Pop singer-songwriter Ally Salort has been taking listeners on a sweet ride this year. From releasing emotional, yet lively singles throughout the year to sharing stages with Charlie Puth, Ally has proven herself to be a true rising star with no plans of dimming her light for anyone or anything.
If you need to be looped in on the singer’s journey, here’s a quick crash course. Ally Salort grew up in New Jersey, and started taking singing lessons when she was just seven years old. As a teen, she flew to Los Angeles as a finalist of a nationwide talent search. After spending years of posting covers on YouTube, she decided to start testing the waters on TikTok. Her videos have been loved by millions worldwide, and before she knew it, Ally’s fanbase started growing — and they also grew hungry for new music. Ally released her debut EP Change of Plans last year, setting the tone for an eventful 2026.
Just a few months ago, Ally joined Charlie Puth as support for his Whatever’s Clever! World Tour. By performing in arenas nationwide, Ally was able to capture the hearts of thousands of new fans. However, Ally admits that the task isn’t always as effortless as it might look.
“It’s easy to think that because you’re on such a big stage and it’s such a big arena, you have to do a lot,” Ally said at the start of our conversation. “I think you do have to do a lot, especially as an opener. I want to get more comfortable being more into the song, and not thinking about doing the most. Like, have I showed enough attention to each side of the audience? I want to be more into the song and try to emote the song in the best way that I can.”
It won’t be long until Ally has a chance to fully immerse herself in even more songs. Her new EP Isn’t It Sweeter? has just arrived, and it’s all about embracing the bittersweet realities of life one often tries to run from. Read our conversation about the project below!
Note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Let’s start out with the meaning of the title, isn’t it sweeter? The title is a question!
I decided to name it that for a couple of reasons. It’s a lyric in one of the songs of the EP, and I isolated that lyric and was like, I feel like this kind of explains the visuals in a really cool way. The visuals were inspired by the idea of wherever you go, you’re still you. I wrote some of this EP while traveling, and I was still writing about the same things that I’d write at home, and I’ve just always really resonated with that concept of trying to run away from you. You’re always going to find that, and you’re still you if you don’t solve it. I thought the lyric “isn’t it sweeter” kind of works for that. It’s kind of a play on the saying “the grass is always greener,” but everyone knows that it’s actually not.
That’s good food for thought! There’s two new songs that listeners will hear on this EP that they haven’t heard before. Can’t you talk a bit more about those?
“If We Had Forever” is the last song on the EP, and that was one of the songs that I wrote while I was traveling. I was in London, and it’s about the fact that everything comes to an end and trying to see the beauty in that. It’s a great song to wrap up the EP, because it feels like a very “ending, closure” song. “A Little More Fun” is the song with the lyric isn’t it sweeter. That song is just a fun song. It’s lighthearted in my opinion. It’s about how much more fun life becomes when you have a little crush, and that was one of the last songs we wrote on the EP.
How did you decide the order of the tracklist for this EP?
I had a couple different variations of what the track list would be. I had all the songs, obviously, but it’s just a matter of pairing them together. I think “If We Had Forever” was initially going to be first. I listened to it a couple of times, and was like, this is such a closure song to me. It feels like the credits are rolling, so I felt like that had to go at the end. The EP starts with “I’ve Never Met Her,” which feels like we’re starting with a bang. It’s a fun pop song, and it’s about avoiding your past self and becoming a new person. I think the EP sort of goes from there, and you can see that you’re still you. You still have problems to face.
Following up on that — how did you decide which songs were making the EP?
Good question. We actually did a whole EP shoot, like we did the visuals at the top of this year with a few different songs in mind. It’s been a trial and error thing. I’m writing all the time, and sometimes I’ll write a song after I think the EP is done and be like wait… that actually might get a bit better in this story. I think I tried to find songs that fit together and make a story. Along the way, some got switched out and changed. It just happens. Sometimes you have to go back and be like you know what? Let’s tweak that.
What are some of the main takeaways you hope listeners will take away from this project?
I feel like there’s a lot on the theme of letting go. Whether it’s with “Housekeeping,” which is a song about literally decluttering emotionally, or “I’ve Never Met Her,” which is about letting go of a past version of yourself, or even “Finish Line,” which talks about the idea of never fully being satisfied if I’m always looking at what’s next. In the bridge, it comes to a conclusion of letting go and hopefully one day being able to appreciate exactly where you are.
Definitely. From the past few songs, I’ve been feeling this sense of wanting to set yourself free. Whatever burdens you might have that hold you back, just let them go.
100%.
If you could play this new EP for three people, dead or alive, who would they be?
Whoa. I don’t know. Gosh, that’s so hard. I’m always nervous to play anyone anything. I like them to listen to it on their own time, so I’m trying to think of people I wouldn’t feel that ay in front of. Just because he’s such a famous pop producer, legend, I would just love to hear what Max Martin thinks of the songs.
I will always play my music for my mom, She’s to go to person for me that I play everything for. I need her opinion on everything, even though she’s not in music. I just trust her. Lastly, I’d probably play it for my grandma, who I never got to meet. She passed before I was born, but I’ve heard she had great music taste.
If you could go back in time and give your younger artist self any advice, what would it be?
I would tell her to just stop worrying so much! I think everything that I had to do to get to where I’m at was stuff that I’m glad had to happen. I wouldn’t want to change anything, but I would just maybe say relax a little more. Things are gonna go the way they’re meant to anyway, so might as well just chill.
Lastly, what are some of your current music obsessions? Who’s inspiring you at the moment?
I’ve been listening to Ryan Beatty’s new album a lot. I love that. It’s like singer-songwriter, but he still has such a soulful voice, and I think that’s something I’m trying to incorporate more in my music. I love him. He’s just an insane lyricist. There’s also this artist called Ethan Regan who’s also like a singer-songwriter, and he’s so good.
I’m also so inspired by RAYE in general, which is kind of a pivot from those two artists I just named. I love everything she’s doing, and also her sister. The three sisters, I feel like they’re just so incredible, and I look up to them a lot. RAYE is always putting out good stuff.
Ally Salort | Photo by Plastic Fruit
Click here to listen to Isn’t It Sweeter? on your favorite streaming service!