Q&A Experience - Natalie Jane - where am I again?
At just 19-years-old, Natalie Jane has the kind of powerhouse voice that makes the most intimate emotions feel larger-than-life. As shown on past hits like «AVA»--one of her first singles since signing with 10K Projects/Capitol Records--the New Jersey-raised, Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter matches her massive vocal talents with soulful sensitivity and unapologetic attitude, a dynamic she's embodied since self-releasing her own music in high school. That's particularly true of "I'm Good," her defiant new collaboration with fellow rising star charlieonafriday, which is shaping up to be a summer smash.
Growing up in Woodcliff Lake, Natalie Jane first discovered the phenomenal strength of her voice as a little girl, thanks in large part to the encouragement of her family including an aunt who's an opera singer. Along with singing in musicals and learning to play piano, she started writing her own songs at the young age of eight. Naming big-voiced singers like Bishop Briggs and Adele among her top inspirations, she later began heading into New York City to work with a producer who helped to sharpen her hypnotic approach to pop music.
«All throughout high school I'd go into the city after school and spend countless hours in sessions,» she recalls. In 2021, Natalie Jane delivered her debut single «Love is the Devil»--a slow-burning and emotionally potent track written completely on her own. Within the next few months she made waves with independent releases like «Red Flag» and «Kind of Love,» and soon found herself balancing her school work with the demands of a fast-burgeoning music career.
«I remember sitting in music-theory class the day I found out I got my first editorial playlist,» she says. «My teacher was frustrated with me and said, 'Natalie, could you please focus?' and I was like, 'I really can't.'» At the start of 2022, Natalie Jane made her first trip to L.A. as her following continued to grow exponentially. Although she gained acceptance to the prestigious Berklee College of Music, she ultimately decided to pursue her musical ambitions--a choice that paid off when she inked her deal with 10K Projects/Capitol Records in July.
That same month, she made her major-label debut with «Mentally Cheating,» a gorgeously raw track quickly featured on highly coveted playlists like Spotify's Pop Sauce. Almost immediately after moving to L.A. in September, Natalie Jane released her follow-up single «Seven» (another heavily playlisted hit) and in November returned with «AVA»--an unstoppably magnetic track that debuted on the official single charts in four countries across the globe, in addition to landing on seven flagship playlists and earning her four playlist covers.
«It's a song about being in a relationship and knowing your partner's talking to someone he shouldn't be talking to,» explains Natalie Jane, who created «AVA» with boundary-pushing producers like Pink Slip (FLETCHER, Royal & the Serpent) and Doc Daniel (Bankrol Hayden, Chloe Lilac). «In general I want my music to be something for people to put on in the car when they're feeling upset, and need some kind of outlet to scream along to. I want every song to be a therapy session.»
On songs like «AVA,» Natalie Jane shares her singular perspective on the emotional climate of the modern world while fearlessly venting her thoughts and desires. On "I'm Good," her latest single and rising hit, she delivers an empowering anthem about moving on from a breakup with casual defiance. The inclusion of charlieonafriday is also representative of her collaborative approach to music. As part of her fierce commitment to fully realizing her vision, she's made a point of staying hands-on in all aspects of her artistry, including collaborating with her friends to dream up the videos for tracks like «Crazy.»
An infinitely creative artist who's painted almost her entire life and designed the striking cover art for her intoxicating update of Gnarls Barkley's «Crazy,» Natalie Jane is now at work on a debut project that breathes even more intensity and power into her boldly cinematic sound. Not only a reflection of her outsize creativity, that commitment has everything to do with her extraordinarily deep connection to her fan base.
«I have a separate number I give out to fans, and we text all the time,» says Natalie Jane. «I've gotten a lot of really touching messages about how my music has helped them through hard times, which is so rewarding. I just want them to all feel included and know that they're a huge part of my journey, because they're the main reason I'm doing all this.» Her remarkable relationship with fans will only deepen when she hits the stage on her sold-out European headline tour. Kicking off in Norway in September, the live extravaganza will also touch down Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK -- showcasing the vocal prowess and authenticity that makes Natalie Jane one of the most exciting new artists in pop music.
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