Grace Kay’s “What You Wanted” Isn’t What You Expected - 27 June 2025
“What You Wanted” by Grace Kay
Grace Kay releases her new single “What You Wanted” available June 27th on Digital Formats via Trailing Twelve Records.
After being named a 2025 Artist to Watch by LADYGUNN and Sweet High, Los Angeles-based pop artist Grace Kay releases her new single “What You Wanted” on June 27 via Trailing Twelve Records. Fueled by groovy drums, a tight live bassline, and gleaming synths, the track delivers Grace’s signature blend of infectious hooks and emotional honesty. With its playful tone and cutting lyricism, “What You Wanted” interrogates the toxic patterns of shaping yourself into someone else’s ideal—and the moment you realize it’s no longer worth it.
Kay’s music is shaped by her all-girls school upbringing and her training as an actor at the University of Southern California, both of which sharpened her storytelling and deepened her focus on female empowerment. Her unique style is marked by intentional, spacious melodies wrapped in production that blends emotional depth with pop precision. Fans of MUNA, The Japanese House, and Caroline Polachek will feel right at home. Kay’s music has received widespread fan support, garnering press coverage from Under the Radar, Ones To Watch, and Atwood, official playlist features on Spotify’s Fresh Finds and Fresh Finds: Pop, and sync placements on ABC’s A Million Little Things, CBS’s True Lies, and MTV’s West Coast Hustle.
Grace Kay, photo by Danika Karolinski
“‘What You Wanted’” is a pop-country inspired track that pairs a playful, satirical tone with a deeper reflection on the habit of people-pleasing,” says Kay. “It explores the ways I’ve tried to mold myself into what I thought others wanted—only to realize that version of me wasn’t serving anyone. I chose the title as an ironic twist on the repeated lyric ‘Not what you wanted,’ capturing the disconnect between intention and reality. This song matters to me because it lets me name that pattern, poke fun at it, and move on with a little more clarity—and a lot more honesty.”
This single marks a turning point for Grace Kay: honest, liberated, and no longer shrinking to fit.
“What You Wanted is out June 27th, 2025 on Digital Formats via Trailing Twelve.
Performed by Grace Kay
Written by Grace Korkunis, Austin Foley & Tom Rubio
Produced by Jynjo
Press Contact: info@trailingtwelve.com
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Release Date: 27 June 2025
Release Title: “What You Wanted”
Artist: Grace Kay
BIO
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Grace Kay spent her teenage years attending an all-girls high school where she was imbued with a keen desire to empower other women. Bringing that passion into her music, Kay’s songwriting tends to center around the women in her life and the influences they’ve had on her.
After graduating from the University of Southern California with a degree in acting, Kay went on to star in various short films and mini-series, which, she explains, taught her the importance of story in songwriting.
Grace Kay’s sound consists of refined and punchy synth-pop production, syncopated rhythms, and lush vocal textures that will please fans of MUNA, The Japanese House, Imogen Heap, and Caroline Polachek.
Kay’s music has received widespread fan support, garnering press coverage from Celebmix, Sheesh, Under the Radar, Atwood, Ones To Watch, and KCRW, official playlist features on Spotify’s Fresh Finds and Fresh Finds: Pop, and sync placements on ABC’s A Million Little Things, CBS’s True Lies, and MTV’s West Coast Hustle.
Casting swaying shades of singular art-pop and R&B, Grace Kay’s debut album Grace’s Gospel is an earnest ode to sisterhood, role models, and stepping out on your own, written across ten dazzling synth-laden compositions.
PRESS & FEATURES
2025 Artist to Watch via LADYGUNN and Sweety High
“Kay is already well on her way to conquering the electropop world with the upbeat syncopation of her previous singles “play” and “fool” (plus one hell of a slowed and contemplative take on ABBA’s “Dancing Queen”). With “Here,” she trades the playful tones and club-ready production for hazy, nostalgic soundscapes reminiscent of M83 at their deepest rearview-gazing.” - Atwood Magazine
“Kay balances the dancefloor ready gloss with a sincere emotive core, offering words of gentle encouragement with warm lyricism and poetic imagery.” - Under the Radar
“Between enlightened metaphors and a glowing delivery, "renaissance" pushes listeners to adopt even a touch of the idealism that the rising artist displays so confidently.” - Sheesh