There’s been a growing demand for new pop stars. Sadly, this open call seems to exclude Black musicians consciously.
However, Jae Stephens didn’t read the industry’s fine print, nor did she care to. The “PDA” singer’s sole interest lies in filling the position. You might think you know Jae Stephens from her previously “moody R&B” records or songwriting credits for other acts, but that was a lifetime ago. That version of Jae Stephens no longer exists, as she is a pop star now, and you’ll learn to love it.
With the release of the new EP Sellout (via Def Jam/Raedio), Jae Stephens has unabashedly abandoned the post for pop music’s light-hearted garden as heard on singles “Body Favors” and “Girls Don’t Cheat.” During our sit down, Jae Stephens talked about her transition into pop, her approach to songwriting, singing with Issa Rae’s label Raedio, her EP Sellout, and much more. Continue below to read the full interview.
Flisadam Pointer (TRNB):[Based on your posts online], you seem like you’re having a ball! It’s like you’re in a really good headspace. Are you having as much fun as it appears that you are?
Jae Stephens: I grew up on the internet, so it’s just me talking to myself. That is my favorite pastime: ha. I’m glad it looks like I’m having a great time. But I am. I definitely am.
Mainly because, at one point, you considered leaving music behind altogether. Could you tell me about that time?
I don’t think I’ll ever be able to leave it behind together. I do like to talk sh*t. But I don’t think I would ever. There was a point where I felt discouraged on the artist’s side… I’ve been writing for other people and with other people. That’s something I have loved to do and have enjoyed, but it ended up taking a front seat to the artistry and to me being the lead. I kind of got comfortable with the non-commitment. So, when the opportunity to work with Def Jam and Raedio came along, I had to get out of my imposter syndrome, that gnawing feeling in your spirit that you’re supposed to be doing more.
That’s a trend in both R&B and pop – the year of pivot. So, we’re talking about Muni Long, Victoria Monét, Leon Thomas, and, of course, you. So, can you talk about that switch? From assisting others in their pursuits to now being in the front.
I’m honored to even be at the end of that sentence. I was just listening to a Muni Long interview about her days as Priscilla Renee, and that’s when I was singing those songs. Just watching their journey into their light and stepping down to their artistry has been helpful to me because I’ve enjoyed seeing how they used their previous resume to be the artists they are now. If it weren’t for that time I spent working with other people and working under other people shaped my taste, style, and how I am creatively.
As a person in the business, you gain a new respect for everything and everyone. When you start as a writer and then when you become an artist, then you just have a greater foundation and a greater sense of the inner workings and what everyone’s role is, from the writers to the engineers to the producers, you have a greater sense of the mechanics and the structure, and it gives you, you know, a better understanding of how to write a song and how to get it to see the light of day and what it takes to stand behind it. I’m still writing for other people, but not as much.
Speaking of transitions, you talked about going from ‘moody R&B’ to now being like the lead pop princess. Why was it important for you to verbalize that?
When I decided to make this switch, I had to commit. The only way to do it was to verbalize it and commit to it. I don’t want to half-ass anything anymore. I’m going to go into this full speed. I’m proud of my previous discography. I’ve done much of it by myself, from the writing to the production to the recording. But I also feel like a lot of it was me trying to conform. To something else. What it should look like. What it should sound like, or it was me needing to fully have a clear idea of what I wanted to be, look like, or sound like.
I only really connected to it some of the way, and that may be why I didn’t connect with other people. When I wrote ‘Body Favors,’ that was my connection. That’s when I was just like, this is how you’re supposed to feel when you write a song.
I don’t know who else is doing this, especially who looks like me. I don’t know if it’s necessarily encouraged. It needs to be done, and I want to be the one to do it. Once I committed to walking in and being that girl, I just wanted to double down on it. I’m really happy to feel like fans are receiving it.
Fans are also highly receptive to the visuals. For a moment, as an industry, visuals were treated as secondary.
That’s definitely me being like, ‘Let’s throw everything but the kitchen sink at it. Let’s just do it. Let’s give it a try. Let’s see where we can get.’
‘Wet,’ the first song from the project, and the first video did not come without headache. I definitely had a dream and a vision of the pop star I wanted to be in that video. And when it came back to me, I was very scared. I was like, ‘Oh, you’re not, like the cool indie underground girl anymore.’ You’re working on a car and dancing under a hose. I was a bit intimidated by it to see myself in the light…again, imposter syndrome.
I feel proud of that video because it is a treatment that came from my idea. I found the director, and she put it all together with me from scratch. I was very intimidated by it at first, but I feel like that’s just because I realized a dream there.
Let’s tell a little story here. Let’s do some references. You know, I’m all unafraid to reference or not reference over here. By ‘Girls Don’t Cheat,’ I already felt a lot more comfortable with that whole thing. And then with ‘Body Favor,’ I sent the director a detailed Pinterest board, and he said, ‘I don’t need to write a treatment. Let’s just do it.’ I feel like the music has granted me such a strong visual landscape of what I want to do and how I want things to look, so it’s all falling into place pretty naturally.
You’re such a fun songwriter. ‘Girls Don’t Cheat’ is such a hilarious concept.
Yeah, I’m so unserious when it comes to songwriting; I don’t need it to come from, like, ‘This deeply personal, realistic experience.’ I’ve never been that way. I do think songwriting with other people from their lives has helped with that. With ‘Girls Don’t Cheat,’ I had a lot of fun playing that villain. I don’t know how true that is to me, but I had a lot of fun with it.
I wrote it with people who were able to bring that out of me, like Chxrry22. She’s fabulous, an Aries, a bit scary, and what the kids call ‘savage.’ We like to say that I’m the good twin and she’s the bad twin. I feel like the lines just poured out with her. And I was like, ‘Girl, where is this coming from? Like, are you speaking from experience? This seems a little too easy for you.’
But the title came from the Black Men Don’t Cheat era, which I thought was funny. Some people took it seriously, but for the most part, we all understood that it was a gag. I’m glad that I was able to tell the other side to have an answer. A few guys did an open verse where they were talking their sh*t, and this is exactly what I wanted – the girls to fight.
So, what inspired Sellout, your new EP’s title?
I’ve always said if I ever sign with a major label, I start looking all glitz and glam, and I finally get everything I want in this world, out of the industry, and yada yada; I want my first project to be called, sellout. I wanted to poke fun at crossing over to the other side, especially since my previous sound was underground.
I’ve always wanted to go ‘radio,’ ‘pop,’ and make hits. As someone who’s chronically unserious, I thought it would be great to usher in that transition with a project called sellout as a reintroduction to everyone else and myself.
It’s been a conversation about how we need more Black girls in pop and more Black pop stars. But I do find that whenever a Black girl or Black guy tries, they’re called a sellout, corny, or lame. I want to do music that speaks to me. There’s space for both. That is our beauty; we are multifaceted and can do it all. We deserve the luxury to explore that without being labeled or turning our backs on anyone. Also, it looks great on a T-shirt.
What do you want people to take away from this project?
I want people to hear how much fun I’m having. I want that to come through in the music so others can feel that lightheartedness. The music is really good. I’m very proud of it.
Just like in life, quality doesn’t always have to be so stuffy and uppity. That’s me as a person. I know when to take things seriously, but I can also have fun, be light-hearted, and be authentic. And for me, that’s what this music is. And that comes through because it came from a very true place for me.
Do you want more of Jae Stephens? Connect with her on your favorite social media platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
Jae Stephens’ EP Sellout is available for purchase here or streaming on your favorite music platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, and Tidal.
*Cover photo credit:Randijah Simmons
