Gabrielle Aplin has admitted she finds social media “difficult” and often feels “exposed” after posting about her life online.
The singer-songwriter, whose first major hit was a cover of Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s The Power of Love which featured in the 2012 John Lewis Christmas Advert, said her job means she feels a pressure to be “visible online.”
But the 27-year-old admitted she feels “less sad” when not active on social media.
She told the Evening Standard: “As an independent artist, I have a duty to interact with my fans and say thank you. I think that is really important.
“But I struggle with how to be honest and genuine without feeling exposed. I find it strange and difficult.”
Aplin added: “My phone died recently – It ran out of battery and never turned back on. And I had no phone for a few days. I was noticeably less sad.
“I feel like there is a pressure to be visible online. But then when you are releasing music it is a valuable tool. It’s tricky.”
The Chippenham-born artist was speaking around the launch of her latest single, Like You Say You Do, which is about social media.
“I had been watching a lot of Black Mirror when I wrote it,” she said. “[The song] is really quite dark when I think about it. It is about how we entertain relationships online and in the real world.”
Aplin’s third album, Dear Happy, is out Friday, January 17.
