Victoria Justice is having a year. Between a string of new singles, a guest spot on Suits: LA, and starring in an upcoming thriller shot in Thailand, she’s booked, busy, and—most importantly—doing it all on her own terms.
“I’m on my independent artist journey right now,” she says. “It’s a grind, it’s a hustle, it’s fulfilling, and also really challenging. But I’m just making music I love, and that’s what matters.”
That music includes a run of singles leading up to a future full-length album—whenever she decides she’s ready. Working with hitmaker Toby Gad (the guy behind If I Were a Boy, Big Girls Don’t Cry, and All of Me), she’s been dialing into a mix of personal reflection and flirtatious fun.
“I think I’m just feeling really empowered in my womanhood right now,” she says. “I’m leaning into the sensual aspects of that, the flirtation, and writing songs from a strong perspective.”
Her latest single, Down, was born in Baja, Mexico, during a writing retreat with Gad, Will Jay, and Emma Rosen. “We had this amazing view of the ocean, the sun was shining, and Toby was like, ‘We should call it Down, because whenever I ask you to do things, you’re always like, ‘Yeah, I’m down,’” she laughs. “And from there, this fun, flirty, sexy song just unfolded in a matter of hours.”
That kind of effortless songwriting doesn’t always happen, which is why she subscribes to a particularly elegant philosophy on the subject:
“Writing a song should be like passing gas,” she says, with complete sincerity. “If you have to push too hard, it’s probably [expletive].”
Justice is still figuring out what her next steps look like. “I don’t think it’s the right time for me to release an album just yet,” she admits. “I’m still in the building phase, still making people aware that I’m doing this.” As for touring, she’s open to it—just maybe not quite yet.
“It’s way more vulnerable than acting,” she says. “When I’m on set, I’m playing a character, and I can redo things. But standing on stage, singing something I wrote, that’s totally different. It’s scary and exciting.”
Speaking of acting, she’s got a handful of projects on the horizon, including Depravity, a dark thriller shot in Thailand, and a guest role in Suits: LA. The latter, she confesses, she originally had no idea was a big deal.
“I’d never seen Suits, so I was like, ‘Sure, I’ll do it,’” she says. “Then I posted about it, and all my friends started freaking out, saying it was the coolest thing I’d ever done. I had no idea people were that obsessed with it.”
That’s just how things go for Justice—she makes something she loves, and then the world catches up. Whether it’s acting or music, she’s keeping it fun, keeping it personal, and, most importantly, keeping it moving.
Watch the interview above and then check out the video below.
