Jordyn – Waffle Magazine: The title AUDACITY is all about having the courage to demand the world you envision on your own terms. Where does that fearless mindset come from, and what is one boundary you refused to compromise on while bringing this album to life?

Jae: It comes from.. The necessity, you know? the only new way to, like, really enjoy this process, because its very strenuous, is to do it on your own terms, at your pace and your requirements and your boundaries. And I’ve learned that it’s really important to keep hold of those in order to just even function in this industry and during this whole process. It also comes from… I mean, you kind of have to force yourself to believe it and to have it and to keep it or you go crazy, you know? So, in a lot of ways, if anyone’s been listening to Sellout, that was me talking myself up and hyping myself up to go into this, like,

“Oh, I’m such a sellout! I’m gonna make this upbeat music and I’m gonna do this. I’m gonna attempt this.”

This is me really standing more firmly in that and really backing me fully.And that boundary, I guess, is just like, something I really have had to walk in lately. Its just, like, you will not rush me. Like, you will not! Because when things are rushed, they are chaotic, and they are messy, and they come in half done. And the worst part is a lot of times, it’s not even up to me. The reason that we’re rushed, you know?

Somebody wants to cut a budget, or cut a deadline, or whatever, and they want me to, like, make it happen, figure it out by the end of the week. No! And if that pushes everything back, then that’s just how it was meant to be. And it’s gonna be fine. We’re gonna work it out. So, I mean, I’m trying to convince myself with that right now, but that’s been my learning lesson, definitely throughout this process. It’s been interesting where I have just, like, relaxed. 

Ashland – for the record music: You mentioned in a recent interview that this album doesn’t fit into one box. When was that point for you in your career when you stopped worrying about whether you fit into a particular box? And what was that moment like for you as an artist?

Jae: Truly, it will be easier to tell you when I started worrying about the box. I’ve been writing and singing since when I was like born. You know? It was always been a part of me. I listen to every kind of music and therefore I make every kind of music. But I make what I like. It doesn’t matter. I Don’t care what you call it, right? And I think when I began releasing music, it was always kind of casual. One foot in, one foot out. I may be a songwriter, but I’ll put in on a song every now and then. And I never had a thought of, like, what does it categorize? How does it look, how does it feel, whatever. Like I just like it.

I feel like that shifted for the worse when I started kind of taking artistry more seriously. When I was like, you know, “Who am I as an artist? I kind of want to quit. I don’t really want to do this anymore. I don’t really get it. I’m having a hard time with it. It doesn’t feel like it’s clicking.” You know, I’m surrounded by so many amazing friends of mine who are, like, so secure in their artistry, their image, and how they sound. And I’m just like, I don’t feel like I’ve found that for myself, or maybe I’m trying to force an image for myself that other people are forcing on me, that doesn’t make sense for me.

And that was like a really weird… I don’t know, place that mentally, probably around the time of like an EP that I put out called Hi, my name is, or I was just like really confused. And I feel like that spell was broken the day that I wrote a song called Body Favors. When I made Body Favors, I was like, oh, this is you. You’re fun, and you don’t take anything very seriously. And it’s how it feels, it sounds. And whatever box it is, this is where you want to live as an artist, as a writer, as a singer. And I’m glad that I was able to get back to that space and just making what I like. Because I think that’s what people gravitate towards, stuff that feels very authentic to me at whatever place I made in my life.

Maiah – For the Love of Music: 
In recent interviews, you’ve talked about SELLOUT being a period where you really started finding your identity visually. Was there a specific moment, visual or project you worked on where you felt like your creative direction finally clicked and felt distinctly like you?

Jae: I feel like It’s probably the video that we terrorized everyone’s timeline with for several months. That would be Body Favors. I mention Body Favors because I was so sonically the moment in the studio, where I was like, “Oh, like this is the music I’m supposed to be making. Got it.” It was the same for the video. I think I put a lot of pressure on myself going into the Sellout era of like, “Okay, I’m a pop star and I need a dance and I need to do this. It’s gotta be this grand production.”

