Paul Simon's Daughter Grew Up To Be Stunning
Paul Simon is the father of four children, but he only has one daughter, Lulu Simon. Music is integral to Lulu's life and always has been. "We used to make up songs as we were walking through Central Park or in the bath," she told People in 2019 about her childhood. "We would always just write music."
As an adult, she has put herself in the spotlight as she forges a career as a musician. Still, her songs are nothing like her father's because she has worked hard to differentiate herself. As for what you can expect from Lulu? Think of music you'd like to sing along to and dance to. "I wanted all of my songs to feel like songs to listen to in the car," she told People. "One of my favorite things ever is to be in the car blasting such a f***ing bop ... those moments when you're like, this is such a perfect moment, and I never, I don't want this song to end."
It's not just music that she's interested in; you'll also find her binge-watching her favorite series when the leaves start to fall. "Every autumn, I rewatch 'Gilmore Girls' as a means of self-soothing," she told Heart Eyes Magazine in 2020. "I don't do so well with change, and the changing of the seasons makes me uncomfortable and sad." This is Lulu Simon and her fascinating life.
Growing up, she was always surrounded by music
Lulu Simon is Paul Simon and Edie Brickell's daughter, and growing up in a household with two talented musicians meant music was always part of her childhood. "I come from a family of musicians, so I feel really lucky to have their support but also their input," Lulu told VoyageLA in 2019. "I don't trust anyone's musicality or ears the way I trust theirs."
For Lulu, being surrounded by musicians allowed her to explore her own musical talent in a safe space. "[I]t was incredibly supportive and nurturing; it made me feel like I could do it on my own," she told Glitter magazine in 2020. As a child, she learned to play the guitar and the piano. "I feel like learning to play an instrument when you're young is such a gift," she said. And in the same interview, she reflected on how music has helped her overcome her fears. She recalled a time at Disney World when she was afraid to ride the Space Mountain roller coaster. Her older brother, Adrian Simon, gave her advice that stuck with her. "He told me to sing my favorite song if I was feeling scared and that it would help me feel better. So in the middle of Space Mountain, in the dark, I was just belting out [Queen's], 'Bohemian Rhapsody,'" she said.
Lulu Simon is a singer and a songwriter
Lulu Simon is a singer whose focus is on a genre she refers to as "sensitive pop," but she also writes her own material. She has done this since childhood, when she discovered a love for songwriting thanks to Britney Spears' song "Lucky." When Lulu was 6, she was so inspired by the track that it was her birthday wish to have written it, she told VoyageLA.
"[E]ver since that moment, I knew I wanted to write songs and make music, which I started doing when I was 12," she said. "Since then, I've probably written around 100 songs, most of which could be categorized as 'singer-songwriter' music." Her music is personal and reflects her own story. "I mean, basically everything I write is the product of some kind of life experience," she told Beyond the Stage in 2022. "I don't know that I would be able to write any of the music I've written if I hadn't lived the life I've lived thus far."
In the years since the 2019 release of her debut track, "Wasted," the "I Wanna Break Ur Heart" singer has felt she's evolved as an artist. "I think the biggest difference between 2019 Lulu and present-day Lulu is the experience," she told Hollywood Life in 2020. "I'm just learning all the time, writing banger after banger, learning to be confident in calling every song I write a 'banger.'"
She's a talented musician
Lulu Simon not only has a great voice and songwriting abilities to match, but she can also play instruments. She started with piano lessons and later learned guitar. "Knowing how to play piano made me more confident in my ability to learn guitar," she told Glitter.
She was so passionate about playing guitar that, as a child, she would sneak away to find the time. "I literally used to go into my bathroom and turn the water on and play guitar and sing very quietly," she told People. "I wasn't ready for people in my family to know that I was making music ... because I wanted to be sure of what I was doing."
Lulu has also posted videos and photos of herself online with electric and acoustic guitars, and the latter helped her songwriting abilities. "Just being able to hold my instrument in my hand and thus hold the power of song in my hand made it that much easier to write," she told Glitter. "It feels more personal to me to be able to sit down wherever and get cozy with my guitar and write."
Lulu Simon wasn't passionate about school
Lulu Simon knew from a young age that she was destined to be a musician. "I feel like I've always known this is what I was going to end up doing. It's destiny," she told Glitter. Having such focus at a young age could be viewed as both a blessing and a curse. Because Simon knew the career path she had set out for herself, she didn't have the same desire to study.
"It definitely hasn't always been an easy ride. I wanted so badly to drop out of school and focus on music, but that wasn't a possibility for me," she told Voyage LA. "So I had felt torn between what I had to do and what I wanted to do. After I graduated and was actually able to make music full time, I suddenly felt like really ill-equipped and unprepared." She did attend college, majoring in sociology. In another interview with Glitter in 2022, she joked that this made her "not qualified for any job in the world."
Luckily, things have worked out for Lulu just the way she intended. "I just love being able to make music. I feel so lucky that music is a part of my life and that I am able to create and express myself in this way. I really don't know what I would do if I couldn't," she told Beyond the Stage.
