Taylor Momsen recently discussed her approach to explaining song meanings, specifically addressing questions about The Pretty Reckless’s new track “For I Am Death” in an interview with Audacy Check In.
When asked about the inspiration behind the lyrics, Momsen chose to redirect the focus to listeners’ interpretations rather than providing her own explanation.
“To be honest, I wanna know what it means to you,” Momsen said. “And I think that, to me, that’s what music is. ‘Cause I could sit here and tell you exactly where I was when I wrote it and what I was thinking about and all of those things, but that doesn’t actually give you the meaning of the song.”
The singer explained how music’s meaning evolves once it reaches audiences.
“But the meaning of music, it transforms over time,” she continued. “And honestly, what it means to me isn’t what it means anymore because it’s out in the world. Once it’s out in the world, it doesn’t belong to me anymore. It belongs to you and to anyone who’s listening to it.”
Momsen shared that she now finds greater value in hearing others’ interpretations of her work.
“And I think that that has become my favorite part about doing interviews when we put out new music now, is getting other people’s takes on it, because I wanna know how it relates to you,” she said.
She also expressed concern about how detailed explanations from artists can impact listeners’ personal connections to songs.
“Personally, I think anytime I’ve heard the artist explain a song in detail, of an artist that I love, it destroys it for me,” Momsen explained. “‘Cause now something that was precious and that I had equated to myself and to my life and to the way I see the world and whatever is now wiped out and every time I hear it, I just think about what they said. And so I don’t wanna do that with our music. I wanna let it mean whatever it means to you.”
This philosophical approach to songwriting reflects Momsen’s evolution as an artist since transitioning from acting to music over a decade ago.
Wikipedia reported that Momsen has led The Pretty Reckless since its formation in 2009. She made a dramatic career shift from her successful acting role on Gossip Girl to fronting the American rock band. The transition marked a significant departure from her television persona, allowing her to explore darker, more personal themes through music.
The band has achieved remarkable commercial success under Momsen’s leadership. Wikipedia noted that The Pretty Reckless became the first female-fronted band to have five number one singles on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. Their latest album Death by Rock and Roll (2021) cemented this milestone achievement.
Momsen’s recent reluctance to over-explain her lyrics may stem from the deeply personal experiences that have shaped The Pretty Reckless’s recent work. Louder Sound revealed that Momsen endured a challenging period of depression and substance abuse following the deaths of close friends Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell and producer Kato Khandwala. She channeled these experiences into the emotional depth of their recent music.
This personal journey has clearly influenced her current perspective on artistic interpretation. She values the listener’s emotional connection over the artist’s original intent. Her approach suggests that music serves as a bridge between personal experience and universal understanding, allowing each listener to find their own meaning within the songs.
