Jae Stephens °1824 Press Conference
Written by Harry Sargeant
The wait for ascending pop star Jae Stephens' highly anticipated debut album AUDACITY is over. A project where Jae builds on the immersive fictitious world of ‘Auda-City ’, a place where she describes herself as ‘the courage to demand the world she envisions for herself on her own terms’. This release follows her meteoric rise after signing to Def Jam Records in 2023 and launching the ‘SELLOUT’ era (EPs SELLOUT & SELLOUT II), which featured the TikTok viral ‘Afterbody’. Before her rise to stardom having worked as a successful writer in the industry for artists such as Ne-Yo & Jennifer Lopez, Jae is no stranger to being the sole writer and architect behind her music. With AUDACITY, Jae invites us into the sonic world she built from the ground up.
Coming from a singer-songwriter background, the sonic directions and writing have always been something that has come naturally to Stephens; however, by her own admittance, something she had not done before until now was the world building and immersive album roll-out. AUDACITY differs from previous releases with its more conceptual approach, with Stephens placing great importance on being cohesive both sonically and narratively, building a world where this music can live. Stephens’ introspective and vulnerable songwriting allows fans to tap into the audacious world of ‘Auda City’.
One thing that is apparent about Stephens is that she is a student of music at heart and a lover of great ‘divas’ before her, whether that be Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, or Beyoncé. Being such a huge admirer of pop royalty like this has allowed her music to blend these inspirations from a more nostalgic era with modern maximalist pop sensibilities to create something forward-thinking and new. In reference to the opener to the album ‘Crush ’, which featured a new jack swing sound akin to 90s Janet Jackson, Stephens told us how she manages to merge vintage sounds and inspirations while staying fresh and authentic to herself.
“I don’t ever go in with references, I think you obviously hear the references because I am a student of music and I am a lover of divas, but I feel like the reason it feels like such a fresh take because I don’t go into the studio with a song and say I want to make something like this today. I just like making something that I want to hear, and I think it feels familiar because you can tell who I love, it comes out naturally, but it also feels fresh and new. It really is coming from me in an inspired place and a place of wanting to make something new that’s not too referential” says Stephens.
Stephens is excited to take the AUDACITY era to a live setting too, joining up with Khalid for his ‘It’s Always Summer Somewhere ’ tour from October to December this year. Stephens is eager to give fans something they don’t expect from the songs they know and love, with creative transitions, interludes and new live arrangements. She expressed huge eagerness to perform tracks like ‘Sugar Trap ’, which promises to deliver even more energy and impressive dance breaks for concertgoers.
As she gears up to bring her new and exciting world to lucky fans across the UK and Europe, the rising pop superstar is sure to bring her magnetic stage presence with captivating live performances this time round. Click here to see Jae Stephens live in a city near you.
