Hi Caitlin! Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with me! To start us off would you mind explaining to anyone who isn't already familiar with what kind of content you make?

Hi! Thanks so much for reaching out. I’m excited to get into it. So, for anyone who doesn’t know, I run a music reaction channel. Basically, I film myself listening to music for the first time. Sometimes I cover music from my long-time favorite artists and sometimes I cover artists I’ve never listened to before. I listen to albums, watch music videos and just chat about my favorite music. As someone who is extremely passionate about music, it’s really fun getting to share that excitement with people.

You’ve been creating online for years! When you look back at those early videos in comparison to now, what do you see as the biggest difference creatively?

Oh man. I have such a hard time looking back at my old content. I think that’s something that a lot of creators will say because it just feels so weird and so cringey. Honestly, the biggest difference that I notice is confidence. I am so much more comfortable on camera now than I was 3 years ago and that makes a huge difference. But in terms of the creative aspects of my videos, I think my editing is what has changed the most. I love video editing and have really explored different ways to make my reactions more interesting through the editing process over the years.

Music is such a healing thing, and I would imagine that getting to not only heal through listening to the music but also through connecting about those shared experiences adds another layer onto that, can you pinpoint an album that you made a video for that really felt like a needed therapy session?

Anyone who watches my videos knows what’s coming…. folklore. By Taylor Swift. That is my favorite album of all time and listening to it for the first time was essentially a 90 minute sob fest. I was really going through it when that album dropped (I mean, weren’t we all?) and it just spoke to me on so many levels. Of course, I did film my reaction and that video has become quite infamous in my community. Even though a lot of people think that I faked tears for views or that I should be embarrassed for posting that on the internet - I don’t regret it. Yes, it is weird to look back on since I feel so far removed from that person, but I also think about the countless messages and comments I have received from people who have told me how that video helped them feel seen when they were going through a rough patch. I’ve always said it’s okay the be emotionally vulnerable and I stand by that.

You’ve dove into so many artists on the channel, has there been an artist whose discography was such a surprise to you, that now you've become a full-fledged fan? 

So many! One of my favorite things about having a reaction channel is that I have discovered so much music that I probably would have never listened to otherwise. Some of those artists include Sabrina Carpenter, Lizzy McAlpine, SZA, Gracie Abrams, Noah Kahan…. the list is so long. BUT - there is one artist, or should I say group, that changed me in ways I truly never expected and that is 5 Seconds of Summer. Growing up I had heard of 5SOS, but never really got into them because I had a total misunderstanding of who they were. I really thought they were a boy band whose music all sounded like ‘She Looks So Perfect’. When I decided to check out their discography on the channel, I quickly realized how wrong I was. They completely blew me away and now I’m a full blown fan-girl for them. Seen them in concert 3 times, own a ridiculous amount of their merch, listen to them non-stop… it’s been a great journey.

I have to throw in a question here as a fellow swiftie, I've always loved how insightful you are regarding Taylor’s music and was wondering if there is a specific lyric of hers that you are as blown away by hearing it now as you were the first time you heard it?

Oh my gosh, thank you for giving me a platform to talk about Taylor’s most under appreciated song.Happiness from evermore. It is in my top 5 favorite Taylor songs and I am truly blown away by the lyrics every single time I listen to it. If you don’t know the song, I encourage you to go give it a listen, and I mean a real listen. I could write an entire paper on this song, and go into deep analysis over every single line, BUT let’s just look at verse 3 for now

.Honey, when I'm above the trees

I see it for what it is

But now my eyes leak acid rain on the pillow where you used to lay your head

After giving you the best I had

Tell me what to give after that

All you want from me now is the green light of forgiveness

You haven't met the new me yet

And I think she'll give you that

I mean, are you KIDDING ME?! I love the way she plays with the concept of “the new me” throughout this song. She says she hasn’t met the new version of herself yet because she hasn’t quite healed to that point, but maybe that version of herself will learn to forgive. But for now, she can’t let it go. Again, I could go on forever about this one, but I’ll leave you with that. Maybe I should make a video on it…

As you look into the future, say five years what is your long-term goal for the channel, or for yourself outside of the channel, if expanding on that isn't think long term goals? Is there another avenues in the online realm you'd like to explore?

It’s really hard for me to think long term if I’m honest. Everything is so unpredictable when you make the kind of content that I do. A couple years ago I did create another channel called she’s scared where I react to horror movies which has been an absolute blast. I also stream gaming on Twitch a few times a week. So I feel like I’m going to continue to go with the flow. I’m not afraid to jump around from thing to thing as they interest me. So it’s really as much a mystery to me right now as it to you.

One thing that I've really loved about seeing the wave of reaction/review channels rise and become so beloved amongst fans is seeing the community you guys have found with fellow creators, and the way everyone supports everyone, do you feel that to be true?  

The chances of me shedding some tears while I write this are SO incredibly high, because yes, absolutely. Over my years of creating these videos, I have had the opportunity to interact with so many fellow creators. Sometimes we’re there to help each other out with tech issues. Sometimes we bounce ideas off each other. Sometimes we create things together. And the coolest part is that I consider so many of these other creators to be my friends. I am so incredibly grateful to have gotten to know people such as, Michael Beveraggi, Anthony Aiken Jr, Ally Sheehan, KioshiWarrior, Alex Ray Music, cassiekarmadisco, HTHAZE, Steven in Stereo and so many others. (I know I’m forgetting names omg) But yes yes yes, having such an community of fellow music reactors around me is part of why I’m still doing what I do.

Creating content of any form online causes you to have to strike a balance between what to share and what to keep private, what do you find has been the biggest challenge about striking that balance? 

I feel that I’ve always been pretty honest and up-front online. It feels so wrong for me to be inauthentic in any way. I’ve also always been all for emotional honesty so you will see that come through in my videos quite a bit. The only types of things I choose to keep private are things that involve other people. I’m not about to share anything regarding other peoples’ lives online. I don’t really find it challenging at this point. I just kinda know what I do want to share and the few things that I don’t.

On a similar note, particularly as a reaction/review-based creator you are interacting directly with these giant fanbases, people who are so passionate and will flood comment sections with suggestions, and commentary on your commentary, how do you handle all of that feedback? 

I have had quite the journey with this. When I first started out, I would let the slightest bit of negative feedback ruin my entire day. Over the years, I’ve just cared less and less. The reality is that you can never please everybody. And when it comes to the world of fandoms, people are very defensive when you don’t love the same things they do. You just have to recognize that people are so quick to dump their negative emotions on a stranger through a screen and that you can’t take it personally.

Once again, thank you so much for chatting! As we wrap up, where do you see your channel heading? What is on the horizon?

Luckily, this is looking like a great year for music. So many projects are dropping in the coming months that I am so excited to cover. The Tortured Poets Department is definitely number 1 for me right now. But outside of straight album reactions, I hope to continue to find ways to do some more creative videos as well. I enjoy pushing the boundaries of what a ‘reaction video’ can be and hopefully I can create some cool stuff this year. Thank you so much for having me! This is the first time I’ve ever done anything like this and I really enjoyed it.