Q&A: Karlee Girl on “Right Back!,” Unlearning Pressure and Finding Joy in Art Again
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY DANY MIRELES ☆
Photo by Zach Arquilevich
KARLEE GIRL IS NOT JUST CHASING A SOUND, SHE’S RELEARNING HOW TO TRUST HERSELF—There’s a particular kind of pressure that follows artists who begin their career in the public eye, the kind that teaches you to analyze before you feel, to correct before you create. For Karlee Girl, that pressure didn’t just shape her early work; it nearly pushed her away from music entirely. Now emerging as one of the most compelling independent artists to watch, Karlee Girl is building her career on her own terms—without the safety net of a traditional system, but with a clarity of vision that feels increasingly rare.
She builds her world in real time, guided by not perfection, but by instinct. Her music doesn’t just arrive as a reflection; it arrives in documentation, capturing emotions as they unfold rather than after they settle. From the self-doubt that shaped “Little Things,” to the raw intimacy of “R.I.P The Idea Of You,” and now with “Right Back!,” that same emotional intimacy doesn’t disappear; it shifts form, reemerging into something brighter, more instinctive, and in its own way, more exposed.
In “Right Back!,” those shifts become tangible. It’s a song built on a feeling first; one that doesn’t just invite joy, but insists on it. In doing so, it marks the beginning of a new phase: one where Karlee Girl isn’t just redefining her sound, but learning to trust herself fully—both as an artist and a person. She’s reclaiming a version of herself; one that moves first, asks questions later. She finds meaning not in perfection, but in feeling.
In conversation with The Luna Collective, Karlee reflects on creative pressure, rediscovering the joy in making art and the ongoing process of building a world that feels entirely her own.
Photo by Zach Arquilevich
LUNA: When you compare where you are now to when you first started releasing music, what feels like the biggest way you’ve grown—either creatively or personally?
KARLEE: It’s insane how much you can grow from your first single to your third. After I released “Little Things,” I genuinely wanted to quit music. I’ve never really said that publicly before, but I was at a point where I thought, I don’t want to do this anymore. I don’t think this is for me. A lot of that came from the mindset I had when I left Pop Star Academy. The approach there is very much, “look at this and tell me what’s wrong with it.” That mentality followed me into making music, and it completely broke me. I would listen back to “Little Things” and just pick it apart, everything that felt wrong.
You can’t approach art like that. It needs patience, care and space, and I wasn’t giving it any of those things. So I stepped away for a while. That’s why there’s such a gap between “Little Things” and “R.I.P. The Idea of You”—I needed time to reset. When I came back, I had to relearn how to love making music. Honestly, it felt like learning it for the first time. Now, my perspective is completely different. I loved music before, but I didn’t believe in myself. That’s what’s changed the most.
LUNA: When you first started working on “Right Back!,” what was the initial idea or feeling that sparked the song?
KARLEE: At the time, everything I was writing felt heavy. Not necessarily sad, but definitely not light. And I was craving something happier, because that’s naturally who I am. But I was scared to write a happy song. I felt like there was less depth to work with. When you’re feeling insecure, there’s so much to say. But when you’re happy, it’s like, “what do you even write about?” Then I realized that happy songs are just as deep, because they represent what you’re searching for when you’re in those darker emotions. That shifted everything for me. So with “Right Back!,” I focused on feeling first. I even told myself, “forget the lyrics for a second.” I just followed instinct, whatever came naturally, especially with the chorus. It was all about capturing a feeling before anything else.
LUNA: What does your ideal creative session look like when you’re working on something like “Right Back!”?
KARLEE: In an ideal world, I would sit down and the entire song would come out in one day. That does happen sometimes, and it’s the best feeling, but it’s rare. More realistically, it’s about releasing judgment. Not just from myself, but from anyone in the room. Letting myself sound imperfect, go off-key and try something strange without immediately correcting it. That’s when things flow, when I’m not overanalyzing and just trusting whatever comes out.
LUNA: Looking back at “Little Things” and “R.I.P. The Idea Of You,” what do you feel each of these songs represents in your artistic journey so far?
