Jayde gets all she wanted

“All I wanted” is about getting what you thought would bring you happiness but then still feeling unfulfilled. It’s about the debilitating realization that your dreams were way more exciting before you achieved them and then questioning everything you’ve ever wanted.

-Jayde

It's a bit funny how anxieties and insecurities can be such an amazing fuel for deeply empathic and meaningful music. The big takeaway I think is that all introspection into genuine struggle can easily translate into solid creative pieces that people will connect with, because ultimately, we all go through these situations where doubt and pain gnaw at us from the fringes -or the deepest parts- of our psyche.

Back in the far-off year of 2021, Jayde released her debut EP titled "Sad Songs About Sad Things.", this could have easily resulted in a type-casting sort of situation where you would expect her sound to always come off that morose, brooding place. Not all sadness is forever, and not all difficult emotions and situations necessarily equate to sadness or depression, and thus "All I wanted" sits in this off-spot of complexities while boasting a rather perky and vibrant bedroom pop sound that balances out the more melancholic tone of the lyrics. The distance between her debut EP and this new track is reflective of a transitional period in Jayde's life, both from a purely personal/sentimental point as well as a more artistic or professional sense. Funnily enough, this new period in Jayde's artistry promises to be even bolder in honestly exploring every little challenge and difficulty, letting us know that she seems to have found power in vulnerability and frankness. This is no doubt brilliantly exemplified in the intimate visualizer that acts as a companion piece to this release, just check it out for yourself to see what I mean:

"Sad Songs About Sad Things" might have been somewhat cathartic, but it also was a bit of a drain, with Jayde herself saying “Writing and recording this past year definitely wasn’t a glamorous experience. I would walk into a writing session and spill out my entire life to strangers, and we connected and made something from it. It was the most vulnerable I have ever been, and only through music did I process my emotions.” This almost therapeutic mode of songwriting and production isn't necessarily what everyone's meant to do, but there's something to be admired about turning a particularly important element of one's own mental health -namely, introspection and reflection- into the creative will. In some sense, I think audiences now more than ever before try to see themselves in the musicians they listen to as flawed humans willing and able to heal and grow.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Samuel Aponte is Venezuelan-born raised and based. 

I joined Rival Magazine after a few years of doing PR work for independent musicians of all stripes; understanding their struggles to be heard in a sea of constant  ADHD noise and paywalled access to platforms, I now bring a willingness to always appreciate and encourage the effort and creativity that artists put into their work . Can also find some of my writings on LADYGUNN and We Found New Music.