From being the internet’s makeup darling to a chart-topping artist, DDW sits down with Abby Roberts to chat all things trajectory, perception and… marriage?
Some people are born with the ability to draw, whilst others are born with the ability to sing… and then there’s Abby Roberts which excels at both. Comprising what can only be described as an insatiable amount of creativity and talent, Abby Roberts has managed to captivate a global audience with her multifaceted prowess. Starting out on YouTube at the ripe age of 11, Robert’s collaborations with Morphe and her extraordinary makeup looks might have been what got the internet hooked, but these days it’s her music that beckons.
At the age of 22, Robert’s has an enviable curriculum. She was 2023’s 5th most viewed artist on TikTok in the UK. Amasses more than 142k monthly Spotify listeners. Has been on tour with Halsey. The list seems endless, and it is even more dizzying to realise that this is not Roberts’ first rodeo. Abby was already outstandingly successful in the makeup world before even picking up a microphone.
Whilst Abby describes her launch as the internet’s makeup darling as an overnight success, it was one that came with its fair share of hard work. Starting off on TikTok in 2019 posting several videos a day for three whole years, Roberts was perseverant. It paid off. Her videos are some of the most watched and adored by hundreds, with her looks being both dramatic and incredibly impressive. It was through this community she had amassed along the way that she began building the confidence to launch herself into the music realm, finally doing so with Paramaniac two years ago. “I always loved singing as a child,” she tells me, “but I was just very shy and very insecure and reserved and never imagined doing it in front of anyone else.”
Now, with over 1.9M followers on Instagram alone, the world is watching – and Abby seems to be delivering. Her latest single, Lose Myself in You, released as an anti-valentines track on the 14th of February, has gotten her fanbase excited. “I love this song already”, the comments read on Abby’s mysterious videoclip, featuring a red-headed Roberts and some visually striking shots in shades of red .
“You keep getting better and better”, says another user.
I can’t help but think it must be nice to receive that acknowledgment, especially since Abby is the first to recognize her evolution. Self-described as a lyrics-based artist (and to that, I understand an artist who works almost like a poet, with a strong focus on lyrics), Abby went from writing solely from her personal experiences to being able to draw inspiration from everything and everyone around her. “I think I enjoy writing in all sorts of different ways. I can pull inspiration from what’s going on in my friend’s life, or I’ll watch a movie that inspires me and write something based on another perspective.” she tells. This is a sign, if anything, for the tabloids not to take her music as a personal diary and read too much into it.
Regarding the media’s perception and the scrutiny that comes with fame, Abby Roberts, despite years in the spotlight, remains deeply aware of how she’s perceived. Identifying as “chronically online,” she acknowledges a certain desensitisation to critics, save for unexpectedly harsh comments. Roberts reflects, “I don’t think it’s ever something that you kind of grow out of and you’re not affected by hate comments, but it is absolutely way less than when I was younger, for sure.” She then explains her thought process to me in more detail. Even after practically growing up filming her life for the world to see, Abby still considers what others will think of her, even it’s merely a thought in the back of her mind.
Touring was a defining moment for Abby, for many reasons. “It was where I felt like I really proved myself, because people are like, ah, I just TikTok or do music, she’s going to put out a couple of songs and then, you know, move on to the next thing or whatever.” She explains. “But now I felt like I really had something to prove and show people that I was passionate about this, and that it is something that I am going to stick with for a long time”. But it isn’t just the fanbase triumph; Abby actually got married to her best friend on tour too.
“We were going through Vegas at like four am, me and my best friend, Sophie. We’d always said that if we ever go to Vegas, we’re going to get married, just for the for love of it. And we got married in Vegas, by this like tiny woman with the wig on.” Elvis, apparently, was busy.
As the chat draws to an end, I subject Abby to DDW’s favourite question of all times: What do you not want to die wondering about?
“I think I wouldn’t like to die wondering if I’d have done something else career-wise, and I think I’m very much a person that likes to just try a bit of everything. I wouldn’t like to be like, oh, what if I’d have done this, and what if I’d have done that? Yeah, just do it.”