I think with Body Favors, I was like, I’m tired. Like, I’m just gonna go and wear these cute outfits from Amazon. Returned them all the next day, by the way. And I’m just gonna have a good time. I got a white wall and a dream, okay? And I found a director online, someone that I had like seen and I felt like he captured, you know, he was able to do what I really needed done under tight circumstances.

And I really felt good about trusting myself with that process, sourcing the director, getting the clothes myself, putting together the treatment, putting together all the references, finding the makeup artists, and it was the best thing I had done to date. And it made me feel like, just take the pressure off, do what you like, do what you love, find the people that can help you with it. And it’ll.. Go miles above anything else. Is my essay lol.

Jordyn – Waffle Magazine: You’ve talked about how being the architect of your own music (producing and writing everything yourself since your GarageBand days) is central to who you are. With your debut album AUDACITY dropping, what does having that total creative control mean to you as you step into this next big chapter as pop’s next major act?

Jae: It means everything! Partially just because I am naturally a control freak. So I definitely get stressed when things go out that I wouldn’t say and that I wouldn’t do or I wouldn’t wear, or I wouldn’t sing. But I also think that the most fun part of the process is just finding ways to creatively insert myself into these stories into these worlds. Even whether it’s all the way true or not.

If I write a song that’s like a live autobiographical experience or not, it’s so important to me that I find a way to make it feel like me, make it relate to me. So that other people know it’s me when they hear it, when they see it. I think that that kind of through that narrative, the voice that I have, across my visuals and my lyrics and everything, just helps expand what all I’m trying to do. It makes them enjoyable. But it’s really for me. I don’t think I would enjoy it as much if it felt like something that was being forced upon me.

Chantelle – CCTV, the NonStop Pop Show: You are known for your brilliant toplines, and catchy hooks. What’s one song on this album that really lets you flex your writing skills?

Jae: Oh my gosh… Literally, as soon as somebody asks me about all my songs, I forget every song that I’ve ever written. No, I’m actually really proud! I’ll name two! I’m really proud of the lyrics on Gymnastics, because I thought it was really fun to find a way to write about my avoidance issues. It means I’ll just, like, just be flipping and just, you know, cartwheeling out of here, you know? The Winter Olympics were going on at the time. So that’s where that time came from. And we just had a lot of fun finding a way to turn it into this song that’s about something. Actually, maybe it looked a little bit concerning. And yea, it was a lot of fun!

And then also Sugar Trap, I think Sugar Trap is so fun. Lyrically, there’s a lot of puns and bars and like sugar references and candy and, I just feel like it’s super sticky. No pun intended. And so those were like really fun. Honestly, the singles are like the most kitchy ones. Like Ataboy is obviously like so many like dog references and like how to trade a man, all of that. I feel like the rest of the songs that people haven’t heard is probably a bit more like, I {don’t wanna say} a confessional songwriting, but it’s, it’s a lot less, maybe punny and cutesy and a bit realer than I have probably written in the past. Which is also a feat for me, because I don’t think I usually write like that. 

Janasia – WhoseMelod: Are you ever surprised by the songs that became fan favorites and which ones are still being discovered?

Jae: No, I’m not surprised. Like I said, my ears are to the streets! I know what people want! I do have even the poll, the poll where I make people “vote” for their next “candidate”, the single. I knew which one they were gonna gravitate towards. And then it started winning, and then “those inside”, hated that they were losing, and then they rigged the votes. But I think I knew. When I made Afterbody, I knew.

I think we have that kind of shared understanding and taste, and that’s something that I love about the JaeBaes, is that we see each other and we come from that similar place. So I’m definitely not ever surprised by it. But I’m not. I’m not ever surprised by the fan favorites. I am surprised by maybe some of the deep cuts that they love. Like, oh, I like that too! I didn’t realize that I have so many so many shooters. But you should see how they’re so, very, very, very vocal. I’m like, okay, I didn’t see that coming.

Kamsi – WUOG: Is there any part of your upcoming album that has unexpectedly become your favorite?

