Weekly Wednesday: Being ‘Pretty Reckless’ pays off

Jessica Qian, Head Editor
October 15, 2014

Taylor Momsen first stole everyone’s attention on Gossip Girl when her angelic character, Jenny Humphrey, revealed her real stop-at-nothing, bad girl attitude. Though her character was disliked, she became notorious for her ruthlessness and back stabbing. This was just the beginning of Momsen’s career of controversy and scandal.

Momsen’s element of surprise has been beneficial in making her a prominent figure in the entertainment industry, because from Lindsay Lohan to Amanda Bynes, everyone talks about the good girls that ‘go bad.’ America has been continually struck by Momsen, the actress who played the innocent Cindy Lou from Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas and the once pure Jenny Humphrey.

Momsen has been one of the bigger success stories off of Gossip Girl, and not just because of her acting. She has broken into the music and modeling industries and is most well-known for being the lead singer of the Pretty Reckless.

Though Momsen’s notorious reputation most likely helped the Pretty Reckless acquire attention, it is the music that keeps the audience’s attention. Since 2009, the band has released two albums and been on eight tours. The Pretty Reckless has made huge jumps, includi ng creating two hit singles, “Heaven Knows” and “Messed up World,” that have led them to become the first female-fronted band to receive first place on the rock radio chart.

Whatever Momsen has been doing, it seems to be working. She is one of the only actress-turned-musician worth listening to, and her rock persona is not only exciting, but true to herself. In an interview with the Daily Beast, she revealed that her actions are often misinterpreted and turned into something they are not. For instance, her reason for choosing the striking cover art for the ‘Going to Hell” album, which shows a cross on her nude back pointing downwards, was not for attention but rather genuine.

“I came up with a symbol, the cross with the arrow going down, which symbolizes Going to Hell,” Momsen said during her Daily Beast interview. “It was an elaborate process but the nudity came from: when you come into this world, there’s nothing but your soul, and you leave with nothing but your soul.”