Singer Grace Gaustad Takes on Queer Identity, Bullying in New Video

Singer Grace Gaustad's debut album, BLKBX: wht r u hding, is personal and relatable. In it, she touches on hot-button topics related to her experience as a bisexual teen as well as having coped with being "gender, body, and beauty-shamed" and also bullied for her learning disability, according to a release.

At 19, Gaustad is a multifaceted singer, songwriter, instrumentalist, and producer whose rise began when her cover of Hozier's "Take Me to Church" went viral on YouTube. It has amassed more than 2.2 million views since it premiered in 2018.

"Creature" is part of Gaustad's larger independently produced project with BLKBX: wht r u hding that includes 12 tracks, each with an accompanying visual story. The project, which is described as "multi-dimensional and multi-sensory," will culminate in a film entitled BLKBX. But that's not all. There is a corresponding poem for every song and even a deeper dive with the YouTube series BLKBX: The Therapist Speaks.

"My hope for myself and everyone in the LGBTQ+ community is that one day people will just call us by our names. I believe there is a truth to the saying we're only as sick as our secrets," Gaustad tells The Advocate about the message behind "Creature." "I know it's not easy for anyone to come out because everyone's circumstances are different, but I know for me coming out put me on a path to healing."

Watch Guastad's powerful, inspiring video for "Creature" below. The video goes wide Friday.