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Steve Grand: ‘Young, good-looking, white, gay men – we love to hate those people’
Steve Grand burst onto the music scene in the summer of 2013 and made us swoon with his All-American Boy .
He was a complete unknown at the time and since then, he’s developed such a solid fan base that he was able to fund his debut album through Kickstarter.
But there’s another side to fame that Grand has also seen – people who just don’t like the less Al-American Boy image that has emerged through his sometimes playful, sometimes darker darker non-music YouTube videos.
He’s well aware of the backlash and the effect it has had on his image. He has also enjoyed showing his buff body off but complained about old, near-naked modeling photos of him still being posted online by blogs.
‘I just know people have really, really low expectations of me and that’s what the Internet does,’ he tells PrideSource in an interview posted Monday 21 March).
‘I’m such an easy person to target. Young, good-looking, white, gay men – we love to hate those people. But there’s been a real person there the whole time.’
Grand self-financed his breakthrough video and has remained fiercely independent so far without record companies or a high-powered publicist.
He admits he hasn’t always handled it all well. ‘I’m not very good at crafting the public image version of me. I’m just not. I’m too messy of a person, and I care too much about being able to be a real dimensional human being.’
But he doesn’t want to be a ‘well-oiled machine’ like Taylor Swift.
‘I still am just a regular person operating in the same world as everyone else. I’m not rich and famous. And I think there’s a weird disconnect that, when someone has any degree of fame on social media or whatever, we discount them as being a real, complicated human being.
‘I feel like I have always fought for myself to be seen as a complex, nuanced human being, to the point where I would rather not have lots of success and notoriety if it means that I can’t let all the messy edges of me show.’
Comments
(All comments are reviewed before being published, and I review submissions several times per day.)
Tommy Marx says:
I don’t know him personally. My only exposure to him has been through sites like yours. And I certainly wish him no ill.
But my impression of him is that he has a pleasant voice, he sings generic songs that are a mediocre pop version of country, and he wants to be lauded for his body work but resents being known only for his body work.
I don’t find him complex or nuanced. I find him annoying. Quite honestly, I wish you wouldn’t post so many entries about him. There are so many others that deserve more attention. But it’s your site, LOL.
With all due respect, Mr. Grand, if you want people to see you as a real, complicated human being, show something – anything – about who you really are, preferably without removing your shirt first. Prove to me that there’s anything there there and maybe I’ll pay more attention.
But truth be told, what you’ve shown so far is not messy or dimensional or complex or real. It’s just a guy with a nice body that he works hard on showing everyone that he has a nice body that he works hard on.
And that just doesn’t get my attention like you think it should.
Richard says:
Bravo, Tommy! I couldn’t have stated it any better.
Steve wants to think everybody is jealous of him and his looks but he really needs to be humble. Because looks fade but a nice guy with real talent (not just showing off his abs) will go far and not be a flash in the pan.
Consider the fact that Ellen DeGeneres has never had Steve on her show and she regularly features young singers — straight and gay — of all music genres. She and her staff have a real eye for up and coming talent they find on YouTube and other social media. Most of these people do not have publicists…. So Steve would be smarter to work harder on his craft, keep his clothes on and let the chips fall where they may.
Jim says:
I urge this man to get professional PR representation. I like his voice. I like his music videos. I like his looks. I like his ability to promote his work. I just want to like what he says a lot more. A good PR person can help with that.
Andy says:
Steve Grand is boring it is hilarious he is complaining about being a good looking white gay guy that is the reason THIS WEBSITE and many gay websites COVER HIM! How many gay men of colour has this website covered or Out Magazine? Steve Grand youth and whiteness are to his benefit. Steve Grand problem is he has no personality and he is BLAND. Stars need to have personality and charisma and he has NEITHER. I think Steve Grand is entitled he is a young white man yes who happens to be gay but still white unbelievable this white gay man CANNOT SEE THE PRIVILEGE HE HAS IN SOCIETY!
MiamiMan says:
Ewww. What a horrible thing to say. I hope he does;t really feel this way and this was just some sort of off-the-cuff blathering because he wanted coverage.
RJ says:
I honestly don’t understand the negative views some of you have about Steve. In his videos and interviews, he comes across to me as a funny, down-to-earth, rather self-deprecating guy. He doesn’t seem to take himself too seriously. He’s well aware he has some physical attractiveness (which he works hard to maintain) but readily admits he won’t have that forever. I appreciate his self-awareness regarding his strengths and weaknesses. I also really like his album and look forward to his future musical endeavours.
Paul says:
A poem for Steve in honour of Easter:
A tisket
A tasket
I just wanna see your basket.
K. Martinez says:
Perfect said, Tommy Marx.