Jae: I think a lot of songs have kind of snuck up on me. There’s a song that’s kind of been my favorite from the beginning, which is called The Distance. And then there’s a song that I thought I was gonna just be obsessed with, and then I’m like, yeah, I like it, but The Distance has taken precedence. But I always sing that song because like I said, they like to slander. And then there’s songs that maybe entered the album a bit late. And I was like, okay, sure, I can see how this might need to be on here. But then now I’m like, this needed to be on here.

One of those being a song called Before You. Before You was a bit of a late suggestion to bring back into the conversation. And I was like, this is so necessary. Like, I’m really glad that we brought this energy to the project. I feel like I’m so instant when I write and make music. I know if I love it or I hate it. Within like the first 30 minutes of making it, honestly. So nothing really, sneaks up on me in that way. At least I thought it didn’t. But I feel like it’s kind of happening. The longer that I sit with this project. So that that’s how a song like Before You kind of grows in ranks a little bit.

Tucker and Cash – Bruintunes magazine: Part of what I love about these songs is the emotional dynamics between them – each one seems to occupy a different headspace from the last. How do you keep the variety when making an album like AUDACITY? 

Jae: Well, I think because my experience as a songwriter for other artists, telling other people’s stories, I’m very open to literally just writing about anything. I have never considered myself an autobiographical songwriter. When I come in, I don’t care if it’s true. I’m not in here with my diary. Like if it slaps, I would sing it. I literally don’t care. And I think that kind of freedom has allowed me to go into writing for myself as an artist. It would just be like, no limits and just, like, having the time and not taking it too seriously. However, I do think that subconsciously, yes, like you said, clearly, I look back at all these songs that I wrote over the past, like, 3 months, and there’s clearly like you were going through something. Like, obviously, they’re all like about the same thing.

But yeah, I think what stops it from becoming monotonous and repetitive is the fact that I always approach it with an open mind and an open spirit. But, I mean, that’s just kind of the natural way of living and being an artist and a songwriter is, you eventually notice those patterns that happen kind of subconsciously. And that’s kind of how the album was formed because I started feeling like there’s a bit of a narrative here. Like, you were clearly going through something, and I don’t know… So yeah, I think I just have it on my mind, don’t be afraid to be the bad guy. Be the villain. Tell us a different point of view. Tell a lie. I love lying. A lot of great songs have like come out of that and eventually you start recognizing the truth in all of them. 

Harry – Soundstage magazine: You’ve mentioned in previous interviews that the opening track “Crush” is a New Jack Swing akin to 90’s Janet Jackson. What do you think is the most important element in the creative process that lets you stay sounding as individual and forward-thinking as you do, while still drawing on these inspirations of a nostalgic sound and era in your music?

Jae: First, the thing that came into my mind, personally, I don’t ever go in with references. I think you’ll obviously hear the references because I am a student of music and a lover of divas, and it’s gonna come out, but I feel like the reason it feels like such a fresh take is because I’m not really trying to…I don’t go into the studio with a song and be like, I want to make something like this today.

I just have a good time and make something that I want to hear, and I think, in the end, it feels familiar because you can tell who I love. It comes out naturally. But it also feels fresh and new, because it really is for me, like, an inspired place and, like, a place wanting to just make something new that’s not too… referential. So I think just going in fresh. Everybody wants to be nostalgic and sample. There’s no samples on the album. I’m tired, you know? Make something new.

Siana – FeatHER Zine: Your introduction to music began with you producing your own songs. How has that shaped your perspective on how to build/ create songs for yourself, as well as songwriting for other artists? Does the sound affect the lyrics or vice versa?

Jae: I think it’s just overall really good to know the process if you’re gonna be a part of the process. I’ve obviously already said probably like 3 times now that I’m a huge control freak. And it’s just so helpful to feel like you have a semblance of control when you’re in this room, and you’re at the writer’s couch, and the producer guy is at the computer over there, and he’s like, clicking, and he’s moving over the mouse, and this, that, the third, and you have no idea what he’s doing. It’s easy to get lost in the sauce and it’s harder to kind of translate your ideas. But if you’ve done it and you’ve been the person behind it that has got the computer, you can be like, drag this here, move that there. And why did you do that?

