This ain't no High School Musical!
E! News has exclusively learned that Vanessa Hudgens, who broke into Hollywood with sweet, adolescent musical hits, is returning to recording for the first time since leaving the Disney fold with a sexy new single inspired by her edgy movie Spring Breakers.
Hudgens tells us that she is releasing the song "$$$ex," written and produced by hit-makers Rock Mafia and featuring the five-member girl group YLA, along with a video on Friday timed to the wide release of her new movie in theaters.
"It is a bomb-ass song, I love it so much!" says Hudgens. "It goes perfectly with Spring Breakers."
The fast-paced, club-ready dance track is about, well, exactly what the title suggests, with provocative lyrics such as "Can't you feel my hot sex, heart stop beating" and "Fifty in his pocket/a condom in his wallet/he's not gonna sleep tonight."
Where's our innocent Gabriella?!
"It is a great song you can listen to in your car or at the club with your friends," Hudgens says of "$$$ex," jokingly adding, "It is a good date-night song, and a good after-the-date song! The song gets you amped up in the same way the movie does."
The tune is something of a passion project for Hudgens. The 24-year-old actress hopped at the chance to do a track featuring YLA because her best friend is group member Laura New. "I love YLA and Rock Mafia so much, so I jumped at the chance to collaborate with them," she explains.
Rock Mafia producer Antonina Armato, who has worked with Hudgens' Spring Breakers costar Selena Gomez on several songs, thinks Hudgens is an underrated artist. "She's an awesome singer," Armato says. "She puts her whole spirit behind the song. She gives everything and doesn't hold back."
Could this mark the start of a bigger musical comeback for Hudgens, who hasn't released music since 2009? Maybe!
Hudgens says, "I have been really focusing on film for a while, but now that I have some time to myself to hang out in the studio, I might just see what we can mix up together!"