North West, the eldest daughter of Kim Kardashian and Kanye “Ye” West, has basically been famous since before she was born, and now the newly minted teenager (she turned 13 in June) appears to be stepping into the family business.
West released her debut six-track album “N0rth4evr” in May, and she landed on the cover of the fall issue of Dazed magazine where her decidedly grown up appearance caught the attention of fans and critics alike. Sporting blue hair, grills, a face full of makeup, and a smattering of facial piercings (reportedly real and faux), West posed for a photoshoot and sat for a Q&A with the British title.
On Tuesday’s show, Megyn was joined by Dr. Drew, host of Ask Dr. Drew, to West’s increasingly provocative look and concerns over growing exposure in the public eye.
West’s New Career
In the interview with Dazed head of fashion Marios Mystidis, West spoke a bit about how her current look, which the mag described as “unmistakably her own” came to be. “Everyone’s in love with boys, vaping, and doing all kinds of bad stuff. All I want is blue hair and piercings,” she said.
She said she loves piercings because “they just make you your full self” and said next on her wish list is the bridge of her nose. At least for now, that desire has been shot down by her mother, who was described in the piece as looking “effortlessly on-the-go in grey sweats and a massive blinged-out Balenciaga bag” while being “present and protective” of West on set.
According to West, the “worst piece of advice” she’s been given comes from those who have encouraged her to slow down her burgeoning career. “It’s like, nah, this is my hobby, this is what I like to do, this is what I wanna do with my life,” she said.
Speaking of her career, the teen recently released the official music video for her song “Aishite,” which has racked up 313,000 views on YouTube in the two weeks it’s been out. The song’s Japanese title translates to “love me,” and the lyrics about betrayal and “suffering” seem to offer a troubling glimpse into West’s life.
“Ain’t nobody finna save me / Ay, and it’s drivin’ me crazy,” West sings. “Just love me, everyone betrays mе… She pretend they ain’t usin’ me again / Can’t be no one’s friend, I can’t let nobody in / Can’t depend on anyone, the sufferin’ won’t end.”
The nearly two-and-a-half-minute music video features haunting sequences of West – decked out in a punk-inspired black dress, neon blue pigtails, and long acrylic nails – roaming the halls of an abandoned school and arcade.
Cause for Concern
The Dazed writer described West as being “clearly shy, but at the same time accustomed to being watched.” Mystidis noted that “beneath all the fame and bravado,” she “sounds like any other teenager just trying to figure out who she is.”
Megyn, for one, is acutely aware of the maturity level, interests, and daily life of a 13 year old because her youngest son is just two months younger than West. She said she is concerned about what she was seeing.
“She is almost exactly the same age as my Thatcher… I know this age very, very well. He is a sweet little boy… My son is riding his bike, playing tennis, and playing something called bucket golf with his buddies in the backyard,” Megyn explained. “This girl… is launching an album, she’s going to be performing concerts, and they are rushing to try to make her a star without – it doesn’t appear any reflection, especially by the Kardashians – on the significant downside of putting your child on camera for her childhood.”
Dr. Drew agreed, pointing to the fact that West is believed to have bipolar disorder in her genetic heritage (her dad as publicly stated that he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder around 2016 following a psychiatric hospitalization) and has two parents that, at least from the outside, don’t “look like they’re around all the time” as being factors “that can set you up for trouble.”
He said he is also alarmed by the themes of her music. “If that’s how she’s feeling, this isn’t going to go well… I’m trying to avoid becoming the old guy on the porch, saying ‘Oh, these kids today.’ I’m trying not to just take it by appearances and try to understand what’s up here,” Dr. Drew said.
Silver Linings
If there is any silver lining to be found, the reaction to West’s Dazed cover on social media was overwhelmingly negative. “Most of the comments, thankfully, are not encouraging… Many people saying, ‘I’m out; I’m unsubscribing; this is very odd; this is a baby; I’ve just unfollowed after years; what even is this magazine anymore; I’m uncomfortable seeing this,'” Megyn noted.
“People recognize this is wrong.”
You can check out Megyn’s full interview with Dr. Drew by tuning in to episode 1,385 on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you like to listen. And don’t forget that you can catch The Megyn Kelly Show live on SiriusXM’s The Megyn Kelly Channel (channel 111) weekdays from 12pm to 2pm ET.