A simple pat on the shoulder sparked the idea for the latest release from Far North QLD country music artist, Victoria Crosby.
She says: “'Good Girl Problem' actually started after a funny series of moments last year where people kept calling me a 'good girl.' At one point someone even gave me a little pat on the shoulder when they said it! They genuinely meant it kindly, it came from people recognising some of the community work my husband and I are lucky to be involved in, but it got me thinking."
I remember wondering, "Am I really ready to just be the good girl all the time?' I think a lot of women can relate to that feeling of being seen one way by the world, while knowing there are so many other layers to who you are. You can be caring and community-minded, but still want to feel confident, playful, rebellious, or a little wild sometimes too".
That thought sparked the chorus:
'I’ve got a good girl problem, can’t keep playing saint, been too polite for my own damn sake…'
From there, the song just poured out. At its heart, it’s about a woman who’s more than the version people think they know. A person with depth, flaws, humour, confidence, and a bit of fire underneath it all.
Victoria says this song isn’t about throwing out traditional values, to her it's more about shining a light on the stereotypes, not breaking them altogether.
“I think the key was making sure the song stayed fun and self-aware rather than trying too hard to be provocative. I never wanted 'Good Girl Problem' to feel overly serious or like a complete rejection of being a good person, it’s more about embracing the fact that women can be sweet, kind, and grounded while still having confidence, personality, and a mischievous side too.
A lot of the cheekiness comes through in the humour and the little tongue-in-cheek lines, but underneath that there’s still warmth and vulnerability. I wanted it to feel playful and relatable rather than ‘look at me’ rebellious.
Growing up on country music, especially artists like Dolly Parton and Tammy Wynette, I always loved how they could be witty and a little daring while still keeping heart in the storytelling. That balance definitely inspired me here. At the end of the day, the song is really about owning all the different sides of yourself instead of feeling boxed into one label.”
The track sounds tight and energetic with a nice 80s nod. There was a “click” moment, she told Local Sounds.
“Definitely the moment my producer sent through one of the final drafts and had added this incredible retro-style opening riff. The second I heard it, something just clicked. It instantly brought back memories of those big 80s and 90s country-pop songs I grew up loving, artists like Shania Twain who could blend attitude, fun, melody, and storytelling so effortlessly.
I found myself replaying the track over and over, which is usually my sign that a song is ready. It suddenly felt bigger than just a fun song I’d written down, it had its own personality and energy.
I think that was the moment I realised we’d captured exactly what I wanted ‘Good Girl Problem’ to be: playful, confident, a little nostalgic, and something people could blast in the car and sing along to. It felt like a natural evolution for me while still keeping that country heart underneath it all.”
FNQ always turns up in Victoria's writing, even when she’s being tongue-in-cheek this time.
“Living in Far North Queensland influences absolutely everything I write. There’s something about the landscape, the people, the isolation, the humour, and even the weather up here that naturally finds its way into my music. Life feels a little rougher around the edges in the bush, but also more real and connected, and I think that comes through in my songwriting.
A lot of my songs are directly inspired by places and stories from home. Whether it’s the old mining towns around Chillagoe and Mungana, red dirt roads, rodeos, paperbarks, storms rolling across the range, or the characters you meet out here — those details are part of who I am, so they naturally become part of the music too.
Even when I write something lighter and more playful like 'Good Girl Problem,’ I still think there’s a very FNQ spirit underneath it. People up here tend to be pretty down-to-earth and authentic. There’s not much point pretending to be something you’re not, because everyone sees straight through it anyway!
I also think growing up in regional Australia gave me a deep love for storytelling. Country music has always been the soundtrack of small towns, long drives, heartbreaks, pub laughs, and local legends, and that’s exactly the world I come from.”
Daily life for Victoria is less singer-songwriter and more pies and lattes.
“Oh gosh — busy! My day usually starts around 4am so I can be at the café by 5. Before we open at 6:30, I’m already in the kitchen making fresh pies and sausage rolls for the day ahead. From there it’s a mix of cooking, cleaning, serving customers, and having a yarn with the locals.
It’s just my husband and me running the café, and honestly he’s my best friend. We’ve been self-employed for nearly ten years now, working seven-day weeks for most of that time, and somehow we still get along like a house on fire. I think we’re both just grateful we get to build this life together.
Outside the café, we also have a small mango farm and plenty of animals, horses, cows, birds, and of course our pugs. So when we get home around 3pm, there’s usually still a few more hours of jobs waiting for us there too.
People always ask where the music fits into all of that, and the truth is a lot of my songs actually begin at work. I’ve written ideas on café order pads more times than I can count! If a lyric or melody pops into my head while I’m cooking, I’ll quickly write it down or record a voice note before I forget it. 'Good Girl Problem’ actually started exactly that way.
When it comes time to properly sit down and finish a song, I just find the time somewhere. It’s definitely a busy life filled with honest work, but I wouldn’t change it. I don’t gig heavily because of that balance, and I’m okay with it. As an independent artist, you learn pretty quickly how to live somewhere between chasing the dream and staying grounded in reality — and honestly, I think my feet sit right in the middle of those two worlds.”
The last singles were already pushing outside her usual comfort zone. She’s not backing off.
“To be honest, ‘You Need a Cowboy’ already felt like a pretty bold step for me because it leaned much more into that country-rock sound than people were probably expecting. A lot of listeners knew me more for bush ballads and storytelling-style country, so even that track pushed me outside my comfort zone a little.
‘Good Girl Problem’ takes that even further again, so of course I’m nervous about how people will receive it. But at the same time, I’ve always believed songwriting should follow emotion and instinct rather than trying to stay inside one neat little box. I never want to feel limited to just one corner of country music.
That’s something I’ve always admired about Dolly Parton. She’s able to move between traditional country, bluegrass, pop, rock, gospel, and blues while still sounding completely authentic to herself. That freedom is really inspiring to me.
Right now I feel like I’m creatively exploring a little bit of everything—country, country-pop, country-rock—and honestly, I’m having a lot of fun with it. At the end of the day, I think listeners connect most when an artist is being genuine, even if the sound evolves along the way.”
So, what’s next? Victoria says the cheekiness isn’t going anywhere.
“Oh, 100%! There are definitely more songs in this playful, confident lane coming. I’m writing constantly, so there’s always new ideas popping up and evolving.
What’s funny is I already have a full album of much more traditional country and bush ballad-style songs ready to go I’ll get around to releasing one day, so I’m sort of living between two creative worlds at the moment. While those songs are very close to my heart, I’m also deep into developing my second album, which is currently titled If the Boots Fit.
That project is still evolving as these first few singles come together, and I’m really enjoying giving myself the freedom to experiment a bit more sonically and lyrically. I think ‘Good Girl Problem’ has opened the door for me to explore a more confident, cheeky, country-pop side while still keeping the storytelling and authenticity that matter to me.
I don’t really have a strict release timeline in mind anymore either. I’m taking my time with this record and letting it naturally become whatever it’s meant to be rather than forcing it into a deadline. I want the finished album to feel honest, cohesive, and genuinely reflective of where I’m at creatively right now.”
Pre-Save Good Girl Problem by Victoria Crosby here
https://gyro.to/goodgirlproblem
Learn more about Victoria Crosby on Local Sounds
https://localsounds.com.au/artist/victoria-crosby
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