She wants to carve her own path
Lulu Simon was fortunate to be exposed to the music industry from a young age, but she wants to set herself apart from her famous parents. "It's really important to me that I find my own way in the music industry," she told Hollywood Life. "Both of my parents are extremely supportive and would be there for me should I ever need advice, but I'm enjoying figuring things out for myself, and I feel that's something I need to do."
She has also discussed how having musicians as parents can present a challenge. "I think it's really difficult not to get discouraged because comparison is unavoidable," she told Glitter. "I feel it's really hard not to look at someone else who is your age or younger than you, and to see their career excel in a way that yours isn't. And to look at yourself and say, 'What am I doing wrong?' It's really hard." Despite struggling with comparisons, she has continued to release music, proving her commitment to her career.
Lulu Simon a big fan of Carly Rae Jepsen
Other artists have inspired Lulu Simon, but there is one in particular she is drawn to: Carly Rae Jepsen. "I absolutely love Carly Rae Jepsen, she is my queen," she told Beyond the Stage. This is not the only time she has mentioned the "Call Me Maybe" singer. In a November 2018 interview with CelebMix, Simon revealed her "dream collaboration" would be with Jepsen.
Jepsen, specifically her 2015 album, "Emotion," has had a major impact on Simon. "I was like, 'Oh my gosh this music makes me feel better than any music has ever made me feel,'" she recalled. "This exact moment was when my focus shifted and I wanted to start making music that made me feel like dancing and being in a convertible while also still maintaining the intimacy as an original songwriter." So, when Rolling Stone reviewed "Wasted" in 2019, writing, "Paul Simon's daughter is an independent rising pop star hailing from the school of Carly Rae Jepsen," Simon was thrilled.
"To be mentioned in the same sentence as Carly Rae Jepsen is an honor in and of itself. I love her so much, to be compared to her is a dream," she told Glitter.
She loves to travel
Lulu Simon has been to some of the most beautiful destinations in the world, and she has a favorite. "I'm so lucky that I've been able to travel, it's so hard to choose a favorite place, but last summer I went to Positano on the Amalfi Coast," she told Glitter of her Italian vacation in 2020. "I was eating pasta and drinking limoncellos every day. It was heaven."
Eating good food and relaxing go hand in hand for Simon, and in a 2022 interview with Naluda Magazine, she spoke on this again. "I think the dream holiday would be to like, rent a villa in Italy or something and go with all of my friends and just eat bolognese and pastries for a week," the singer said.
Her social media is also full of pictures of herself in beautiful destinations, including a trip to Italy. Other snapshots show her experiencing a beautiful sunset in Wailea-Makena, Hawaii, enjoying a river cruise in Laos, and exploring Bangkok.
Lulu Simon is a proud feminist
Lulu Simon has declared herself a "feminist" and spoken on the importance of inclusion and social awareness. "I think in this day and age it's impossible not to be passionate about social or environmental causes," she told Glitter in 2020. "As a feminist, I believe firmly in women's rights, gender equality, power over our own bodies, etc. As an ally who recognizes that much of the music, TV, fashion, and humor that I love comes directly from the LGBTQ community, I'm passionate about LGBTQ rights."
She briefly touched on environmental concerns relating to pollution and the Black Lives Matter movement — calling for defunding of the police "literally right now." She also told the publication she could speak on various causes "all day" because of her passion; however, glancing at her Instagram account will tell you that she prefers to keep her social media focused on music.
She has good relationship advice
Lulu Simon was in an undesirable coupling, which inspired her to write "Strangers." She told Glitter that it was about a failed relationship. "My feelings were super hurt. I was absolutely running myself into the ground trying to make this dude like me," she said.
Lulu also discussed the track in her interview with Hollywood Life, saying, "I got myself into a 'situationship' where I should have known better, and I just let the whole thing make me miserable. I was so insecure and anxious, and really, I'm neither of those things." Now, she has decent advice for others who are in an unhappy relationship. "Get! The! Heck! Outta! There!" she told Glitter. "It's literally never worth it to put yourself in a miserable situation. Love is supposed to make you feel confident and comfortable, and if it's making you feel anything less than CHERISHED, you have to ask yourself why that is."
In her second interview with Glitter two years later, she again spoke about knowing when to put yourself first and the importance of "being able to recognize relationships that don't serve you anymore ... being able to be alone, and feeling comfortable and at peace with yourself." Her songwriting has also helped her process her feelings and gain reassurance. And as for what makes her happy? "I think my own definition of happiness is being completely at peace with yourself and your life," as she told Naluda Magazine.
Lulu Simon has learned to trust her instincts
Learning to trust herself and be confident in her decision-making is something Lulu Simon has mastered with time. She has grown as a person and musician, becoming more confident in her talents. She touched on this in an interview with Pop Culturalist in 2020. "I would definitely tell my younger self to stick to her guns, follow her intuition, and trust her ears," she said. "It's really easy to get swept up in other people's opinions, particularly if they're older or more authoritative than you, but you have to hold your own opinion in the highest esteem and trust that if you like something, it's worthwhile."
She echoed these comments in her chat with Naluda Magazine, telling the publication that she would advise a younger version of herself to "listen to your gut." She continued, "I think I ignored my gut instincts a lot because I wanted to be 'nice' or 'likable,' and I just think those surface-level worries aren't worth it if you aren't being true to yourself." Wise words, indeed.