Teens to Watch
In this regular feature of our website, CPYU focuses on a teen youth culture icon. The teens chosen are among those whom we believe exert some sort of influence on our youth, and as a result it is important for parents, educators, and youth workers to learn more about these individuals and monitor their careers. If our teens are watching them, we should be watching them as well.
Featured Teen to Watch
--by Ken Mueller
One of the hottest videos on MTV these days is "Overdrive" from the debut release of young Katy Rose, "Because I Can." And the first thing that people will say upon hearing her music is that she sounds like Avril Lavigne. It's an obvious comparison to make, and there are many similarities, but the 17-year old Rose doesn't like that comparison. And upon closer inspection, there are some glaring differences. First, Rose's music seems to have a bit more of an "edge" to it, but more importantly, Rose and her experience seem more "real." In fact, if you check out Rose's story, she certainly is more real. When Lavigne arrived a few years back, she boldly declared that others before her were "manufactured" and she was the real deal. But that was only partly true, and it turns out much of Lavigne's attitude and appeal are products of a calculated marketing campaign and positioning. With Rose, however, what you see is what you get. She is an actual musician/singer/songwriter who plays a variety of instruments.
At the young age of 17, Katy Rose has lived more life, and had more ups and downs than most of us will have in a lifetime. And this has produced a level of pain and teen angst that are presented very clearly in her music. At the same time she comes across as both tough and vulnerable. Rose grew up in
On the sexual front, Rose admits that she dates both men and women, but says she isn't gay: "I'm the kind of person where I don't think the anatomy matters. It's all about the person inside." She says that she dates mostly guys older than she is, and that she falls in love wherever she goes, but gets her heart broken a lot.
In addition, Rose has some antipathy toward organized religion, a feeling borne out of her bad experiences at a Catholic school, and blames that school for many of her problems. But spirituality is a big part of who she is, saying that "there are certain people who are actually fairies, elves, or mermaids...There are people who are put on this planet like that and when I see other fairies I know it. I've had girls come up to me and say that they think I'm a fairy, too."
As for her debut disc, "Because I Can" continues to do well both on radio and MTV, and her music seems to be connecting with a lot of teens. And for that reason, we need to watch Katy Rose and her career. She is very honest and through her music she is crying out in a way that is going to hit home with a lot of kids, as what she has to say about her life and family will resonate with them. We also need to pray for Katy as she tries to find out who she is and where she fits in.
One final note: much of the information in this article came from an online interview. This interview is filled with a lot of details that are both informative and heartbreaking. Please take the time to read this interview so you can see where Katy is coming from and what type of life she has had so far. This eye opening interview, conducted by Chaunce Hayden for Stepping Out Magazine can be found at: http://www.steppinoutmagazine.com/02_04_04/html/interview.html
Website:
Official Site: www.katyrose.net
MTV: http://www.mtv.com/bands/az/rose_katy/artist.jhtml
Quotes (all taken from Stepping Out Magazine interview):
"My parents just didn't know how to be parents. I was their first child, so I guess I was the guinea pig. Basically, they just let me do whatever I wanted to do."
"I'm the kind of person who hates rules. If there's a rule, I have to break it. I'm that kind of girl. I'm very rebellious. But by doing that, I think I'm crying out for rules and structure because I never had it."
"I think my defense mechanism as a child was always disassociation ... It's when I completely get out of my body and I can't feel anything because I'm so afraid of getting hurt ... It's taken me a long time to get inside my body and actually feel feelings. So from really early on, I've done everything in my power to numb myself."
"I sleep a lot instead of doing drugs or other self destructive behavior. I take a lot of homeopathic sleeping pills to make myself numb and just sleep a lot."
"I'm the kind of person who needs love. I need love from everyone because I don't think I got enough growing up. So I'm always saying, 'Love me, love me!'"
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For more information on resources to help you understand today's rapidly changing youth culture, contact the Center for Parent/Youth Understanding.
©2004, The Center for Parent/Youth Understanding