Born in Tempe Arizona, Frankie Rae, a 16-year-old Arizona native who eventually became a Bay Area transplant after a family move, just released her debut album titled, “Honestly, it’s just embarrassing.” 

To search for Frankie Rae online can be a bit daunting when at least two other artists have the same name (although this Frankie Rae is the only teen) but when you do locate her music, the search will have been worth it. It will likely be faster to search one of two ways for teen artist Frankie Rae, either by the album name “Honestly, it’s just embarrassing” or her Instagram page  https://www.instagram.com/frankie.rae.music/

While this reporter is familiar with the young artist, her album was a bit of an unexpected feat and apparently, Frankie Rae surprised a lot of people with its release. 

Music, according to Frankie Rae, has been the single strongest inspiration of her life. 

When asked about how she landed on the name of her album, “Honestly, it’s just embarrassing” she told Northeast Valley News, “So, like a lot of the songs that I wrote on the album, I wrote when I was like 14, so releasing an album and having my peers listen to it now, I was a little nervous— and this was kind of a goofy way to be like, yeah—this is what I’ve been doing.” 

At the ripe old age of 16 Frankie Rae says she’s actually already “moved past” some of the songs on her “Honestly” album and has written several new ones, even performing acoustically with her guitar via her Instagram account. 

Frankie Rae’s creative process, she says, is pieced together amid the experiences she works through.

“I, well, whenever I listen to songs that I like, I really pay attention to the lyrics and the production and stuff and I learn a lot by listening. For the songwriting process I guess I tend to go write a song when something I’m going through, or an emotion I’m having is too big and I just need to get it off my chest. I was actually just explaining it to a friend the other day who had a similar question. I guess I view it more as like a puzzle—when you’re songwriting you have to pay attention to like structure, rhyme sequence, you know, like all that, and it allows me to kind of escape into the “puzzleness” of it and not really think about what I’m actually writing or how I’m actually feeling ,you know, then it allows it to be set free and a weight is lifted off me.”

Creating music came early for her.

“My first memories of creating music…well they were like little jingles I used to write when I was like five and I would be like, ‘oh, I just wrote this’ and I would show my mom, and it was all goofy.” 

Frankie Rae says there isn’t just one song in particular on her debut album that resonates in a stronger way personally, but there were definitely lyrics in some of the songs that sprung up during writing and she found herself at the time thinking, “Yes!”

Still attending high school and living in Mountain View California, Frankie Rae wasn’t quite sure how to answer when asked where she sees herself in five years.

“I see myself definitely having some kind of music in my life—always. I’m a junior in high school and I’ll be in college by then—but my worst fear is that I go to school for music and then it becomes more of a job than an outlet, so I really don’t know yet if I’m going to go to school for music.”

“Music has been the constant in my life, it’s always been there and there’s nothing else that really meets me where it’s at.” 

Her debut album, “Honestly, it’s just embarrassing,” can be found on all streaming platforms, Spotify, Apple and YouTube music.

Longtime Arizona music and radio pro offers insight on teen album

Longtime Arizona radio personality, Paul Peterson, now retired, was in the music business for 35 years. 

He worked as a radio air talent (jock) on the morning, afternoon drive and midday show in several major radio markets including long stints with the Zone and KDKB radio in Phoenix. Peterson also wore the “boss” hat as the Program Director and Music Director and was often tasked with picking new music to play on the air. 

“I just used my ear,” Peterson said with regard to recognizing possible hits. 

“That’s how I would find and pick out the new gems or what I knew the audience already craved. If it was an artist they really liked, of course I would pay attention, although many times if I wasn’t in love with the same music that the record companies were pushing, I just wouldn’t play it, and that did not go over well especially in LA,” Peterson laughingly told Northeast Valley News.  

He admitted that music is discovered differently today—paused and then added—good music always finds its way. 

“Young people get their music online now and most are not listening to radio, but the raw elements of a hit remain the same. New music is being unearthed as kids tell each other about a song or an artist—then they pull the video up, share and then it’s out.” 

Though retired now, Peterson’s days, much like Frankie Rae’s, are filled with music. There’s almost always music playing in his home—he’s designed his own “classic playlist” that would likely go over well today with audiences young and older—and Peterson is always open to new music. 

“Age isn’t discriminatory when it comes to recognizing talent and amazing music,” Peterson said. 

“I’m always looking for something that sounds like—well, do I want to hear this again?”

“There’s a reason why 50 years ago the song, “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey is still being listened to, even by young people.”

When asked about Frankie Rae’s new album, “Honestly, it’s just embarrassing” Peterson told Northeast Valley News exactly “who” her music is going to appeal to and why. “She has a unique sound and mature depth of life experiences.” 

“At her age—this is music for women, because she is speaking very strongly from the voice of a young woman and what she has been through and what she has seen.”

Then Peterson leaned in and with a grin said, “You’ve only got to have one hit song that kids find and women find—one hit song.” 

He believes her album, holds two potential hits, “Unbreaking and “You Like to Lie.” 

Peterson said even though her new album doesn’t feature Frankie Rae performing acoustically on her guitar, (although her Instagram posts do) he thinks this talent, in particular, is huge. 

“The fact that she plays an instrument at all in the days of over produced studio music will be compelling to kids. 

“Add that unique voice and her acoustic flair—this, in my opinion, will definitely appeal to them,” Peterson said. 

“It’s also refreshing that she doesn’t go on about herself—she obviously just wants to be a musician.”

“I love the album cover, I think it’s genius—is that actually her wearing the bag over her head?” Peterson asked, (yes, it is her). 

“I think this young girl knows what she’s doing and her audience will invest in Frankie Rae.”