There’s been so many times where I didn’t need to delete something. I’m like, I can see that you just deleted that. Why did you delete it? You know? And it’s like, if I didn’t have a knowledge of understanding what they’re doing, it would have been lost. So it just helps to be across as many parts of the process as possible in order to fully execute your vision. And my involvement was obviously from necessity, but I think that it’s definitely helped me in the long run because just developing that vocabulary from early on has allowed me to wear so many hats and really communicate my vision to the fullest, and I support everyone to do it, especially women, who are, like, you know, not used to being behind the computer or the desk. Or board, you know?

AJ – r/Popheads: You’ve put so much time and thought into crafting this fictional pop city for your album campaign. What’s been the aspect you’re the most proud of having the idea for?

Jae: I think I like the city itself. I mean, I knew that I wanted a kind of world where the music could live. Everything starts with the music for me. The visuals and everything kind of comes after. And while writing the project, I start thinking, this girl singing these songs, where does she live? What does she wear? Who is she? What’s her vibe? That kind of went hand in hand with recognizing the audacious nature of the energy and the subject matter. So then that is where the title, Audacity, comes from. And from there, it’s just like, let’s get a little campy, you know? like, Auda-city.

I think that I really have so much fun online and engaging with my fans that I really value that I’ve kind of allowed myself the space to be silly with that. I kind of was questioning at the beginning. I was like, “Is everyone gonna think this is ridiculous? Like, is it kind of stupid?” But I think it’s just been really fun finding ways to get creative with it, you know?

My newsletter is the Audacity Newspaper. And it doesn’t feel or look or read like a regular newsletter. There’s headlines and subjects and quizzes and ads and stuff like that. And then my chocolates reveal was everybody unveiling a brand new street in the city. Finding ways to get have fun and then people voted. There was an election in my newspaper newsletter for my next single. You just click which one you would like to vote for.

And then they break the votes because obviously democracy does not exist Audacity.

So it’s just been really fun and we’re finding ways to carry it over into the merch and making it really kitchy, tacky, touristy merch. That has been really fun. So, I think just overall, it’s made the process like a lot of fun, which is very important for me because there’s so much going on. At the very least, I need it to be fun. So I’m just really proud of how that came together and how it’s coming together. And the fans willingness to get involved and play along with the ridiculousness of it. 

Parker – DePaul Music Business Organization:
You’ve put a lot of emphasis while creating this new album and its rollout into creating a world and imagining a physical space to accompany the album in the form of AUDACITY. How did you conceptualize this city, and what things did you decide you wanted to include in this rollout?

Jae: I’m still trying to figure that out, because it’s like, I’m just, before I have many things, I am a singer songwriter. That is the stuff that I feel like I can do in my sleep. The visuals and everything that come afterwards has always been a bit of a source of stress for me, which is why I think I made this so highly concentrated. I was like, okay, this has to be something specific, and it needs to be something fun. So she’s going to live in Audacity, you know? So, yeah, parts of it are harder. It’s figuring out, what does a music video for this song look like, you know?

So it’s been easier to be able to just pin it at a certain place on this fictional map. I think seeing it come to life is fun. I’m really proud of the Sugar Trap video in particular. That was an idea that I had had for a really long time of these Coyote Ugly style girls who run this bar with Miss Andry’s, the heart of the city of Audacity. This is where it all goes down. And I think, unfortunately, the most fun work, is actually seeing it done and realized because everything leading up to it is still rather stressful to me. I don’t feel like it comes as easy to me yet like the music does. But I’m learning to have fun with the process. Right now, like, the Pinterest boarding is probably the most fun I have and everything after that is stressful.

Parker – DePaul Music Business Organization: You’ve had songwriting credits on songs from Ne-Yo, Jennifer Lopez, Twice’s Jihyo, Kylie Cantrall, and Chxrry. Do you have a favorite aspect of songwriting, and how have you navigated securing those credits and being a songwriter in pop music?

Jae: My favorite thing about songwriting… Honestly, I loved that being songwriter, my job was done at the end of the day. When you leave that studio, you’re fine. You don’t gotta worry about the music video, and the album cover, and da, da, da, da. You wrote an amazing song and now you just get to listen to it forever. So that’s something that has like been a huge adjustment with my job now. I think the songwriting path and securing all of those really amazing artists that I work with just kind of happened very naturally over time.

