[Exclusive] Kylie Cantrall Says Y2K Nostalgia Is “Always Going to Be Sprinkled” Into Her Music

Kylie Cantrall isn’t trying to recreate the Y2K era. According to the singer, those nostalgic sounds naturally find their way into her music because of what she grew up listening to.

During a recent press conference, TokkiStar asked Cantrall about the Y2K aesthetics and nostalgia incorporated into her music, particularly on songs like “Carrie Bradshaw” and “Closet,” and how she makes those influences feel uniquely hers instead of simply nostalgic.

Cantrall revealed that she doesn’t actually enter the studio with the intention of making a Y2K-inspired song.

“I have never really gone in with the thought of, today I’m going to make a Y2K sounding song that feels nostalgic,” she explained.

Instead, those sounds and melodies tend to appear naturally in her creative process.

“I feel like just offhand, naturally, I always kind of gravitate towards sounds and melodies that do kind of have that essence to them without me even being consciously aware of it,” Cantrall said.

Her Love of ’90s and 2000s R&B Started at Home

For Cantrall, the connection to that era goes back to childhood.

She recalled her father regularly playing ’90s and 2000s R&B around the house, introducing her to artists including Brandy, TLC, Aaliyah, Britney Spears and Janet Jackson. That early exposure ultimately helped shape her musical taste and, in turn, the sounds she gravitates toward today. Cantrall believes the music you’re introduced to as a child can have a lasting impact on your artistic instincts.

“Growing up, like my dad, he would always play like ’90s, 2000s R&B,” she said, before naming some of the artists she grew up hearing.

Rather than deliberately chasing nostalgia, Cantrall seems to view those influences as part of her musical DNA.

“I feel like it’s always going to be sprinkled into everything I do, even without me kind of being aware of it,” she added.

That distinction is important. While Y2K-inspired pop has become increasingly visible in today’s music landscape, Cantrall isn’t approaching the aesthetic as a trend she needs to recreate. Her connection to the sound comes from personal experience.

Photo Credit: Ghalia Kriaa

Her latest EP, Valley Girl Problems, continues that blend of modern pop with nostalgic influences. The project features “Carrie Bradshaw,” while “Closet” has also become part of the visual and sonic identity surrounding the release. Valley Girl Problems was released in July and includes nine tracks.

The Mary J. Blige Connection in “Closet”

During the conversation, I also had to give Cantrall some love for “Closet,” particularly its use of a Mary J. Blige sample.

And it turns out that sample wasn’t part of the song from the beginning. Cantrall revealed that the sample was added after the song had already been written and recorded. The suggestion came from her A&R, Wendy Goldstein, who felt that the song could benefit from the Mary J. Blige sample. Cantrall’s reaction? She immediately understood why.

“I was like, girl, like, I know you saw that on my playlist,” she joked.

She then gave Goldstein a shout-out for the suggestion.

The moment was a perfect example of how Cantrall’s personal musical influences can intersect with the people helping shape her current sound. What may feel nostalgic to listeners is also something deeply familiar to Cantrall herself.

A Sound That Comes Naturally

Cantrall’s answer offers an interesting perspective on nostalgia in pop music. Rather than deliberately trying to sound like another era, she’s allowing the music that shaped her childhood to naturally influence the music she’s creating now.

The result is a sound that can feel familiar without necessarily being a direct recreation of the past.

For Cantrall, the Y2K influence isn’t simply an aesthetic she’s putting on. It’s something that’s already been part of her musical identity for years.

And judging by her answer, listeners can expect those ’90s and 2000s influences to continue showing up throughout her music, whether she’s consciously planning for them or not.