How Kylie Cantrall Playfully Tackled Double Standards in Dating With New Single ‘Boy for a Day’
As 2024 rolls to a close, there's no denying the stardom of actress and singer-songwriter Kylie Cantrall.
This summer, she starred as the titular Red in the record-breaking Disney Channel Original Movie Descendants: The Rise of Red, serving as the perfect showcase of both her acting and musical chops. She's made quite a name for herself as an artist with her "10 Minute" series on TikTok, writing songs in just 10 minutes based on three words selected by her fans, and her millions of monthly Spotify listeners don't lie. Before she drops her next EP at the start of 2025, she'll also be performing at Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, taking the same stage as Dan + Shay, Coco Jones, Idina Menzel, T-Pain, Rachel Platten and so many more.
Plus, last week Kylie dropped her latest track, "Boy for a Day," a lush R&B track calling out boys for their less-than-stellar behavior while sharing what she'd do if she were in their shoes. We had the pleasure of hopping on a Zoom call with Kylie earlier this week to get the inside scoop on the song and so much more. Read it all in the interview below.
The Story Behind 'Boy for a Day'
Kylie Cantrall: It was definitely amalgamation between the experiences of me and my friends—our dating mishaps and the trial and error that comes with dating dudes in this day and age. It's slim pickin's out here. Sabrina knew what she was saying with that one.
There's definitely a culture and a double-standard between what guys can get away with versus girls. We have this " boys will be boys" attitude when it comes to the things boys do that aren't so great. That really bothered me, and I wanted to say, let's end that right now. I wanted to expand on these really silly yet frustrating things that guys do that get overlooked and dusted off.
I had so much fun while writing it and being able to look back on some of the funny things I've experienced. Now, I can laugh about it and tell that story in a playful way. That was the sweet spot for this song—playful while coming from a true place where I could express my true and authentic feelings on these dudes.
What Kylie Hopes Listeners Take Away From 'Boy for a Day'
KC: It's so funny, one of my guy friends actually texted me yesterday and he was like, "I can't let the bros know, but I really mess with 'Boy for a Day.'" Even my guy friends have responded really well to the song.
At the end of the day, I want everyone to be able to enjoy it and to find something they like about it. Even if dudes are like, "Dang, these lyrics are a little shady," at least they can vibe on the track and its sound. You don't have to pay close attention to the lyrics! You don't need to dissect that.
On the other hand, I want it to empower every girl that hears it and bring girlies together. Maybe they can even share their own dating mishaps and experiences. I actually did that as a promo for the song—got all of my friends together and sat them down in this portrait studio and I asked them different questions about guys that they've dated—gifts they've gotten from guys, the weirdest compliments they've gotten from guys. It was such a bonding moment for all of us to talk about our different experiences and laugh about some and get serious about others. The goal with the song is to start that conversation.
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Kylie's Favorite Dating Mishap Stories
KC: I just posted one of the teasers for that interview piece I did with my friends. I asked them about the weirdest gifts they've gotten from a guy, and there were some really funny responses.
My bestie said that she got a different girl's sweatpants regifted to her, and my other friend got a three-page poem, front-to-back. My story is that a guy I dated got me a soap dispenser. All of my friends started cracking up and even everyone in the comments was like, "Girl, what? That's not even real."
It's moments like that that let me look back and laugh about it, and hopefully make others laugh, too. But yeah—it's rough out here.
(Photo credit: Edwig Henson)
Kylie's Favorite Lyric
KC: I really like the lyrics in the second verse because they're more specific and a little more silly. "Roll outta bed lookin' a mess, but it's fine. 10 minutes or less, throw on some sweats and dirty slides."
That's what I think of the male experience—it takes them 10 minutes to get ready. That's one of the things I think us girls glamorize the most about what it would be like to be a guy. They don't have to do anything to get ready. Part of being a girl is like two hours of glam to get the face beat and the hair done. That was something I really wanted to talk about, aside from all the serious stuff—just how easy it is for them to get ready.
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What's Next
KC: I'm releasing an EP at the top of the year. I'm still trying to figure out whether it's going to be six or seven songs. I might just turn it into a full album. I definitely have enough songs for it. It's hard trying to and narrow it down to which ones are going to be on the EP versus what to save for down the road. I'm playing that game right now, and maybe heading back to Wonderland soon.
(Photo credit: Edwig Henson)
For more on our recent favorite releases, click HERE to read our interview with ROREY on her latest single, "Soho Grand."