Rising from heartbreak, grief, and personal change, artist WHATSHERNAME is stepping into a brand-new chapter with honesty and strength. In a recent conversation with REVERB, she opened up about loss, healing, rediscovering herself, and creating music that feels like “a love letter to starting over.”

Before becoming WHATSHERNAME, she performed under the name Jordan Michelle, a tribute to her late brother, Jordan, who passed away in 2013. “He was a musician,” she explained, saying the name originally felt like the perfect way to honor him. But after years filled with difficult experiences, including a painful breakup and the sudden loss of her father, she realized she needed a fresh start.

“The name WHATSHERNAME felt like an artistic and personal rebirth,” she shared. Starting over allowed her to separate herself from old relationships, old expectations, and people who once tried to shape her career. For the first time in a long time, she felt fully in control of her own identity and creativity. “It felt so freeing to me that they could no longer take credit,” she said while describing the emotional shift behind the new project.

REVERB described the change perfectly by telling her, “You took back your power.” WHATSHERNAME agreed immediately, explaining that this new era has been deeply connected to independence and healing. Even in her personal life, she explained how important it has become to have a space that belongs entirely to her. After everything she has gone through, creating stability for herself matters more than ever.

When talking about the emotional world of her music, WHATSHERNAME explained that her newest EP, This Can’t Be It For Me, captures the feeling of rebuilding your life after hitting rock bottom. The project moves through sadness, hope, anger, freedom, and self-discovery. She described it as “my story, what I’ve been through, and in this case, starting over.”

The title track reflects the moment where she realized she needed more from life. “This can’t be it,” became both a question and a declaration. From there, the EP follows an emotional journey. Songs like “Doing Great” focus on how lonely grief can feel, especially when people assume someone is okay just because they appear fine online. She spoke honestly about how frustrating it was to hear people say things like “looks like you’re killing it” while she was privately struggling with immense grief after losing her father.

“That’s one thing that tends to happen,” she explained while discussing loss. “People forget. But to me, it’s still super fresh and raw.” Her openness throughout the interview highlighted one of the strongest themes of the EP: just because someone looks okay on the outside does not mean they are not hurting.

Other songs on the project reflect different stages of healing. “Drastic Measures” captures the feeling of wanting to completely restart your life, while “Monster” represents taking power back from anxiety, depression, and fear. By the end of the EP, the final track “Wasted” embraces freedom and learning to live life on your own terms. “I’m ready to just live my life,” she said. “I don’t care what society expects.”

WHATSHERNAME also spoke about how stepping away from music for over a year helped her rebuild a healthier relationship with creating art. Before the break, she felt trapped in a mindset where every song needed to be perfect. “I developed this really toxic relationship with creating art,” she admitted. Eventually, she returned to songwriting simply because she loved it again, not because she was trying to prove something to anyone else.

REVERB mentioned that the EP carried a nostalgic pop-rock and pop-punk energy that reminded them of the early 2000s. WHATSHERNAME laughed and agreed, explaining that artists like Ashlee Simpson, Green Day, Avril Lavigne, Halsey, and Paramore have all shaped her music in different ways. Still, she made it clear that she wants to honor those influences while creating something uniquely her own.

“I think those influences are always going to be in my music forever,” she said. “And it’s okay to have those influences.”

At its heart, This Can’t Be It For Me is about survival, rediscovery, and learning how to move forward after life changes you completely. Through vulnerable songwriting and emotionally honest storytelling, WHATSHERNAME is not only introducing listeners to a new era of music; she’s introducing them to the strongest version of herself yet.