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Grammy Award-winning, singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat returns with a brand new EP, Gypsy Heart and a powerful new music video in which she makes a powerful statement about unfair beauty ideals by shunning hair and make-up. Here, we talk to Caillat about the man (yup!) who inspired the song, the impact of Photoshop, and why all women hate the way they look in photographs:
How did the idea for your brand new single and video, “Try,” come about?
I went into the recording studio with Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds and I told him that I was getting a lot of pressure to be someone I’m not, both musically and image-wise. Although I don’t want to do it, I’m just going to make these people happy. He started laughing, and said, we’re not going to do that. That’s not you, and that’s ridiculous of them to ask. That right there gave me the creative freedom. He said, “Let’s write about exactly what they’re asking you to do—to change yourself." We started checking off all these things that all of us girls do everyday to get ready to go out. I told him that before coming to the studio I wanted to look pretty so I had my nails done, I made sure I had the best outfit on, I had my hair and makeup artist come over and make me look all polished. And the thing is that I like myself when I’m not that way, but I feel like other people might not like me that way. And I know that most women go through that. When you have blemishes on your skin, gain weight, or my friend has crooked teeth, or my mom’s roots are going gray. And everyone is trying to hide their faults from each other when we all have it. So Babyface inspired me to write this and it’s all from a personal experience.