Audrey Hobert on Pop Success, Social Media Boundaries, and Writing Songs as Exaggerated Autobiography

Audrey Hobert, a 27-year-old pop singer-songwriter from Los Angeles, has experienced a rapid rise to fame since releasing her debut album, ‘Who’s the Clown?’ roughly a year ago. In an interview on The New York Times’s ‘Popcast,’ Hobert discusses her unconventional path to stardom, which included near-constant touring, viral moments at festivals like Lollapalooza, and a growing grassroots fanbase both online and in person. Despite her success, including her single ‘Sue Me’ reaching No. 57 on the Billboard chart, Hobert remains cautious about the self-obsessed nature of the music industry and actively avoids social media to preserve her sense of self.

Hobert’s background as an aspiring television writer and her close friendship with pop artist Gracie Abrams heavily influenced her songwriting style, which blends punchy, joke-driven storytelling with catchy pop melodies. She describes her songs as exaggerated autobiography, creating an avatar of herself that is more interesting to write about. While she acknowledges the pressure of public perception, Hobert emphasizes the importance of having fun and staying present, rejecting the idea of maintaining a mysterious or carefully curated aesthetic.

The interview also explores her creative process, including her preference for varying hooks and lyrics to keep listeners engaged, as well as her unconventional line breaks and rhyming patterns. Hobert credits her success to hard work and believes that her unique perspective, shaped by her experiences in television writing and her friendship with Abrams, has allowed her to carve out a distinct space in the pop music landscape. Despite the demands of touring, she looks forward to returning to songwriting and continuing her musical memoir.