Victoria Justice stopped by Access Daily and chatted with hosts Mario Lopez and Kit Hoover about her new film “Depravity.” The 31-year-old calls it a “dark, sexy, twisted thriller” and recalls the fun memories of shooting the film in Bangkok, Thailand. The singer also discusses her latest music after dropping her single, “Down,” earlier this year. Plus, Justice dishes on landing a role on the highly anticipated reboot “Suits: L.A.” Also, Victoria tells Kit and Mario about working with LeBron James on a commercial for Lobos 1707 tequila. “Depravity” will be available on digital and to buy starting Oct. 15.

The NBA legend is Agent 1707 in Rosewood Creative’s stylish yet lighthearted nod to spy thrillers.

______________________________

Victoria Justice Talks Desert Island Beauty Picks and How Her Hashimoto’s Diagnosis Transformed Her Skin-Care Routine.

"I think it's important to remind myself that my career isn't the most important thing in my life."

_______________________

If you’re a member of the Gen Z community like myself, Victoria Justice has been a staple part of your growing up. From iconic shows like Victorious and Zoey 101, to more recent endeavors like Perfect Pairing to her ever-growing solo music career, Justice has been evolving alongside the Gen Z community, and we’ve loved watching.

Behind the scenes, though, Justice has been going on her own skin-care and health journey, with lots of trials along the way. Following the release of her sit single “Down” and her recent partnership with K-beauty brand Belif, I had the chance to sit down with Victoria and catch up about the last decade—because that’s what her welcoming personality and silly demeanor made our Zoom call feel like: a catch up with an old friend—and she let me in on all things beauty and growing up in the spotlight, from her desert island beauty picks to how her Hashimoto’s diagnosis revolutionized her self-care routine.

In her new music video, Victoria Justice dances in a purple bikini on the beach in Malibu. “I’m really excited for people to see this new sexy side of me,” she tells PAPER. She does choreography — which she admittedly hopes people will try to replicate on TikTok — at sunset before cozying up to the handsome model and actor Colby Testolin. 

“Down,” premiering today on PAPER, marks a whole new era for Justice as she’s recently been dipping back into music after a lengthy hiatus. The 31-year-old has come a long way since starring as Tori Vega on the Nickelodeon hit Victorious, capturing the hearts of millions with her lovable personality and girl-next-door charm. But now as a fully independent artist, she’s ready to take the pop world by storm.

_______________________

“It’s definitely a grind out here, and it’s not easy,” she says. “But I’m really proud of myself for taking control in this way.” Throughout the past two decades, Justice has starred in numerous films and TV shows, but with this new music, things feel a little different. Especially after the tumultuous unfolding of drama surrounding Dan Schneider in this year’s Quiet On Set docuseries, it feels refreshing for an ex-Nickelodeon child star like Justice to take the reins and come back with a vengeance.

Below, we sit down with Justice to discuss her powerful new comeback, Kacey Musgraves and fighting for your artistry.

It’s the eve of your music video release. How are you feeling?

I'm feeling so excited. I'm really proud of the video. It was a process getting here, but now that we're finally here, I love the way that it turned out. I’m really excited for people to see this new sexy side of me that I don't think has been showcased in this way before.

It’s very sexy, beachy, summer vibes. Tell me about the making of “Down” and this video.

As soon as I wrote the song, I knew I loved it. It just had this sexy, whimsical dancing vibe to it. And I've always loved dancing. I've been dancing ever since I was little, just for fun, so I knew I wanted to make a really sexy video with some choreo. I always pictured it on the beach. Obviously, the song is about this steamy connection between these two people, so I really wanted this video to bring that to life. I wanted to find the right choreographer. There were some stumbling blocks along the way, as there always is when you're an independent artist and wholly self-funded, you know? But eventually I landed on the right director. I found the right lead guy. His name is Colby Testolin. He's a model and actor, very good looking. So it was really fun to get to work with him and bring that chemistry to life on screen.