I’ve always made music and then that kind of led to me just doing sessions, and then that I lead to me doing sessions for other people, then that lead be doing sessions with other people. It was a very natural progression. I will say that it was one that I probably got a little too comfortable in, which was why, when it came time to commit to artistry, I was like, “Well, what does that look like? Who is that? What does that mean?” I’m used to saying sh-t for other people and telling their stories. How do I make it my story? And then, I realized to carry that same mindset over. Just write what you want to hear. Write what you love. It doesn’t need to be true. Yourself will come out in it eventually. I think that answered the question.

Nikhil – UTalent Records:
Listening to TOTAL SELLOUT, many of your production choices are bold, almost industrial. I’m thinking of the bouncy percussion in “I Miss The City!” Your music has a very Y2K/RnB flavor, but it is offset by how creative your production is. Could you walk us through how you picked your synths and percussion for AUDACITY?

Jae: I love that you said industrial! I can’t take a lot of credit entirely for that. So I made the entire album with this producer named Dallas Caton, who I love so dearly. I think he’s genuinely a musical genius, even though he just thinks a chill guy. And part of the reason I love working with him is because he’s really not afraid to broke everything at the freaking wall. I appreciate his willingness… Somebody left a comment on Afterbody that said, “This song sounds like the producer used every sound on his keyboard.” And I’m like, well, yes!

And that’s what I love. I love that Maximism. Love that willingness to go there. He knows to really go for it and when to pull it back. And that kind of taste level is why I put so much trust in him. And I think naturally, just kind of his signature is pots and pans. Just loud. And I think that’s the audacious spirit in nature.It’s been fun finding ways to kind of curb it a little bit. Like, I’m Miss The City, which very much gives almost Disney princess. And he’s just so well rounded in that way. There aren’t a lot of records on the album that really sound like, I Miss The City, so it’s nice being able to have those softer moments in between all of the pots and pans.

Nikhil – UTalent Records: Last year, you opened for FLO on tour, and this upcoming fall, you will be touring with Khalid. At the same time, you have been grinding for nearly a decade. How has it felt to reach greater and greater audiences this past year, especially as fellow black artists put you on their platform?

Jae: It is super reassuring and just like affirming because, while I have been in the industry for nearly a decade, I feel like I didn’t really start backing myself in this way until, like, recently, like, 2 years ago, with Body Favors, Sugar Trap, Sellout of it all. And then, that’s when things started changing for me. When I found that confidence and that security in myself to make these decisions and trust my vision and make it change, make it happen, even if I have to hide behind a tongue in cheek moniker, if I have to be like, “Oh, well, I’m a sellout.” I still have means of making it happen. Even if I had to trick myself into believing it.

And, these opportunities have come about and people have really resonated with the music, which has been very… just it has meant a lot to me to see it pay off in that way. And for people that I respect so much… I mean, for Flo, to take me on my 1st tour, that was a lot of trust they put in me. And I really appreciated that. Even though that tour was terrifying. I was scared every night. And I was like, “Whoa! What am I going out here doing?”

I really found my footing at the end of it, and I’m really grateful that they gave me the opportunity to do that. Now I’m going out to even bigger groups with a completely different crowd that I haven’t been in front before in Europe with Khalid. So I feel like a lot more confident going into it and it would be really nice to be with an artist of that stature and see how he navigates it and carrying that kind of same energy. So I’m excited!

Shermee – Girls Love Hip-Hop, Too: You came up on the internet yourself, Tumblr, memes, fan communities, and then you had Afterbody become a viral moment on TikTok. Do you think being an internet-native artist makes you approach virality differently than an artist who came up through the traditional music industry?

Jae: It’s like a double-edged sword. I’m not gonna lie. I think it’s been very helpful in regards to how I communicate and cultivate an audience. I know what it’s like to be a fan. I know what the people want to see. I know what the audience wants to see, you know? I love a bit of fan service. I enjoy being in direct line with the people who got me here and having these inside jokes and knowing what it’s like to be a boots on the ground stan has gotten me the really loyal support that I have that I’m so grateful for.

