Sofia Carson
Music, Film, Activism, and Life Since Disney
By Bailey Meyers
You may know Sofia Carson from her starring role in Disney’s Descendants franchise. Maybe you know her as a musician with billions of streams. Or perhaps one of her more professional titles: Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation, or UNICEF, or Revlon, ambassador. You could have spotted her in film too, starring in Feel The Beat, and Songbird, as well as starring in and executive producing Purple Hearts, soon to come out on Netflix. Any way that you know of her, Sofia Carson’s voice stretches far and wide, and it is surely loud. We spoke to her about all of this and more...
Her most recent single, “Loud,” encapsulates the essence of Sofia Carson. Unapologetic, poised, and imbued with a powerful, feminine energy. When we spoke, she radiated this energy even through her small square on Zoom, speaking with utter confidence and a smile flashing. Amidst the swimming, pop-R&B instrumentals, Sofia commands the attention of listeners with her bold lyricism. She claims, “If I was a man/ Then you would understand/ You wouldn't say I'm causing all this drama.” Sofia’s voice is a conduit for young women to hear strong, loud, female role models in music who are dedicated to fighting injustice. The anthem of “Loud” perfectly addresses the pushback that Sofia was likely to receive for her boldness. “Are you getting uncomfortable now?” she asks of the listener. By asking people to reflect on their gendered biases of right and wrong, Sofia fights the patriarchal norms which harm the well-being of women everywhere and lifts the voices of these women.
Sofia is no stranger to activism, and the song combines two of her passions; fighting for justice and singing. She told us, “music is my heart,” and that she began singing before she even knew how to walk. After she wrote her first song at 11 years old, there was no turning back. “I don’t remember not being in love with music,” she said. Sofia said she was raised biculturally, growing up just as much on Sting, Elvis, and The Beatles as international and Spanish-speaking artists. She loved watching films in English and Spanish, and cited a trip to Colombia as a formative part of her upbringing for the doors that it opened for her to explore her culture as well as global injustice.
The songs that Sofia has written have always come from her heart. She told us that in both acting and singing she only tells stories she feels proud to tell. The narratives that she helps to spin, like her recent single, often focus on strong women. When she sat down to write “Loud” with two other writers, Alita and Paris Carney, she had the intention of creating a song specifically for the voices of women. While the song was birthed by mid-quarantine zoom seshes within the frame of a laptop, Sofia dedicated the song to all the women of the world.
Sofia said her dedication springs from her mom, who, “was the voice that raised me to be loud.” And, Sofia expressed gratitude and pride towards the “generation of strong women” who “constantly inspire” her. She mentioned Malala, Greta, and other standout women who prove there is strength is being loud. Other women that Sofia looks up to are Audrey Hepburn and Cher. Sofia said that she’s always been an “old soul,” and used to watch Cher’s concerts on her TV at home. For her, Audrey embodies a multifacetedness laced with grace, timelessness, a giving nature, as well as being a fellow UNICEF ambassador, just like Sofia is now. And of course, Sofia was obsessed with Disney, which would become her point of entry to both the acting and musical world.
Since her 2015-2019 starring role in the Descendants franchise, for which she also sang the soundtrack, Sofia has spread her wings and taken on roles in various films and shows, ranging from Ava in Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists to the voice of Pipp Petals in My Little Pony: A New Generation. She said that it was on the set of Pretty Little Liars five years ago that she was first approached by a director to help develop the upcoming film, Purple Hearts. For the film, Sofia Carson has gone even farther than her starring roles (though she is cast as Cassie, the star) and will be an executive producer as well. Not to mention that she’ll be recording the soundtrack too. Speaking on the character of Cassie, it is clear that Sofia approaches all of her roles with the intention to create positive change. She called Cassie a “loud woman” and said, “it's been extraordinary to develop her character and tell her stories.”
Through “Loud” and her chosen roles in the film world, it is evident Sofia is dedicated to uplifting marginalized voices. As a woman and a Latina, Sofia is acutely aware of the barriers that many young girls who wish to pursue music face. “Others don’t have access to my education,” she voiced. In her recent partnership with the Latin GRAMMY Foundation as a Global Ambassador, Sofia will be giving a full scholarship to one aspiring musician to attend Berklee College of Music. As a humanitarian, Sofia told us that the four-year scholarship will “change the life of a disadvantaged musician” and work to combat larger, systemic issues like closing the gender gap, inspiring women to chase their passions along the way. On encouraging this voice of change, Sofia suggested supporting Latin artists and films, uplifting the culture and history of Latin artists, and using your own voice to stand up. “Our voice is our greatest weapon,” she said. Be loud.
In addition to this ambassadorship, Sofia’s work as a UNICEF ambassador has been what she called “the greatest honor of my life.” As an activist and public figure, she traveled with UNICEF to Brazil where she saw the work that humanitarian organizations do, as well as so much else which remains to be done. Sofia told us about speaking to one Brazilian woman who claimed UNICEF had changed her life and the impact that it had upon her, inspiring her to continue fighting for kids and for good. Also with UNICEF, Sofia Carson drafted an op-ed to congress advocating for the Keeping Girls in School Act. As if that wasn’t enough, in December she also gave an address to the United Nations at a conference speaking on behalf of UNICEF. Sofia has been keeping busy since Descendants, as a standout activist and a creative.
