Story / Catherine Santino
It’s easy to feel like the underdog in a big city where everyone’s chasing a dream; a dream that might look identical to yours. This is exactly how Frankie felt upon moving to Los Angeles to pursue her music career, which served as the inspiration behind her latest release, “Underdog”. The pop singer-songwriter first penned the track in 2017, when she was “struggling to get a win” in the music industry. The song was tabled until this past summer, following the triumphant release of her sophomore EP, STA7GES.
The pop-heavy track highlights Frankie’s Swift-esque relatability and danceable melodies. “So if you want to play this game we can play / yeah I’m an underdog but you’re overrated” she sings on the chorus, without a trace of arrogance. Instead, Frankie is finding her voice in the over-concentrated world that is LA pop, slowly but surely.
Stream “Underdog” below and read on to learn more about Frankie.
What’s the inspiration behind “Underdog”? What was the writing process like?
I originally wrote “Underdog” in 2017 when I was feeling like an underdog in the music industry and struggling to get a win. The song was almost released and then shelved, like a lot of things were then with me and other artists like me. I looked at the song again this summer after I became independent and felt its message more than ever. I knew now was the perfect time to release the song. I tweaked the lyrics in the verses to represent more of my current state and created the anthem for myself that I needed to keep me going. As all of my songs, I write them for me because I need to get it off my chest and then I release them for others in hopes that it helps them. I hope this song becomes an anthem for people to simply just believe; believe in themselves and believe they can win.
You reference going to a psychic in the opening verse of the song. Have you ever been to a psychic? If so, what was that like?Â
I’ve been to many psychics, haha. When I first moved to LA and didn’t know how I was ever going to get into the music business, I stumbled upon a psychic at a hayride. She told me to pick three cards out of a stack of 100. The first card was the card of music, the second was the card of manifesting, and the third card was of success. I got chills and felt a clear sign that I was on the right path. That was probably the craziest reading I’ve had…and most encouraging.Â
The EP you released earlier this year, STA7GES, took us through the grieving process of a breakup. How has writing and releasing that into the world impacted you emotionally? Does it feel cathartic to listen to/perform those songs?
Releasing STA7GES was very emotional for me but also felt like the biggest weight off my shoulders. I could not have been more personal in my songwriting and I put everything out on the table to be heard, judged or accepted by others. The response was so beautiful and the messages I received were so heartwarming about how people all over the world were going through the same thing I was. If I was a small help in their healing process, that means I did my job.Â
Performing the songs can be emotional, because every time I sing any of my songs, I’m taken right back to when I wrote them and what I was feeling, but I think that makes a better performance for the audience and myself. Half the EP makes me dance hard though, so it’s definitely still a good time.Â
What’s next for you? What’s been inspiring you lately?
I’ve written a lot of songs over the past few years and some of them weren’t released or fit with the theme of the EP but are still some of my favorite songs I’ve ever written! So, the next few steps are to release those songs back to back and see what kind of life they take on. “Underdog” is the start of a group to come. She kicked off the party.Â
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