“Be Nice Princess” by Julia Kate explores the tension between kindness and self-empowerment. In this interview, Julia shares how humor, honesty, and growth shaped her sound, vision, and voice.
- “Be nice princess” feels both playful and deeply personal. What inspired you to explore the idea of “niceness” — and how did that phrase become such a powerful anchor for the song?
The song actually started as kind of a joke. My co-writer, Nick Rosen, and I were stuck on searching for new ideas until we started scrolling through Instagram, and saw this meme that just said, “be nice princess.” It made us laugh, but it also hit this nerve for me personally. What does it actually mean to always be the “nice” girl? The phrase became this perfect mix of humor and truth, which is basically what the song is about. Trying to be kind and a good person without letting people walk all over you. - You’ve described the song as a reflection on friendship and boundaries. Was there a specific moment or experience that made you realize you wanted to write about outgrowing certain relationships?
I think everyone reaches a point where you realize some friendships aren’t growing with you and that’s always hard to come to grips with. “Be nice princess” isn’t about one specific person, but more about that feeling of realizing you’ve changed and not everyone’s meant to come with you. There’s grief in that realization, but also freedom. - The song blends catchy pop energy with emotional honesty. How do you find that balance between being vulnerable and still keeping things fun and light?
I don’t think it has to be one or the other. I love when songs sound fun but still hit you in the chest when you really listen to it closely. For me, writing is therapy, but production is play. Nick and I leaned into that. If a lyric felt heavy, we wrapped it in something sparkly. It’s like, dancing and crying at the same time.
- The music video reimagines Alice in Wonderland in such a whimsical, self-aware way. What drew you to that concept, and what was it like bringing that pastel dreamworld to life with your sister and friends?
I’ve always loved Alice in Wonderland. My dad has some photos of me when I was Alice for Halloween when I was like 6 or 7. In fact, my dad and I came up with the Alice in Wonderland concept for the video, but I have to credit the director, Jennifer Montgomery, for flushing it out. Jennifer and her husband, Andrew Davis, who was the DP, came up with all the weird, colorful and a little unhinged look and feel for the video, which felt right for this song. In it, I play Alice, and my sister Ella and some of our friends are the other characters, so it was chaotic in the best way. It wasn’t about recreating the story of Alice but using it as a way to show how it feels when the world tells you to stay small and smile. It’s fun, but also honest. - Your previous single “angel” was more meditative and spiritual, while “be nice princess” has this cheeky, confident edge. What connects these two songs for you emotionally or creatively?
They’re kind of like opposite sides of the same coin. “angel” is about loss and hope. I had just lost my one-year-old cat unexpectedly this summer and it brought up a lot of emotions. His passing also brought up memories of the unfortunate deaths of three friends who passed away very young. They were very dear to me, and they all influenced me creatively, so the song became my therapy for coping with the premature death of loved ones. If you look at the song art, all those little images are representative of these individual friends, and my cat, who all passed away too early. “be nice princess” is about being alive and messy and figuring out your boundaries. Yet, both are about growth, just in totally different ways. - You’ve mentioned that “be nice princess” felt freeing to make. As you look ahead to 2026 and more releases, how do you hope your music continues to evolve — both sonically and personally?
I want to keep being honest, even when it’s uncomfortable. I’m still figuring out my sound, but I think every song brings me closer and I definitely see a lot of growth in my more recent releases. I don’t think my earlier music is cringey or anything like that, and I love that my friends still request I play some of the earlier songs when I perform live, but I want to keep making music that feels human and relatable. My next release will be a song called “truce,” which is about body image. Who can’t identify with body image issues, right? So, my goal is to create relatable music that might be a little sad, a little funny, and a little hopeful.
https://www.juliakatemusic.com/
