Storm Reid turns to music to show a more personal side of herself

Actress Storm Reid wants her new music to show fans a side of her they may not often see — a young woman still figuring out love, relationships and life.

Reid, 23, released her new single "Shotty" on Friday (31 July), hoping listeners will get to know the more personal and less polished side of the actor they have seen on screen.

"I think people might think I have it all together when I really don't," said Reid, known for her roles in "Euphoria," "A Wrinkle in Time" and "The Last of Us," for which she won an Emmy in 2024.

"I'm a normal girl trying to figure it out," she said.

"Shotty" follows her debut single, "Clean Sweep," and marks another step in her music career, which she began pursuing more seriously over the past year. She has already recorded more than 25 songs.

Reid said she plans to focus on creating her first EP after completing work on Teyana Taylor's directorial debut, "Get Lite." She wants to take her time developing a project with a clear and connected story.

She is releasing her music independently through her own label, 1720 Music, a move she said gives her more creative control while keeping open the possibility of working with a major label later.

"With the indie route, you have a little bit more autonomy of what you want to do and how you do things," she said.

Reid also hopes her label can help create opportunities for other musicians.

"I want to sign people. I want to sign songwriters and producers and artists, and give them opportunities," she said.

Music has quickly become almost as important to Reid as acting, although she plans to continue working in film and television. Her upcoming projects include Netflix's "Roommates" and "Get Lite."

Working on "Get Lite" also pushed her to develop her dancing and become more comfortable performing, skills she hopes will help when she eventually takes her own music to the stage.

"It's as big and as important as acting is," Reid said of music. "It's something that I want to continue to do and want to continue to grow at."

Reid said her years in Hollywood have helped her deal with criticism, including comments from people who questioned whether she deserved her Emmy.

"People didn't feel like I deserved to win an Emmy, but it's still sitting in my house," she said. "It's still in my mama's house, so I don't really care what people say."

Since releasing "Clean Sweep," Reid said she has mostly avoided reading online comments so that negative reactions do not affect her.

She said the response so far has been largely positive and supportive, adding that she is excited for listeners to hear more of her music.

For Reid, the move into music is ultimately about showing that she is more than the polished image people may have of her.

"Not everything is gonna be perfect. Not everything is gonna be prim, proper and pristine and eloquent," she said. "Like yeah, that's a part of me, and I can do that, and I can do it really well. But also … this is me too."