows of their U.S. tour. In March of 2020, Grace made her acting debut in the Disney movie Stargirl. The movie is currently streaming on the Disney Plus streaming platform and Grace plays the title character, Stargirl Caraway. In December of 2020, Grace showed off a new look which she debuted on her newly created TikTok account. The change in her appearance left some fans concerned fearing the drastic change might be tied to potential mental health issues. "'I feel like I should be concerned,' wrote one fan. "'She's officially lost it,' wrote another." Other fans were excited to see the change and felt it was perfectly normal for a teenager to experiment with their appearance. Earlier in the month, Grace shared a video of herself getting her head shaved and in subsequent posts she talked about some of the struggles that had been weighing her down. In an Instagram post that has since been deleted, Grace explained, I feel like I'm finally coping with years of resentment and mental battles. I can't explain it but I've been filled with hope and motivation to get better and heal my past. I'm so excited for the future for all of us. Every day is a gift of potential progression and new beginnings. More than anything, it sounds like Grace is just experiencing the next turning point in her life as she gains wisdom and explores newfound personal freedom and independence. What do you think of Grace's new look? Let us know in the comments below and thank you for watching!