Photo Credit: Nathan Groff (@nathangroff)
By Alissa Arunarsirakul // April 28, 2020
She may only be 14 years old, but Cloe Wilder has the maturity of someone who’s been in the industry for years. Getting her start by posting YouTube covers, Wilder is fully versed on crafting melancholic songs that every single one of her listeners resonate with. Just when we thought Wilder couldn’t exceed our expectations more than she already has, the Florida native is leaving us stunned with a stripped-back piano version of her gorgeous single, “Crying When I Shouldn’t.”
Produced and co-written by Eric Scullin, “Crying When I Shouldn’t” showcases Wilder’s incredible knack for passionate songwriting. Although Wilder recognizes that some things or people aren’t worth crying over, she makes it known that it’s perfectly healthy and acceptable to cry–even when you feel like you shouldn’t be getting so emotional. The new visual sees Wilder in all her beauty and grace accompanied by only a grand piano as she wows us with a stunning performance.
On the stripped-back piano version of “Crying When I Shouldn’t,” Cloe Wilder exclusively shared with us,
“I’m just so proud of this project and I’m so happy that people are enjoying that way that I do. I think that it’s a really great representation of myself as an artist.”
The Hidden Hits has your first look at the stripped-back piano version of “Crying When I Shouldn’t” below:
To celebrate the release of her new video, we recently chatted with Cloe Wilder about YouTube covers, internal struggles, and of course, the stripped-down “Crying When I Shouldn’t” video.
HH: When you had just started posting covers on YouTube in 2018, what was going through your head?
CW: I was so excited to finally put something I worked hard on out into the world. Like, I didn’t just film these in my bedroom. I was so proud of them.
HH: Did you ever expect your YouTube videos would lead into a music career–especially so suddenly?
CW: Yes, that’s honestly why I started doing them! I wanted to introduce myself through the covers.
HH: For those who don’t know, what is “Crying When I Shouldn’t” about? What inspired this stunning track?
CW: I mostly write about what’s going on internally and emotionally with myself. I wrote “Crying When I Shouldn’t” when I was frustrated with all of those feelings.
HH: It feels so right to finally have a stripped-down piano version of “Crying When I Shouldn’t” because the studio version is so gorgeous. How does it feel different to perform it this way compared to the originally released track?
CW: Thank you!! I’ve always been really into acoustic versions. It’s actually fun for me to sing such a layered song acoustically.
HH: The new video is so captivating in every way. How many takes did you film to get the perfect shots?
CW: Aw, thank you! A total of about 14 hours I think.
HH: How crazy was it to see your face plastered on the Universal CityWalk stage?
CW: My manager actually surprised me. I didn’t know anything about it. I was told that we were going to take photos. I cried.
HH: If you could turn back time and write any hit song, which one would it be?
CW: “Blue Velvet” by Bobby Vinton.
HH: What are your three hidden hits?
CW: “Glad I Know You” by EZI
“I miss you, I’m sorry” by Gracie Abrams
“Bachelorette” by Ashe
The Hidden Hits 