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When Aria Brooks, 14, isn't making us crack up on Nickelodeon's hit sketch comedy series All That, she's getting us in our feels (and thoughts) with her groundbreaking music, most recently her social justice-inspired single "Am I Next?" 

We chatted with the young actor, singer and songwriter about her journey as an artist, her dreams for the future and *so* much more...

Girls' Life: Describe yourself in three words. 

Aria: Creative, outgoing and maybe funny. I'm very energetic. I always have ideas randomly flowing—it can get annoying, because I seem to always have an idea when I'm doing chores!

Girls' Life: What drew you to acting and singing? 

Aria: Both of my parents are performing arts teachers, so growing up, that was just my life. That's what I was surrounded by—and I quickly developed a passion for acting, singing and dancing. The older I got, the more serious I got about it. Around the age of ten I knew I wanted to try acting on TV. It all started with my first audition and from there it just took off. 

When I was little, I would also always be writing songs and coming up with melodies and things like that. So as I got older and deeper into the performing industry, the writing got more serious, too. Everything kind of went hand in hand with each other and I just loved it. 

Girls' Life: What's it like performing on All That? 

Aria: Although I focused on drama starting out, I'd always wanted to do comedy work. I took improv classes and theater, which definitely helped the transition, but I actually think it was watching comedy shows like Jessie and K.C. Undercover and The Thundermans that prepared me the most. I picked up that comedic timing on all those shows and it became, like, my everyday life—I'd say things that sounded straight [from] Nickelodeon. So, when the audition for All That came, I was able to be genuine and really be myself. 

Comedy isn't just about being funny, it has rules, so I had to work [within] those rules and develop it. The best thing about All That is getting to play different characters all the time. I'm so lucky for that and I love seeing how everything transforms with each character—the set, makeup, hair, everything. It's so amazing. The hardest thing at the beginning was memorizing lines quickly. We normally get our final script on Wednesday and would need to get ready for a new episode every week. But we rehearse so much that it gets easier with time. 

Girls' Life: Tell us about your original song, "Am I Next?". 

Aria: I wrote "Am I Next?" a few months ago. It was in the height of the Black Lives Matter movement—I was thinking about George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and I was just feeling this mixture of emotions...upset, sad, scared. I wanted to express those feelings through a song because writing is the best way for me to get my emotions out. After I wrote the song, I showed it to my parents and we got more serious about releasing it. I write some songs that are just for me, but this one, we were like, "OK, we have to do something with this." 

That's how the process started, but as it went on, I realized that for me it was no longer about fear. I am scared, but we have to do something about it to raise awareness and so people understand and so it evolved through that process. I wanted people to feel that sadness and anger I was feeling, because if you can empathize with someone's pain it will help you understand what they're going through. I definitely think young people can make a change. I think it's imperative. I'm proud of our generation, that we're taking these steps forward, because nothing's going to change if we just sit there and wait. 

Girls' Life: How'd you spend your time in quarantine?

Aria: At first, I thought it was going to be shorter so I just took a little break, watched some Netflix shows and after a while I was like, "OK, so we're going to be here a little longer than we thought." I decided to start an Instagram Live show: "Ask Aria." It was just a place to interview people, talk with fans and just keep people entertained during the pandemic. 

Girls' Life: What's your style like lately?

Aria: It's definitely difficult for me to describe it. I'd say it's a mixture of whatever I'm feeling and whatever is trendy at the time, they just kind of go together into my outfit. I'm like a girly tomboy. 

Girls' Life: What advice do you have for GL girls out there?

Aria: Something that's helped me, and I don't hear too many people talking about it, is speaking things into existence. The way I did it was just looking in the mirror, saying I'm beautiful, I'm strong, I love myself. Say it like it's true, with confidence. There are certain things you can't change about yourself, but you can decide to love yourself for who you are and shift that negative energy into a positive mindset. You can grow to be more confident through that process. 

Girls' Life: What are you hoping for the future?

Aria: My dream person to work with is *definitely* Zendaya, because I've looked up to her for such a long time. She's an amazing person and so talented. But I think the role I'd really want to play is the lead in a coming-of-age teen movie. And for now, I have an upcoming album coming in 2021 and it's just going to show growth and authenticity and I'm so excited for everyone to hear it. 

Image Credits: Stacey Bode Photography. Parts of this interview were edited and condensed for clarity.

by Katherine Hammer | 12/21/2020