Then I found Luis de Peña, who's our director, and it came together very last minute, which is where the stressful factor came from. The universe sometimes will place these challenges in your way, and you can feel so stressed out and want to just give up, but at the end of the day, it always finds its way of working out. This came together exactly the way that it's supposed to be. We ended up filming two days, both in Malibu. We were just guerilla-style doing the stuff on the beach. Julia Myers is my choreographer, and she's amazing. We really captured the vibe and sexy feeling of the song. I'm excited for people to see it. People haven't seen me do choreography in a while, and I hope that people like it and that it inspires them to want to get on TikTok and try out the dance, or whatever, you know?

Did you watch any choreo videos beforehand as inspiration? Like, any Britney Spears dancing videos?

You know, I actually didn't watch any Britney videos. I think that since I grew up with her, her choreo and loving her is just so ingrained in my subconscious that I didn't even really need to look back and revisit any of it. I mean, I’m obviously a Britney stan, for sure. But yeah, I didn't look in too many places. It was just whatever felt right in my body and with the movement of the song. I didn't want to make it too complicated. I also wanted it to be accessible to other people.

Who’s a current artist that you’re really obsessed with?

One of my top people I love so much is Raye. As a lyricist, I have so much respect for her. She's a great storyteller, and she can be really vulnerable and honest in her music. No matter what she does, it always feels authentic and truthful. That's something I always strive for. And then, of course, like the rest of the world right now I'm obsessed with Chappell Roan. She is such a great new artist, and her voice is magical. She's a great performer, and the music is incredible. It's really cool to see these pop girlies right now between Charli XCX, Chappell and Sabrina. The music's really good. The talent is really there. It's a really fun and exciting time for women in pop music.

This year has definitely been about the women in pop. Who is your go-to artist you play when you’re sad or you wanna just be in your feelings?

I love Kacey Musgraves. She's one of my favorites ever. At my core, I have so much deep appreciation for a true singer songwriter, and it's also some of the music I love to make. So when someone can tell a story with their music and really make you feel something and articulate something in a unique and interesting way, my jaw is on the floor and I'm in awe. Kacey really does that so beautifully.

As you said, you're an independent artist. How have you been navigating these past few years? Do you find yourself thinking about TikTok marketing and virality, or are you more just doing it for yourself and for fun?

It's a combination of both. It is fun, and at the same time, as an independent [artist] right now, that's my best shot at getting my music out to people and reaching new people in an organic way. So it's obviously a huge part of what I'm thinking about. Just always trying to think of new ideas and fun, creative ways to get my music out there. Because like I said, I'm not with a label right now. I am 100% fully self-funded. So it's definitely a grind out here, and it's not easy, but it's really fulfilling to have this creative control and ownership of my music. At the same time, I'm not gonna have access to all the things an artist with a major label is going to have access to right now. So I'm really proud of myself for just pushing through with all of it and doing what I love, and taking control in this way.

Justice tells PEOPLE about writing through emotional highs and lows while launching back into music with new songs like "Raw" and "Down.

_______________________

Embracing self-love has been a process for Victoria Justice.

The actress and singer, 31, has been writing through emotional highs and lows while launching back into music with new songs like "Raw" and "Down," leading her to look within and examine her relationship to herself.

"Raw," for example, finds Justice embracing her own imperfections and hoping a romantic partner will as well. "I think forgiving yourself is a really big part of loving yourself," she tells PEOPLE. "I feel like we're all human, and no one is immune to making mistakes, including myself, obviously."

"We all go through ups and downs in this life, and I think it's important to give yourself grace, do your self-reflection and think, 'Maybe I could have handled this better, or maybe I made this mistake' or whatever, but not dwelling or beating yourself up over those things," she says. "That's something that I can sometimes do, and I need to always remind myself, 'It's OK, Victoria, forgive yourself.'"

