Alan Walker and Kylie Cantrall Talk Their New Single, "Unsure"
An exclusive double-feature interview
Alan Walker has the It Factor when it comes to producing high-quality EDM tracks. At only age 18, he began trailblazing a path to become one of the most iconic DJs of all time by releasing his hit song, "Faded." Now nine years later, Alan Walker has created a dynasty for himself.
He's amassed over 80 billion streams across his audio and visual releases. He's collaborated with major artists like Sia, Noah Cyrus, Coldplay, and Bruno Mars. Walker's no stranger to success - every song of his has the Midas touch and turns to gold. He inspires the sound of budding DJs and seasoned veterans alike...and now he's back with another hit collab, "Unsure."
"Unsure" is a leading contender for song of the summer for a few reasons: it combines Walker's classic production skills and heavy bass with the strong, whimsical vocals of none other than Disney's Kylie Cantrall. Perhaps an unlikely pairing to some, we can thank TikTok for bringing Alan and Kylie together.
Kylie Cantrall is a star in her own right. Described as the epitome of a triple-threat, she has her music career going strong with songs like "Boo'd Up" and stars on the Disney+ show, Descendants: Rise of the Red.
The song itself was created by Walker as he played around with different sounds and invited vocalists on the app to hop on the track. When Kylie Cantrall dueted Alan Walker's "Unsure" remix, he knew this was going to be an instantaneous hit.
With an already impressive discography, "Unsure" feels unlike anything we've ever heard from Walker. This song feels a little bit more like the "Faded" style we all fell in love with...but Kylie Cantrall adds just enough flare to get everyone dancing. You can listen to "Unsure" here:
This week, we have an exciting double feature interview with Alan and Kylie, who talk about their experience making the track together, how it all came to be, and more. Check it out below!
The Alan Walker Interview
AW: Congratulations on “Unsure!” How did you decide to team up with Kylie Cantrall on this song?
Thank you! It's actually a fun story, it happened on TikTok! Over the last few weeks, I've been playing around with remixing various sounds from TikTok when I came across a video that became the basis for the song now called "Unsure." When I posted the instrumental to find someone to do the vocals, Kylie jumped on it! She has an absolutely fantastic voice, so the choice was easy!
PD: You debuted the single at your LIV Las Vegas show…What’s going through your mind when you play a song for the first time in a crowd?
AW: It's always a bit scary to play a song for the first time, especially when no one has heard it before! But it went well, and fortunately, there was a great vibe!
PD: The music video takes place in Walkerworld. What was it like creating an immersive theme park on Fortnite?
AW: Haha, it was a journey! I really love gaming, so when we decided to go all in on creating our own map, it was a dream come true. At the same time, we learned a lot from the first release, and I'm looking forward to the next!
PD: You’ve had a prolific career so far with hit songs like “Faded” and “Alone”...how would you say your style has evolved over the years?
AW: My musical style has evolved through everything from experiences to sources of inspiration and collaborators. I enjoy jumping between genres and am not afraid to try new things. Actually, Unsure is more like the original “AW" style & so I'm eager to see the response!
PD: How does your production process differ from when you remix popular artists’ songs like Coldplay and Bruno Mars versus an original song like “Unsure?”
AW: All songs have different processes, so it's not necessarily about remixes or original tracks. But one thing that is naturally very different is that I work closely with a vocalist, and in this case, Kylie. It's incredible to be in the process where we find the vocalist - and everything just suddenly clicks!
PD: What sort of songs do you like to remix?
AW: Songs with great melodies!
PD: With three singles under your belt this year, can fans expect a new album on the horizon?
AW: Yees!
The Kylie Cantrall Interview
PD: Kylie, how can you describe this collaboration from your perspective?
KC: I think there’s nothing cooler than being able to use social media as a tool to connect and collaborate with people from all over the world, and that’s especially true in this scenario. If it wasn’t for TikTok, I wouldn’t have stumbled upon Alan’s “Unsure” remix that I duetted which ultimately led to us releasing the song together. It happened quite out of the blue, but I’m so incredibly grateful that Alan gave me this opportunity. A duo we never knew we needed!
PD: You’ve made a return to music recently after a short break from releasing, what inspired this return?
KC: I’m always writing and recording music, but I know I can’t release anything new if I’m in the middle of an acting project because I won’t have the time to focus my energy on creating content that helps the promotion. So, that’s been the juggling act lately but I’m happy I have an open window right now that I can focus on putting new music out into the world.
PD: Tell us more about the process of creating ‘Boo’d Up’?
KC: Well, "Boo’d Up" is a cover song that I’ve loved for years. So, when my label said, “We really feel strongly about you adding a cover song to your upcoming album", I immediately ran to the studio and began creating my own version of the record, and "Boo’d Up" became my latest single!
PD: If you could work with any other artist on your next collaboration, who would it be and why?
KC: I’d love to collaborate with Rema! My dad and I play the Rave & Roses album almost every time we're in the car. He’s a melodic genius and seriously has one of the most incredible voices ever.
PD: You’re also an actress, do you find that there are any similarities in the process of doing both things?
KC: I really love the performance aspect of both acting and singing. I feel my most confident when I’m performing, whether I’m playing a character like the daughter of the Queen of Hearts or performing my own song in a music video, it’s so fun getting to tap into the bigger-than-life version of myself!
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Actually, Spotify Does Pay Their Artists
After Universal Music Group, the largest record label in the industry, took all their artists' music off TikTok after failure to reach an agreement on AI usage of their artists and safety...people are now more than ever looking into how artists are treated on platforms where their music is the main focus. For TikTok, it's detrimental- they tried to punish UMG, and now they're paying the price.
At the 2024 Grammy Awards this Sunday, there were tons of controversial moments: should Taylor have brought Lana Del Rey onstage, should this person have won, what was that person wearing? But one of the more subtle digs was taken by host Trevor Noah, who commented on the UMG-TikTok battle by including another well-known streaming platform,
"Shame on you, TikTok, for ripping off artists. How dare you do that? That’s Spotify’s job!”
Without artists and their music, there would be no streaming platform to be had...and Spotify knows that, which is why they've been tracking their royalty payments to the music industry though their Loud & Clear report. The Loud & Clear report comes out every March and shows exactly how Spotify pays it back. According to their site,
"Nearly 70% of that revenue is paid back as royalties to rights holders, who then pay the artists and songwriters, based on the agreed terms."
This means that whatever Spotify is making from these artists and labels, and their music, they're making sure it gets back to them. It should be a mutually beneficial experience: one where both the artist and their representation trust that their work will be valued and protected (and thus, properly compensated), and where the platform also gains traffic from an artist's fans.
Today, Spotify announced that they've paid labels over $9 billion to give us a glimpse of their Loud & Clear report. In an exclusive statement to Popdust, a Spotify spokesperson states,
"Spotify paid record labels and publishers – which represent artists and songwriters – more money than ever in 2023: $9B+. That figure has nearly tripled over the past six years, and represents a big part of the $48B+ Spotify has paid since its founding."