Photo by Jordyn Rivera

Malena Smith had thought through nearly everything: what it would be like to be a musician, to put out an album, to win a Grammy. But she had not considered the implications of making a music video.

“When it came down to it, I was like ‘Oh my gosh, am I gonna be good at this?'” Smith, a 2012 graduate of KHS and current music major at Meramec, said. “It was really very nerve-racking.”

But once she got in front of the camera and relaxed, she began to enjoy herself.

Smith has dreamed of making music since she was a child, and her family has always been there, “110 percent supportive.” They keep her grounded, she said, and remind her of the importance of completing her education. All the while, she dreams of modeling her career after the likes of Adele.

“I absolutely adore Adele,” she said, “and I listen to everything from country to jazz, from pop to rap, anything. I get inspiration from a lot of different genres and I think it helps me form my own [style].”

On Dec. 12, Smith released her debut EP Commencement through the Tumblr page she shares with producer Dylan Brady and rapper Robel “Roh Bee” Ketema, also 2012 KHS graduates. Her Twitter account was immediately awash in praise.

For the video to the EP’s track “Release Me,” Smith and director Danny Zofness, KHS walking counselor, settled on “a very mellow but powerful theme,” she said. “He recommended Chubb Trail, and it was exactly what I was envisioning but even better.”

Smith is grateful for the vast amounts of support she has received from everyone around her.

“I think my favorite part of this has been getting to share this, to share my passion, with my friends,” she said. “As an artist, if you’re going to share your talent with people you don’t know what they’re going to say. It definitely turned out so, so good. I’m really pleased.”

You can watch Malena’s video above and download Commencement here.