Justice's latest single, "Down," is more playful. "I feel like I'm in this era right now that is very sexy, empowering, flirty, fun and sassy — all the things that to me are fun about being a woman," she says, describing the song as "a really fun new side of me that I don't think people have ever heard."

The track, made with Grammy-winning writer/producer Toby Gad, features elements of Afrobeats and marks a more dance-forward sound for the former Nickelodeon star. "I wrote it in Baja, Mexico with a view of the ocean," she explains.

"I just want to see people living their best summer lives with this song," adds Justice. "I want to see people on the beach playing it, dancing. hanging out by the pool and making out with someone that they're into. It's just a fun song, and I'm having fun with it."

Aside from music, the entertainer — who's been working since her childhood — recently acted alongside Noah Schnapp in The Tutors, and she'll star in the upcoming thriller Depravity as well as a guest role on NBC's Suits: L.A. pilot.

Victoria joined Maxwell from Z100NewYork Radio Station during her recent trip to New York City. Victoria talks about her latest single Down, her musical journey so far, new music and much more. Watch the full interview below.

_______________________

Victoria Justice is a pillar of pop culture for those of us were raised by Zoey 101 and/or Victorious, so Betches was honored to quiz her on pop culture and social media trends in our latest installment of “How Online Are You?” The actress and singer is busy working on music and promoting her new singles “Raw” and “Down,” but she also manages to make time for a TikTok scrolling sesh here and there. Naturally, we had to ask her about brat summer, Miranda Cosgrove’s favorite curse word, Rob from Love Island, and more essential hot topics. Watch the full video below!

_______________________

Victoria Justice recently appeared in the latest issue of online magazine ContentMode. You can read find Victoria's interview in full at the ContentMode's official website or read it below.

_______________________

Embracing authenticity, Victoria Justice celebrates a new sound. With Raw and Down, Justice rolls out music that resonates with listeners worldwide. We discuss her songwriting process, upcoming acting projects, and more!

_______________________

LG: Congratulations on your new music! What has the process been like so far?

VJ: Thank you. The process is actually my favorite part, especially when I’m songwriting with people I enjoy being around. I might have a concept that I go into a writing session with, and/or a melody, some lyrics and then to see it come to life is really an amazing thing. I’ve been very lucky because I have rekindled a musical friendship with a songwriter/producer that I had first worked with back in 2010 on my Nickelodeon show, Victorious” and that person is Toby Gad. He’s written and co-written some really big songs for artists that everyone knows… Fergie, Beyonce, John Legend and many more. We’ve now written three songs together, (“Raw, “Down” and one that is unreleased) and also a cover of one of his biggest hits with Fergie, “Big GirlsDon’t Cry.” For “Raw” and my latest release, “Down” along with Toby, I worked with two very talented songwriters, Emma Rosen and Will Jay. We all went to Baja, Mexico for a songwriting camp. Sometimes it’s nice to go somewhere different to draw inspiration and it really proved to be a very successful trip. I’m very much a collaborative kind of person.

LG: Many artists have a distinct sound or a distinct voice. What do you think defines you as an artist?

VJ: True. As far as what defines me, I’m not sure how to answer that because I don’t want to box myself in. I’m making music that is authentic to me, my life experiences, or things that I’m observing in life or going through. But I also want to write songs to dance to, maybe cry to, and just make people feel some type of way. I want people to connect to my songs and be able to relate to them, you know, human to human. I always try to come from a place of truth in all that I do.

LG: What does your artistic process look like?

VJ: I mean it just depends. It’s always different. A lot of the chorus of RAW came verbatim from a journal entry of mine. Another song I wrote recently was all taken from a poem I wrote after a very profound experience. My song “Only A Stranger” started with me coming up with the piano part for the beginning and the first half of the first verse. From there, it’s fun to bring these ideas and bits and pieces to my collaborators and flesh them out. Other times I go into the studio with no plan at all and just see how the music inspires me. Whether that’s Toby picking up a guitar or whatever.

LG: How do you take a song from beginning to end?

