Pop-rock singer Hailey Hermida has just dropped her latest pop-rock anthem, “17”, a track that captures the complicated emotions that often come with being on the cusp of adulthood. Driven by a surge of frustration and vulnerability, the song reflects on the pressures and misunderstandings that can surface during the teenage years. This acts as the follow-up to her previous single release, titled “good“.
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Written by Hailey Hermida and Onique “Sparrow” Williams, with Riley Urick serving as studio producer and co-composer alongside Hank Lin and George Tyler Heffley, “17” continues the punk-rock direction introduced on her earlier track “good”. The song carries that same angsty energy while drawing inspiration from the gritty textures of ’90s grunge, refreshed with a modern mainstream edge. Blending driving guitar and bass lines with Hermida’s dynamic vocal delivery, “17” doesn’t hold back, fuelled by emotional intensity and raw rock energy. Lyrically, it explores darker themes of emotional entrapment, emptiness, and the search for sensation, bringing a strong sense of punk emotion to every line. This new single showcases Hermida’s emergence as a dynamic presence in contemporary punk-inspired music.
Musically, “17” also highlights the broader influences that have shaped Hailey Hermida’s sound. While her earlier tracks leaned more toward ’00s punk-pop, this single draws from the grit and raw emotion of ’90s grunge, infused with the storytelling and attitude of women-fronted rock bands. Hermida cites artists like Avril Lavigne, Paramore, Deftones, and Weezer as key inspirations, while also nodding to the confrontational spirit of ’90s punk group Bikini Kill. The track’s experimental production, influenced in part by newcomer 2hollis, gives her music a contemporary edge while remaining true to the emotional intensity that has become her signature.
For Hailey Hermida, “17” explores the intense emotions and pressures that can come with being on the cusp of adulthood. The singer explains, “’17’ was written as a release of anger from the overwhelming judgement cast on you at that age, all while you are your most vulnerable.”
Reflecting further on the experience of being seventeen, Hailey Hermida continues: “Seventeen is a weird age. Life feels more serious. You make mistakes trying to fill the role of the adult you’re expected to act as, despite still being so young. To make it all so much more confusing, emotions run ten times heavier and harder, all while you’re still trying to figure out who you are. So when someone makes false claims about your character, it cuts deep. For me, I felt angry and frustrated. This song is an angry emotional response that I hope everyone who is or has been seventeen can feel and relate to.”
On the inspiration behind “17,” Hermida said: “I wrote this song the day after having a huge fight with my friends. Ironically, it was a week before my 18th birthday. Things kept getting worse between my friends, and writing this song was a release of anger in a way. A lot of the final vocals were actually recorded that day. I was just so emotionally charged that day, and you can hear my anger through those first few takes. No matter how hard I tried, the emotion in the takes that day could not be replicated. The song was made to feel like a release of that anger, like the feeling you get after you nonsensically scream into your pillow.”
At its core, “17” is a raw expression of frustration and jaded emotion. Hermida adds, “This song was an emotional release from a time I was so pissed about everything that I didn’t know what to do with myself except scream in the studio.”
Looking toward her audience, Hailey Hermida hopes the song serves as a cathartic outlet. She shares, “I hope when people listen to this song, it feels like an exhale. Like a release of pent-up energy and emotion.”
Songwriting has been an important outlet for Hailey Hermida since she first began creating music at the age of 13 during the COVID-19 pandemic. What started as a personal escape soon developed into a deeper connection with rock music after she began attending local punk shows hosted by musicians who would later become her bandmates. That experience helped shape both her storytelling style and her appreciation for the high-energy performance culture often associated with punk and alternative rock.
In recent years, Hailey Hermida has continued to develop her sound in collaboration with GRAMMY®-nominated producer Riley Urick and songwriter Onique “Sparrow” Williams, whose previous work includes collaborations with artists such as Usher and Britney Spears. Together, the trio have been building a distinctive punk-rock-influenced style that pairs Hermida’s emotionally charged vocals with energetic instrumentation.
The release of “17” follows the positive response to Hailey Hermida’s earlier singles, “good” and “straitjacket”, which received praise for their focused production and emotional momentum. In our coverage, we described “good” as “a fast-moving, emotionally charged pop-rock experience” and described “straitjacket” as “an explosive sound with a confrontational tone, capturing the frustration of being boxed in by other people’s standards.” With her latest track, Hermida continues to explore deeply personal themes while experimenting with new sonic influences.
With more music already on the horizon, Hermida is signalling that “17” is only the beginning of what listeners can expect next. For fans of emotionally driven rock and pop-punk sounds, the single offers a glimpse into an artist determined to turn personal experiences into powerful musical moments.
“17”, by Hailey Hermida, is available to download and stream, right now, across all platforms, via Crunchy Ankles 32.
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