I think there’s probably a moment where I’m a bit too invested. Where I’m like, everybody knows too much. So I have to pull back in that regard. Where it’s like, okay, I don’t need this many opinions. I don’t… at a certain point I should just kind of do what I want. But I still appreciate field research. You know, this is really how I see it. It’s just a means of me keeping my ears to the streets, because I speak the language, so I know what the streets are saying. The more I progress in this, I’m learning how to find moderation in it, for sure. 

Sam – Karishma Collective: Over the past year, we’ve witnessed artists evolve not only in their sound but also in how they understand themselves creatively. When you reflect on your journey, what aspects of your artistry have experienced the most significant growth whether that’s your songwriting, vocals, creative direction, or how you approach vulnerability in your music? And how has that evolution influenced the artist you’re becoming?

Jae: I will definitely always lead with the singing and the songwriting. I feel like before many things, I am that. So it’s been finding out how to turn that into being an artist because I had to learn being an artist is more than just knowing how to write a good song or even how to just sing a good song. You have to know how to package it.

I think for me, the creative direction of it all has been an ongoing, kind of like lesson in vision, and confidence, in direction, in understanding the focus group, the audience. Ears to the streets. What do people want? What do the people mean? What is there? What is missing? What do I even as a fan and a lover of music, want to hear more of? And finding a way to incorporate all of that and package it up into a bow.

I do feel like I’m very proud of the work that I’ve done across this album in that regard even in the music. Which is a skill and I’ve always been very confident in. I had to refine it and figure out. “Okay, you know how to write a bunch of songs, but do you know how to write an album where the songs go together?” Even that was a new skill that I had to hone.

And I think that goes into the creative direction and the artistry of it all. It’s like, how does it all fit together? And that has been my biggest lesson. I don’t even think I’m really realizing that until right now. So, thanks for the question. But it’s been fun. And I think it’s ongoing. I’m excited to see where we carry it next. Whenever I tour this album, that’s going to be a whole other thing. But I already explored a little bit with Lollapolooza, and it was, like, so much fun. So I’m excited!

Maiah – For the Love of Music: Has Performing your music live ever changed the way you feel about a song or made you hear it differently than when you originally recorded it?

Jae: Yes, child! Unfortunately, some songs have moved down the ranks because I can’t breathe while I’m performing them. And I’m just like, I don’t want to sing this song anymore! This is the worst part of the show. I will refrain from naming those songs specifically just because JaeBaes try to jump me when I throw their favorite songs under the bus. Realistically, I love all the songs that I’m doing on tour, like, I love them. It makes me so happy to sing these songs because I feel so invested in these songs. And it’s so exciting to breathe new life into that.

I get really creative, with the transitions and the interludes and the live arrangements. I’m telling my live guy, “This needs to be a breakdown, and this needs to become -, and I need you to add some live horns here, like change it up.” I don’t want people in the audience to know 100% what to expect, you know? So that definitely makes…just breathes so much new life into songs. I will say that like some of my favorites… I’ve only performed Sugar Trap once, but it’s already like one of my favorites because the live version just has so much more energy and it’s just crazy. What else? I think Boyfriend Forever live is so much fun because it’s got such a crowd, sing-along, feel to it. But I am very tired at the end of the song, because they both have dance breaks. But yeah!

Ashley – Phrase Maker: When we are like 10 years into the future and people are looking back on this chapter of your career. What do you hope they’ll still be able to appreciate about your artistry?

Jae: I hope they can appreciate the music. I think they will. I want the music to age very well. I wanted it to feel very ahead of this time, because like I said earlier, I definitely didn’t want to get caught up in the nostalgia fuel factory that I feel like rules so many creative decisions these days. I wanted it to feel very fresh and futuristic. I wanted it to feel disruptive. I want this to feel like an album that people did not expect from me. Even if they don’t understand it right now.

Obviously, I don’t want that, but I think that even if its not something that’s understood right now, people will look back on it later and be like, wow, that was such a such an audacious choice. I really want people to feel that boldness and that spirit, that willingness to go there and be like, wow, that was forward thinking. Because I’m very proud of it in that regard.