Sissy Sheridan’s latest project involves music, and no, we’re not talking about her role in Billy Elliot. Recently, Sissy took to her YouTube channel where she normally shares her adventures via vlog to drop a music video and a cover we didn’t expect. We talked to Sissy about her inspirations for the video and all the fun that went on behind the scenes. As Sissy would say, here’s the tea, sis.
Sissy knew she wanted to do a cover before she tried to dip her toes into original music. Even more importantly, she knew she wanted to give her take on a song with a message. She had a feeling and a message in mind, but none of her usual favorites were really getting at the heart of what she wanted to show her fans. It was actually her mom that showed her the song that would make this project what it is. “Most Girls” by Hailee Steinfeld. “I thought it was perfect,” Sissy said about the song.
“That’s what’s great about you, what’s different from everyone else.”
Hailee Steinfeld’s music video for “Most Girls” features Hailee in a position of girl power and later showcases a sisterhood vibe that Sissy thought was essential to the overall message. Of course, Sissy took other inspiration from Hailee’s video as well (you’ll notice a lot of outfit changes). Sissy, her mom, and the video’s director Mike Jones actually went in a lot of directions with this video. An early idea included something that leaned more toward what Sissy calls a “Powerpuff girl, stop bullying” theme. But they knew what they really needed to focus on was girl power and the power of being uniquely yourself.
One thing she knew she wanted to change? All of the outfits were a little too cool in Hailee Steinfeld’s video. Sissy wanted to showcase the dorky and the weird and the fun in her own silly way. Any music video can feature runway-ready outfits, but who other than Sissy Sheridan would accessorize a “smart girl” look with a bunch of pencils in her bun?
That’s how Sissy began the project of gathering her girls. Originally, Sissy wanted to include friends from her home in Washington D.C., but it was some new friends from Los Angeles that actually took the part. Featured in the video are teen stars Caitlin Carmichael, Natallie Sigler, Jillian Shea Spaeder, Mia Dinoto, and Kelsey Leon. Sissy remembers becoming fast friends with her “LA peeps”. Including them in a video that they all connected with was only natural.
“I wanted people to watch the video and I wanted them to leave with a feeling like, ‘Hey, I really can do anything.'”
But why a girl power message to begin with? Well, something Sissy notices in a world where so much of our information and inspiration for how to live our lives comes from social media stars is a lack of powerful messages. “I feel like, if you are an influencer, it’s a huge deal you need to be able to use your influencing for something greater than “I just took this selfie, what do you think?” She says. So, she tries to put something a little more motivating behind every video and picture.
If you take a trip through Sissy’s Instagram, you’ll find this in action. Her captions are full of compliments and encourage her followers to think positively and even to engage in a conversation with her. A picture of Sissy looking off to the side out of frame reads, “You caught my eye.” Another picture of her sitting on a yellow bench in a restaurant says, “This seat is saved for you.” She even takes time to subtly dig at the “I just took this selfie” culture she describes in a photo of her sitting in a yellow Jeep. The caption reads, “I have a serious problem with taking photos in people’s cars that aren’t mine…”
“Kids can make a change in the world.”
The change Sissy wants to see is one in which we all work to recognize the unique qualities every person has. And, of course, it’s Sissy’s unique qualities that make this video shine. While she could have done a video where she lip sync’s to Hailee’s song, Sissy belts out her own vocals. Each look designed by Sissy and her mom screams exaggerated and fun. “There was a little piece of me in all of them,” she said. Sissy even chose her final outfit as a nod to her own favorite color and her yellow Instagram theme.
Something to watch for? When you see Sissy and her girls on the bed, there is a moment that captures the hilarious aftermath of Sissy jumping on the bed and falling down. When this happened, Sissy actually thought she broke the bed because there was a loud crack as she went down. This is one of her favorite behind the scene s moments.
“I still can’t believe I have a music video,” Sissy gushed. And she is beyond thankful for all of the support that she receives from her followers in all of her projects.
Her next project? Well, Sissy wants to work on more music–her own music. She’s currently working on putting together the perfect song, something more inspired by her love of artists like Billie Eilish (and Hailee Steinfeld too!). “I won’t let it come out until I feel like it is perfect.”
