Lukas Gage Was Told to ‘Stop Singing Girl Songs’ As a Kid. Nevertheless, He Persisted (and Has a New Audiobook to Show for It)

The actor's new memoir and audiobook detail his turbulent family life and rise to fame, but some of the most memorable moments revolve around music

By Tim Chan

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I Wrote This for Attention is available now on hardcover and as an audiobook narrated by the White Lotus and You star. In the new book, the actor writes candidly about his tumultuous family life, past run-ins with the law and even a diagnosed personality disorder, but some of the most memorable moments revolve around music.

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In an early chapter, Gage recalls listening to Spears’ song “Lucky” on repeat in the bathroom and belting it out at the top of his lungs, despite being bullied by his older brother’s friends for “singing like a little bitch.” Though he was momentarily red-faced, Gage says he quickly realized music — and Britney — had the ability to heal him.

“I think she’s made an impact on so many queer people,” Gage tells Billboard, adding that he was “always drawn to these eccentric pop stars and people in pop culture; I was enamored.”

As Gage details in the book and audiobook, he quickly got over what little embarrassment he had from the bathroom incident, and would proudly declare his love for some good power pop from then on. “I had this little karaoke machine and I would sing 4 Non Blondes’ “What’s Going On” and I remember kids in my neighborhood being like, ‘You have to stop singing the girl songs,’ and ‘You have to sing Sum 41 or Blink 182,’ and I was like, ‘No, I’ll never!'”

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Elsewhere in the book, Gage writes about his love for American Idol (he’s a Kelly Clarkson stan) but also notes that he grew up loving punk and metal music, owing to his brother and stepfather’s musical tastes (in a 2022 Rolling Stone interview, Gage even revealed that he was once part of a punk band called “Reckless Youth). The actor’s brief marriage to hairdresser Chris Appleton, meantime, was officiated by Shania Twain, but it’s barely mentioned — nor a noteworthy nugget — compared to all the other juicy reveals in the book (and Gage has since apologized to Twain for “wasting her time”).

Still, Gage has always loved a pop star, and while he’s hanging with the likes of Charli XCX and Remi Wolf these days, he tells Billboard there was another pop-rock rule breaker he was obsessed with as a kid: “I loved Ashlee Simpson’s album,” he says. “When it came out, I remember knowing every single song on it.”

Gage’s memoir is available now as a 320-page hardcover book and also as an audiobook, with a run time of seven hours and 30 minutes. The actor says he encourages fans and curious folks alike to stream the audio version, to hear his big personality come to life. “I really like the Audible [version],” he says. “What I’ve been told from a lot of people that have listened to the audiobook, is that it’s a very, very different experience for them, and they find it more fun. I’ve been told it’s more fun to hear me play these different parts.”

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If you want to listen to I Wrote This for Attention on audiobook, you’re in luck: Amazon is currently offering a free trial to Audible that will let you stream or download Gage’s new memoir for free. Use the for Gage’s book and you can keep it for free, even if you decide not to keep your Audible membership. The free trial also gets you unlimited listening on select audiobooks, Audible Originals, and podcasts. Pricing goes up to $14.95/month after your free trial is over.

As for where Gage sees himself in the future: “I definitely have some achievements, and I’m proud of myself for how far I’ve come,” he says, “but I still feel like I’m just beginning. I’m still auditioning for every role [and] I’m never getting offers or anything like that. I’ve definitely come a long way from when I started, but I’m still learning all the time, and I’m still learning from my peers that have done it so much longer than me. I’m excited to keep writing and to just watch the growth.”

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Lukas Gage Was Told to ‘Stop Singing Girl Songs’ As a Kid. Nevertheless, He Persisted (and Has a New Audiobook to Show for It)

Tim Chan

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