Having a crush can feel like being thrown into a hurricane of questions. Do you tell them? Do you wait and see if the crush goes away? How much can you realistically be around them before it starts to get weird? Even Googling “crushes” leads to results ranging from “How to Tell if Your Crush Likes You” to “How to Get Over a Crush.” Crushing is complicated!
Los Angeles-based artist Kayla DiVenere has experienced the crush whirlwind like so many of us, and she knows that a big part of the experience is how dragged out everything can feel when you’re trying to play it cool. Her new single “Small Talk” is about all the longing that happens behind the scenes. We had to get an inside look at Kayla’s current crush experience and her tips for making a crush just a little less crushing!
“Small Talk” is part confession, part catharsis. Kayla shared that she wanted to create a song to help puzzle out her feelings. Turns out it works! “It one-hundred percent made me think so much clearer,” she said. “That’s one of my favorite parts about songwriting. I feel like I can breathe again afterward, vomiting all my messy thoughts into a tangible piece of art.” Getting past all of the little conversations in a song was easy for Kayla. “[The lyrics] came and flowed on paper so easily, and the vision just formed itself in front of my eyes. It was absolutely so thrilling.”
While Kayla’s crush doesn’t know that “Small Talk” is about them yet, Kayla told us, “They will soon.” In the meantime, she left us with her advice for making crushes more bearable.
Showstopper Magazine Online: What is the hardest part of having a crush? How do you deal with that?
Kayla: The hardest thing about having a crush is constantly thinking about them and wondering if they feel the same way. I also think it can get be really easy to doubt yourself during the “crush phase” and get in your head about things, which is super normal but can definitely be absolutely torturous. I deal with it best by venting to my friends, writing songs, and reminding myself that crushes can be fun too—it doesn’t have to be so serious!
SMO: Is it better to keep a crush a secret or tell them?
Kayla: I totally think this varies from situation to situation and person to person. It’s really up to you! If it’s killing you inside and you need to shoot your shot, go for it! The worst that can come of that is just that nothing happens which also would’ve been the case if you never said anything in the first place. Going with the YOLO mentality is always my go-to!
SMO: What is it like confessing a crush (in general and through song)?
Kayla: It can definitely be really nerve racking and exciting, but mostly it’s just freeing. It feels so good to finally let your secret out and see what that reaction you’ve been thinking about for so long could possibly be.
SMO: How do you avoid getting totally obsessed?
Kayla: I sadly cannot avoid it, but sometimes it can be really fun to fantasize. I’ve written whole songs about meeting someone for like two seconds, so sometimes obsessing can turn into a good thing. Work it to your advantage and have fun with it! We’re only human, after all!
No matter who you have heart eyes for, “Small Talk” is streaming now! Who knows, maybe, just like Kayla, you need the perfect lyrics to sing along to before you decide what to do with those fuzzy feelings.
