Ava Morse: Becoming Babe America
Styled by Cameron Alastaire
Wardrobe: Untitled&Co
You may have heard Ava Morse’s voice in Pixar’s Turning Red or seen her TV debut (at age 9) on Chicago Fire. Now, she’s focused on music as Babe America. With her new single “Domino$” out now and more music on the way, Morse talks about her experience as a young artist in Los Angeles.
How was Babe America born?
Babe America is an amalgamation of everything I've ever wanted to be. Babe is me. She's every inspiration that I've ever had and every version of me that doesn't exist yet. Every single time I get to be her I become a little bit more myself. Babe America was born when I stopped being afraid to be me.
What is your new single ‘Domino$’ about?
Since living here, I’ve watched every version of success play out. When I first arrived, I met girls just like me. Some built careers that lasted. Some collapsed immediately. But the most haunting ones were the girls who got everything fast and lost it even faster. Domino$ is about that speed. How momentum feels infinite until it disappears. How easily everything you stack can fall once the music stops. It’s also about what this city and this industry do to intimacy. How they turn sex into currency and friendship into a quiet competition. How you’re taught to perform confidence while spiraling privately. How you can love your best friend, believe in her, party with her, and still want exactly what she has. How you can celebrate someone’s rise while secretly bracing for their fall. And the guilt of knowing those thoughts exist at all. Domino$ is the sound of watching it happen in real time. Desire, ambition, friendship, and self destruction all moving at once. One by one. Until everyone is on the floor.
Why have you decided to focus on music more than voiceover work and acting recently?
I've been extremely grateful to have experienced so much success in acting from such a young age. I've been working consistently since I was 5 so acting will always be my first love and something that I'll continue to actively pursue. Music, on the other hand, has brought me such a unique form of expression. In acting, you're bringing to life the vision of somebody else, performing as someone you're not. But now, as I get older, I choose to express myself and my creativity in a more unique and fulfilling way. I’ve decided the role I'm most interested in playing is me. An unapologetic exaggeration of myself. Living in Los Angeles, acting opportunities have been prevalent but exploring my music has made me feel the most like myself and more free than ever.
Who are your favorite blonde icons?
The biggest blonde icon to me, has and will always be, my mother. Her grace, elegance and fierce determination has always motivated me, supported me, and always reminded me that no dream is too big. My second icon would have to be Anna Nicole Smith. I love the way that coming from absolutely nothing she was able to build this incredible life for herself. The media was so cruel to her throughout her career but it never stopped her. She was so beautiful, confident, glamorous, and had such a fascinating contribution to culture. We lost her way too soon. Another would be Goldie Hawn. It's so difficult for women in Hollywood to transition from being young and beautiful and sexualized into a career that's truly respected. That is something that I've always seen and wanted for myself. To watch her navigate such a difficult industry for over 50 years while still being relevant, powerful, and true to herself and then pass that same level of confidence and sense of self onto her daughter is something I truly aspire to do.
Which fictional character do you most identify with?
I've always been a huge fan of iconic Hollywood media. Especially living here, it’s been interesting to observe how much has changed and also how much has stayed exactly the same. I recently read Valley of the Dolls, and I really resonated with the character of Neely. I saw so much of myself in her, while also clearly recognizing the ways I don’t wanna be like her. She felt both inspiring and cautionary to me. This city, as incredible and full of opportunity as it is, can also eat you alive and the last thing I would ever want is to lose myself in it.
What are your plans for 2026? World domination. Genuinely. I spent the majority of last year beginning to truly step into myself, really figuring out who I am and who I want to be. I tried a lot, failed a lot, cried a lot, laughed a lot - the dirty work is done, now let’s go.