VJ: There are many steps in the different stages of a song. An idea or concept is born, finding a track you like, writing lyrics (sometimes the melody will come first), recording a vocal and then going back in to finish it by adding ad libs, harmonies, etc. Then the producer does his job and does production on the song and you go back and forth until you’re happy with it. Last stages are mixing the levels and finally mastering it. Then you brainstorm about what the visual representation of the song is going to be. Cover art, music video, just the general vibe. And then after all that, it’s time to get ready for promo, creating social media content, etc.

LG: How do you find the words and the sounds to convey and capture your feelings?

VJ: I think about my past experiences and present situations, and I just start to put down what I was feeling at the time or feeling now. We are all human and that’s why we love music so much because we can relate to what others are singing about, it’s the human experience. But also sometimes a few guitar or piano chords will evoke a certain emotion and you go from there.

LG: How do you challenge yourself as an artist? Are there any other genres or areas that you’d like to explore?

VJ: Every time I go into writing a song I’m challenging myself to come up with really good lyrics, melodies that I’m happy with and that I’d feel proud to put out into the world. As singers and songwriters we want our songs to be heard and shared. Does that mean everyone is going to like it? No of course not, because music is subjective but for the people that do, that’s who I’m writing and putting it out in the world for. But I also do it for myself because I love it. I constantly want to explore other genres and sounds. But that’s what’s fun about pop. You can kind of draw inspiration and pull in a little bit of everything.

LG: Where do you draw inspiration from?

VJ: Everything. My own personal life, stories I hear from others, my environment. That’s part of the reason why I love traveling and why it’s so fun to write in a new place. You draw in a whole different energy than you would in your normal day-to-day life. Observing human behavior is also very inspiring to me and is something I like doing as an actor and a songwriter.

LG: How has your artistry changed from your earlier works to now?

VS: I feel as I’ve grown as a person my experiences are different than when I wrote songs on “Victorious” as a teen. I’ve grown enormously as a writer and a singer.

LG: Many of your earlier songs accompanied roles you played at that time, whereas now your music stands on its own. How has this adjustment been? How have you learned to create music independently?

VJ: Well really I think I’ve been writing songs for myself all along. So this feels the most natural to me. I think at times it’s very vulnerable and a little scary to be so honest with the world. Because I’m not hiding behind a character, it’s me sharing this very personal piece of myself with the public. But I think that’s also what makes it so fun and fulfilling.

LG: In addition to your upcoming music, you’re set to act in Depravity, a thriller, and Suits: LA, an expansion of the Suits universe. How does your acting inform your music? And how does your music inform your acting?

VJ: Well I think when you’re singing, you are acting. Instead of just speaking the words, I’m singing them with a melody. But I still need to emote as I do that if I want people to believe me. It’s really just another form of storytelling. One thing about recording with Toby is that he’ll have me try singing different parts of songs with different things in mind. Like he’ll say, “sing this to your ex” or the person you’re into right now, or sing this as a “fuck you” take. So I think they’re both very intertwined for me. Also when I’m on set acting, music helps me to get into character. It’s the fastest way to help tap into the emotion my character might be feeling. So I always like making playlists that remind me of my character or certain scenes/moments.

LG: How does independent songwriting differ from working under a label? How has it altered your songwriting process?

VJ: The songwriting process isn’t different whether you’re an independent or with a label. The differences lie in who they can get you in a room with. If you’re a priority artist at a label, you will be working with the best of the best songwriters and the top producers.

The former Victorious star discusses why she's so focused on her music career as of late, as well as why hew new musical era finds her leaning into a more sensual side of herself. She dives into the process of writing and recording her new single "Down," which took place in Baja, Mexico, before taking listeners behind the scenes of Remi Wolf's "Motorcycle" music video.

She then touches on her upcoming acting gigs, from the pilot episode of Suits: L.A. to the upcoming thriller Depravity to the Joel McHale-starring California King. The actress also looks further into the future, musing over an eventual album release and tour.

_______________________