Girl Pow-R want their fans to Never Let Go of who they are in their new single and video — premiering exclusively on Tinnitist.
The all-girl Toronto-area popsters are encouraging listeners to stay true to themselves and avoid the pitfalls of peer pressure and online influence in the song, which delivers its thoughtful messages with the help of an infectious melody and a bouncing dance-pop groove.
“It’s about never becoming someone you’re not, even when there is pressure from your peers and the media,” Girl Pow-R’s Kalista explains. “Young people already face challenges with knowing who they are, they don’t need the added pressure of looking like a runway model.
“The song is based off personal experiences a lot of us girls have faced. Being on Instagram and seeing all of these icons and role models having ‘perfect lives’, and going to school and seeing other kids wearing makeup, it’s hard to be yourself or feel accepted when you don’t do the same. You feel like you have to change who you are to please others.”
“Our inspiration was about when you’re forced to be someone you’re not, and how we stand above it!” adds bandmate Krisalyn, who adds that she too has personally gone through situations like those discussed in the song lyrics.
“In my case, this song could be based on a friend’s experience,” fellow Girl Pow-R member Milana rounds out, sharing how she helped her friend navigate the hurdles of overwhelming influence. “She felt pressured to change herself into someone else to fit in.
“A lot of people in our society are trying to change you to not be yourself, and to act differently to fit in. But (we say) you should Never Let Go of yourself for someone else! Be you, and be proud of who you are.”
With members ranging in ages 10 – 17, Girl Pow-R’s greatest strength lies in the diversity in their ages, backgrounds and life experiences. The universal things that join them together, however, are dynamic skill sets and a shared mission of empowerment among young women in the world today.
“I think we’re growing more,” Kalista reflects. “We’re realizing life isn’t just about having fun all day and having a good time. We’ve realized there are pressures and issues that everyone goes through, but nobody really talks about it.”
“It grew as we grew,” Krisalyn agrees, considering the lyrics and their message, compared to when Girl Pow-R started. “We are all a bit older now, and experiencing more mature situations.”
“Social media has also had an impact on us,” Milana adds, “and has increased our ability to write lyrics based on not only ours, but on our fans sharing their own stories too.”
It’s been several years now of engaging with their growing audience. Girl Pow-R first came together in 2017, and the roster of talented singers, songwriters, multi-instrumentalists and dancers grows each passing year.
The collective are also rapidly racking up experience, having won the 2017 Family Channel’s annual singing competition, and nominations for Niagara Music Awards’ Best New Group and a Toronto Independent Music Award. Having performed more than 100 shows in the last two years alone, they were hand-picked to re-create the Mysticons theme song.
Check out Never Let Go above and connect with Girl Pow-R on their website, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
