At the height of “Gossip Girl,” Leighton Meester launched her music career. Her first single, “Somebody to Love,” which came out in October 2009, was a dance-pop track she released in collaboration with Robin Thicke. However, years later, Meester decided to move away from her pop star roots in favor of a more authentic sound. Speaking to Elle in 2022, Meester revealed, “I didn’t really have an affinity for pop music as far as writing or performing [goes], but it felt like that was what I was gonna do, so I just went with it.” She continued, “Then I was like, ‘Nope, this isn’t right.'”
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After realizing that she wasn’t making the sort of music she wanted to be releasing, Meester made a big decision. “So I ended up cutting ties with my label amicably, and I released an album in 2014 and toured with a much different sound,” she told Elle. That album was “Heartstrings,” a folk-infused indie pop record that showcased Meester’s incredible vocals and newly learned guitar playing. During her interview, Meester made it clear that her music career is far from over and that she is continuing what she started on “Heartstrings.” “So, [the new music is] sort of an evolved version of that sound,” she told the publication. Ultimately, the “River Wild” star is still committed to furthering her music career. “I will continue to make music and write and sing,” she said.
