Storm Reid has stepped into music with her debut single "Clean Sweep," a pop and R&B track released through her independent label, 1720 Music. The 22-year-old actress has been working on music for the past eight months and says the release is just the start.
Reid spoke with The Hollywood Reporter about the new direction while on location in Oklahoma City, where she is shooting the indie coming-of-age thriller Hot Year.
She did not start out thinking music performance was in her future. "I didn't necessarily think that I could become an artist myself," she said. The shift came gradually, through informal sessions in the studio with friends. "I started going to the studio, playing around with friends and making records that were very unserious," she said. "But it reaffirmed to me that I really love being in the studio and I really love making music."
Reid describes her approach as exploratory. She resists being placed in a single genre. "I've been really trying to find my sound and giving myself permission to have fun and not wait for anybody else to give me permission," she said.
She chose "Clean Sweep" as her first release based on a gut reaction she could not ignore. "Every time I hear it, I cannot stop moving and reciting the lyrics. You don't really always get that feeling with the songs you make," she said. She added that the response from others confirmed the choice. "You don't really get a visceral reaction every time, and every time I listened to 'Clean Sweep' or had other people listen, they would really enjoy it."
By her own count, she already has 27 or 28 completed songs. None of them sound the same, she said. Some studio days come with a clear mission. Others she described as sessions where she will just "vibe out" and see what happens.
The release also comes at a moment of transition. Euphoria, the HBO series where Reid played Gia, the younger sister of Zendaya's character Rue, recently ended. Reid did not appear in the show's final season. She did not elaborate on the circumstances but was direct about her feelings for the project. "I love Euphoria," she said. "I will be forever indebted to Gia."
She acknowledged that audiences are used to seeing her through the lens of her acting roles and wants music to offer a fuller picture. "[People] don't really know me, especially if they don't follow me on social media," she said. "[The music]'s really an opportunity to get to know me a little better."