KARLEE: I’ve realized that I take a very present approach to writing. These songs represent exactly what I was going through at the time. “Little Things” came from watching the KATSEYE girls and having to come to terms with the fact that something I had wanted for years was happening without me. I felt incredibly inadequate and insecure; it was a difficult moment to sit with. “R.I.P. The Idea of You” came from a very real situation as well. There was a relationship, and even the therapy session you hear at the beginning of the song is real. That’s where it started. Each song feels like a chapter. As those chapters unfold, I’m also growing, figuring out my sound, my visuals and who I am as an artist.
LUNA: Do you feel like there’s a common creative thread that connects all of your music? Do you see them as completely different chapters, or do you think they all belong in one story?
KARLEE: Sonically, there’s definitely a through line. My melodies, the way I phrase things, the mix of pop and R&B, that’s consistent. But visually and conceptually, they feel like different chapters. I didn’t really understand my brand at the beginning. I’m still figuring it out, but building a cohesive “world” didn’t really start until “Right Back!” Now, I’m more intentional about bringing everything together.
LUNA: What do you feel like you’ve learned about yourself through making and releasing music over time?
KARLEE: To trust myself. It sounds simple, but it’s actually one of the hardest things to do, especially in this industry. Whether it’s creative decisions, working with people or even just recognizing when something feels off, trusting my gut has been everything. Because more often than not, it’s right.
LUNA: While you were creating “Right Back!,” what kind of atmosphere or mindset helped you tap into that energy?
KARLEE: Right Back: is actually a phrase that comes from Hawai'i, and is a phrase I used with my friends a lot growing up there. It basically just means "bounce back!" It was a quick term we'd use sometimes even as a joke to tell someone, "hey, you got it, it's going to be just fine" whether they bombed a test or got rejected, etc.
The meaning really inspired me to create a track that someone could listen to and literally bounce right back. Lyrically acknowledge the things you've been going through, while the track, cadence and melodies forces you to want to dance, have fun, forget everything, and come back from it all. I surrounded myself with music that made me feel the way I wanted “Right Back!” to feel. I was listening to tracks like “Like That” by Doja Cat, “That Right There” by Summer Walker, and a lot of pop, R&B and hip-hop that just makes you groove immediately. I also drew a lot of inspiration from Earth, Wind & Fire. Their music has this energy where you hear it and your body just reacts. I told my producer I wanted a track that doesn’t just make you want to move, it makes you move without thinking. That kind of instinctive reaction was the goal. That mindset really guided the whole process.
LUNA: When you listen back to “Right Back!” now, does it feel exactly how you imagined it or has your perspective on it changed?
KARLEE: In terms of feeling, yes, it’s exactly what I imagined. There are small things, like certain vocal deliveries, that aren’t exactly how I initially pictured them, but I think that’s just part of me still discovering my tone and style. What surprised me more was how people interacted with it. It became a bit meme-like online, and at first, I wasn’t sure how to feel about that. But then I realized people are having fun with it, and that’s what I wanted.
LUNA: How do visuals like styling, music videos or even colors play into the way you build a song?
KARLEE: They’re a huge part of it. For “Right Back!,” I worked closely with my creative director, Mao Kawakami, and we spent hours across multiple sessions just building out visuals, sitting down for three to four hours at a time, and really shaping what everything should look and feel like. There’s the identity of the song itself, and then there’s the larger world I’m trying to create. “Right Back!” is very colorful and high-energy, but my overall world is closer to something like “Little Things,” more emotional, softer, and more toned-down visually. Now it’s about finding a way to connect those two.
LUNA: What have you learned about your visual identity that you want to carry into future releases?
KARLEE: The bob and the blue eyeshadow definitely feel like core parts of my identity. I really love those, and they’ve kind of become my thing. Styling, though, is still something I’m figuring out. Even with “Right Back!,” I remember watching it back and realizing that while the styling looked good, it didn’t fully feel like me. I think a lot of my process is trying something, thinking it fits in the moment, and then reflecting on it later. That’s happened before, too, with “Little Things,” when I had long hair and then realized, no, I need to cut it. So moving forward, I’m trying to be more intentional, really honing in on what feels like “Karlee Girl” instead of just choosing what looks good.
LUNA: What’s next for you? Should fans keep an eye out for another release soon?
KARLEE: Definitely. I’ve already shot a visualizer for the fourth single, and I’m starting to build out a larger project, possibly an album. We had plans in place before “Right Back!” took off, so now it’s about figuring out how to connect everything without losing authenticity. And live performances are a big focus for me this year. I really want that to be a core part of what I do. So yes—a lot is coming.
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