“Loud” Cover Artwork
Speaking on balancing this incredible stack of commitments, Sofia admitted that balance was something that she had to find and that was a struggle. Because her work requires her to be both a straight-laced businesswoman and a creative, there are two lives to manage. In order to do this, Sofia said that she often puts her phone on airplane mode when she’s in the studio. “I want to create authentically, live freely in the moment.” Likewise, with film, Sofia said she leaves her phone in the trailer so that she can be fully immersed, not distracted by the pinging of notifications or one of her other ventures.
Since the release of “Loud,” the song has sparked a hashtag movement, #MadeToBeLOUD, which shows that Sofia has struck a chord with young women around the globe. She said, “I feel connected to [fans] through social media. It’s not my song, but ours.” Giving the song to girls, and telling them that they do have the agency to be loud, is a mark of Sofia’s commitment to others. In all of her creative productions, Sofia places others first, leading the way to a more just and equitable future. As Sofia continues in 2022, she told us that she aims to “give every day my all” and that we can expect more from her in terms of music and being loud. Keep an eye and ear out for the release of Purple Hearts too, which is coming later this year. And to the fans who have loved Sofia since she was Evie, she said, “They’re always in mind. I love them dearly.”
The songs that Sofia has written have always come from her heart. She told us that in both acting and singing she only tells stories she feels proud to tell. The narratives that she helps to spin, like her recent single, often focus on strong women. When she sat down to write “Loud” with two other writers, Alita and Paris Carney, she had the intention of creating a song specifically for the voices of women. While the song was birthed by mid-quarantine zoom seshes within the frame of a laptop, Sofia dedicated the song to all the women of the world.
Sofia said her dedication springs from her mom, who, “was the voice that raised me to be loud.” And, Sofia expressed gratitude and pride towards the “generation of strong women” who “constantly inspire” her. She mentioned Malala, Greta, and other standout women who prove there is strength is being loud. Other women that Sofia looks up to are Audrey Hepburn and Cher. Sofia said that she’s always been an “old soul,” and used to watch Cher’s concerts on her TV at home. For her, Audrey embodies a multifacetedness laced with grace, timelessness, and a giving nature, as well as being a fellow UNICEF ambassador, just like Sofia is now. And of course, Sofia was obsessed with Disney, which would become her point of entry to both the acting and musical world.
Since her 2015-2019 starring role in the Descendants franchise, for which she also sang the soundtrack, Sofia has spread her wings and taken on roles in various films and shows, ranging from Ava in Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists to the voice of Pipp Petals in My Little Pony: A New Generation. She said that it was on the set of Pretty Little Liars five years ago that she was first approached by a director to help develop the upcoming film, Purple Hearts. For the film, Sofia Carson has gone even farther than her starring roles (though she is cast as Cassie, the star) and will be an executive producer as well. Not to mention that she’ll be recording the soundtrack too. Speaking on the character of Cassie, it is clear that Sofia approaches all of her roles with the intention to create positive change. She called Cassie a “loud woman” and said, “it's been extraordinary to develop her character and tell her stories.”
Through “Loud” and her chosen roles in the film world, it is evident Sofia is dedicated to uplifting marginalized voices. As a woman and a Latina, Sofia is acutely aware of the barriers that many young girls who wish to pursue music face. “Others don’t have access to my education.” In her recent partnership with the Latin GRAMMY Foundation as a Global Ambassador, Sofia will be giving a full scholarship to one aspiring musician to attend Berklee College of Music. As a humanitarian, Sofia told us that the four-year scholarship will “change the life of a disadvantaged musician” and work to combat larger, systemic issues like closing the gender gap, inspiring women to chase their passions along the way. On encouraging this voice of change, Sofia suggested supporting Latin artists and films, uplifting the culture and history of Latin artists, and using your own voice to stand up. “Our voice is our greatest weapon.” Be loud.
In addition to this ambassadorship, Sofia’s work as a UNICEF ambassador has been what she called “the greatest honor of my life.” As an activist and public figure, she traveled with UNICEF to Brazil where she saw the work that humanitarian organizations do, as well as so much else which remains to be done. Sofia told us about speaking to one Brazilian woman who claimed UNICEF had changed her life and the impact that it had upon her, inspiring her to continue fighting for kids and for good. Also with UNICEF, Sofia Carson drafted an op-ed to congress advocating for the Keeping Girls in School Act. As if that wasn’t enough, in December she also gave an address to the United Nations at a conference speaking on behalf of UNICEF. Sofia has been keeping busy since Descendants, as a standout activist and a creative.
Speaking on balancing this incredible stack of commitments, Sofia admitted that balance was something that she had to find and that was a struggle. Because her work requires her to be both a straight-laced businesswoman and a creative, there are two lives to manage. In order to do this, Sofia said that she often puts her phone on airplane mode when she’s in the studio. “I want to create authentically, live freely in the moment.” Likewise with film, Sofia said she leaves her phone in the trailer so that she can be fully immersed, not distracted by the pinging of notifications or one of her other ventures.
Since the release of “Loud,” the song has sparked a hashtag movement, #MadeToBeLOUD, which shows that Sofia has struck a chord with young women around the globe. She said, “I feel connected to [fans] through social media. It’s not my song, but ours.” Giving the song to girls, and telling them that they do have the agency to be loud, is a mark of Sofia’s commitment to others. In all of her creative productions, Sofia places others first, leading the way to a more just and equitable future. As Sofia continues in 2022, she told us that she aims to “give every day my all” and that we can expect more from her in terms of music and being loud. Keep an eye and ear out for the release of Purple Hearts too, which is coming later this year. And to the fans who have loved Sofia since she was Evie, she said, “They’re always in mind. I love them dearly.”