NEED TO KNOW
Genevieve Hannelius worked tirelessly as a child, so her true experience of “girlhood” came a bit later.
The singer-songwriter and actress (formerly known as G Hannelius) became a Disney Channel star before she was a teenager and hardly took a break until she stepped away to attend Sarah Lawrence College as a young adult. Hannelius, who graduated in 2021, is now reflecting on that period of her life through the five tracks of her debut EP, Girlhood, out now.
“It’s a weird transition between childhood and adulthood. Like, you’re smoking cigarettes, but you’re also going home and you have stuffed animals on your childhood bed,” she tells PEOPLE of the title’s personal meaning over lunch in New York City. “You still feel like a kid, but you’re technically an adult.”
Ally Chen
Filled with diary-like musings on romance and soft pop-rock production fit for a Lilith Fair revival, the new EP marks a return to roots for Hannelius, 27. She crafted the project with producer Matthew Bobb, whom she first worked with on a string of singles during days as the lead on Disney Channel’s Dog with a Blog. “It really is a full-circle moment,” she says.
Back then, Hannelius probably could’ve tried to sign with Disney’s Hollywood Records like Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato, Hilary Duff and many more teen idols before her. “Those were my idols at the time,” she recalls. “[Disney] never approached me about [signing to Hollywood], and I think part of the reason was that I always was verging on a little young looking,” she recalls.
However, she always wanted to write her own songs, and working independently with Bobb allowed her that luxury. “I love writing,” says the artist. “I don’t know that [Disney] would have been as open.”
Hannelius may have halted her musical output upon enrolling in college, but she never stopped creating. “I really just wanted to have some life experiences. I didn’t completely step away from acting, but I stepped away a little bit,” she says. “I just wanted to kind of grow into myself. I just didn’t know who I was. I mean, I still don’t really know who I am.”
In college, she lived just north of New York City. It was close enough to venture in for a night out but far enough away from the TV and film world bubble of Los Angeles (where she’d lived since leaving her native Maine as a child to launch her career) to live freely. “I’m very happy that I was able to just go away and make mistakes,” admits Hannelius.
During that time, she developed a close group of friends outside of the entertainment industry and catch a glimpse of all the Big Apple had to offer — from a different side of the arts to romantic prospects, sometimes intertwined. “Both of my ex-boyfriends were in music,” says Hannelius. “I definitely have a type.”
Those years largely inspired Girlhood, including a track about each ex: “Reckless” about a metal band drummer and “James” about someone she dated for four years. “James is his middle name,” she clarifies. “I told him. I was like, ‘Look, I did write a song about you…”
The EP’s title track, however, is an ode to friendship. “Those are your soulmates,” she says. “You’re going to date all these people, and it’s like, who’s there after all that stuff? Your friends.”
Toward the end of college, Hannelius watched Olivia Rodrigo and Sabrina Carpenter become the first pop stars in her age group to skyrocket to global fame. “I’m huge fans of both of them — like major, major fans,” she says. “Their songwriting is so brilliant.”
Knowing she chose a break from the industry in favor of her education, she didn’t feel jealous of their success but rather excited. “It’s so inspiring,” adds Hannelius. “Everyone helps each other. It’s like the tide rises with all the pop girlies reigning supreme.”
Ally Chen
Through the EP, Hannelius’ fans get to catch up on the last few years of her life. She’s happy to let them in, as they’ve done with her for a long time. “It was in my mind a lot that the first thing people will say to me is, ‘You were my childhood. I grew up with you.’ That connection, I think, is really unique to being on Disney Channel,” she says. “You were in people’s homes when they were growing up.”
And hopefully soon they’ll get to experience Girlhood together in person, as she’d like to do her first live shows. “I haven’t really performed,” she says. “I’m nervous, but that is my next goal for myself.”
Such ambition will drive Hannelius to the next phase of adult life post-girlhood. Looking to the future, “I would like to just continue being creative in all different aspects,” she says. “And have a cat. That’s my five-year goal.”
