Casey Baer isn’t going to let a boy play with her emotions.
The rising singer/songwriter released her new single “Make Me Hate U” earlier this month and is opening up to Celeb Secrets about relatable pop song.
“‘Make Me Hate U’ was inspired by a guy I was hanging out with. We had a great time when we were together but when we weren’t together he was playing with my feelings and I would say, ‘why is he making me hate him?!’,” Baer tells Celeb Secrets. “I wrote that down in my notes as a great song idea. Then I called my friend Annie and told her about it, we got together and out came ‘Make Me Hate U.'”
The LA native, who writes all of her own music, uses songs like “Make Me Hate U” to express emotions that she’s been through in a way to make her fans, whom she refers to as ‘Little Cubs,’ feel that they are not alone in what they are going through.
“I truly want my listeners to feel that they are never alone in what they are going through or how they are feeling,” she says. “I used to think I was the only one with anxiety and when I realized I wasn’t, it allowed me to accept how I felt and not think I was the only one. I also want my stories to relate to people in a way that helps them overcome their struggles.”
Keep reading our full Q&A below to learn more about Casey’s musical journey, and let us know what you think of “Make Me Hate U” by leaving a reaction at the bottom of the post or by sending us a tweet at @celebsecrets.
Casey is taking over our Instagram Stories tomorrow, May 1st and click here to follow along!
Celeb Secrets: Can you tell us about your first involvement with music and who your inspirations are?
Casey Baer: “My first involvement with music was playing ‘Mini-Sharpay’ in a rendition of High School Musical. It was everything to me!! I continued doing musical theatre until I was 14. My musical inspirations are Justin Bieber, Rihanna, Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift and Sia.”
CS: You have a new single out right now called “Make Me Hate U.” Can you tell us more about the song as well as the creative process behind it?
CB: “‘Make Me Hate U’ was inspired by a guy I was hanging out with. We had a great time when we were together but when we weren’t together he was playing with my feelings and I would say, ‘why is he making me hate him?!’ I wrote that down in my notes as a great song idea. Then I called my friend Annie and told her about it, we got together and out came ‘Make Me Hate U.'”
CS: You write all of your own music. What is your songwriting process like?
CB: “Yes! I absolutely love writing music! My process usually starts with an idea based on something I’m feeling at the time, or something I’m going through with a friend or a relationship. From there I usually come up with chords on the piano, but lately I’ve been learning how to produce my own music, so I build a track and write to that. It also changes if I’m co-writing, which I also really love!”
CS: You’ve also said that songwriting is a form of therapy for yourself. In what ways has songwriting helped you?
CB: “Yes, songwriting has been the absolute greatest therapy for me. I struggled with anxiety growing up and it was easier for me to write down my feelings than to explain how I was feeling. Even now, it gives me an outlet to get my feelings out, without any judgment, and it allows me to look at how something good can come out of a difficult situation.”
CS: What do you want listeners to take away from your music?
CB: “I truly want my listeners to feel that they are never alone in what they are going through or how they are feeling. I used to think I was the only one with anxiety and when I realized I wasn’t, it allowed me to accept how I felt and not think I was the only one. I also want my stories to relate to people in a way that helps them overcome their struggles.”
CS: Do you have any exciting projects lined up that you can tell us about?
CB: “I have been working on my first EP which I plan on releasing this year! I already have so many songs I love that I can’t wait to share with everyone!”
CS: How have you been spending time in quarantine?
CB: “Fortunately I’ve been able to work on my music! Releasing ‘Make Me Hate U’ with the incredible support of Radio Disney has been amazing and has been keeping me very busy! I’ve also been learning Logic which has been really fun! On a personal note, it has been really nice being able to spend time with my family, we are all usually running around in different directions so that’s been nice.”
CS: Do you have any tips for our readers on keeping busy during this time?
CB: “Enjoy the time with your family, or whoever you are quarantined with. Try to be productive doing whatever you love to do, a daily schedule has been very helpful for me.”
CS: Since we are Celeb Secrets, do you have any secrets (fun facts) about you or your music that you can share with our readers?
CB: “I’m good at the pogo-stick 
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