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JUST BEING DEVINE

October (but really, me)

10/17/2018

Hey kids, here's the tea:

For a long, LONG time I listened to music that reflected me as a songwriter @the playlist attached to this post. I loved alternative rock and would go out of my way to find artists no one had ever heard of, all in an effort to stay unique and *edgy*. When I got to college things changed and I started listening to what everyone else thought was cool and current. This meant lots of rap and R&B and pop, etc. And that's all well and fine but I fell out of touch with the kind of music that felt close to me. I don't regret it.

In the years that followed I wrote music that sounded similar to what I was hearing through my headphones. I started writing true pop songs and added lots and lots of layered beats into my music. "Four Love Songs" was born out of this moment in time and, to this day, it feels so, truly me.

But recently I've felt as if I'd fallen into a musical void... like nothing I was listening to felt like me anymore; nothing moved me. But then a few weeks ago I was on a drive back from NYC and my friend said "can you put on that guy that we heard at the concert from a few years ago?"

"Wrabel?" I said.

"Yeah, yeah, him."

I played "11 Blocks" and suddenly I felt that 16-year-old Jacqueline knock on the door to my soul and say "hiiii honey, remember me?" And for the rest of the drive back we listened to all those songs I thought were ~out of the box~ from my high school years.

This is a long, drawn-out way of saying... sometimes we can go back to what feels good, musically. It doesn't mean we aren't inspired, it just means maybe we need to remember why we started writing music in the first place.

The story behind "Two Kids"

8/2/2018

It occurred to me this morning that I never posted the debrief on “Two Kids,” the single I released last March. It’s the first of many new songs I wrote within the last year and, in a lot of ways, a rarity due to the fact that it’s rooted in guitar and really is a pure love song.

For a long time I, like a lot of other female songwriters, was criticized for not writing love songs. We can be called whiny or depressed because we can’t (or won’t) write about being in love. But again, like a lot of songwriters, we write from our own experiences. So if that’s the case, how are we supposed to write about love if we haven’t yet experienced it, OR, if we just didn’t find the right words to describe how we felt?

The difference for the case of “Two Kids” is that I didn’t fall in love, I sat at my piano and thought of all the different ways I wanted to foster a relationship with someone who was out of reach. It was a fantasy song that detailed the first date, first kiss, first whatever… And we’ve all been there; we’ve all met someone and thought “oooooooh God, this is really going to kick me down the rabbit hole.” We fantasize, we daydream, we do all the things that build up expectations in our head about someone who we barely know. We know it's gonna hurt us down the line but we do it anyways.

Releasing this kind of a song, a love song, sometimes leaves you more vulnerable than if you were to release something that’s rooted in hate or jealousy or any other type of negative passion. Love songs are a shot in the dark because everyone can connect about similarly experienced pain but not everyone can find common ground when it comes to love. It also opens you up to every variation of “who is this song about?” But hey–that’s songwriting.

I am so grateful for all the love Two Kids received after its release and in the months that have followed.

PLAYLIST: July 2018

7/30/2018

A nice combination of synthy pop and light heartbreak songs. Also, I discovered Loote within the last few months and I haven't heard a song I didn't like. Thanks, kids.

PLAYLIST: Daydreams...

3/7/2018

For *thinking* and working out and driving and...

PLAYLIST: Moving on

7/21/2017

Because breaking up is one thing and moving on is another.

PLAYLIST: Women Empowerment.

6/13/2017

Some things don't need an introduction. Go get 'em.

PLAYLIST: Graduation party

6/5/2017

To all those who just graduated and are about to face a party featuring both your parent's friends and your own friends: here are 102 songs that are sure to make everyone smile.

PLAYLIST: Spring

4/10/2017

I've been making playlists, I just haven't been posting them; my bad.

Spring is a great time to up your game in so many ways. Time to retire your down jacket for the next few months while you crack open your windows, swear you're going to start your diet and do your best to dress for 60 degrees and not pretend its 90 (you feel me, right?).

This playlist is REALLY exciting because The Chainsmokers' album came out and, yeah, it rocks. I also added a few slower songs, pulled some from my Summer Love Songs playlist in the spirit of the season, and threw in a few bar-vibe songs for the last couple of weeks at college.

PLAYLIST: Jan/Feb.

2/13/2017

It's been a WHILE since my last playlist.

A friend of mine always says that different seasons have different music vibes (and I agree with her). This playlist is like a step down from a *fun club* but a step up from plain ol' driving music. It's good, you'll like it.

PLAYLIST: December (not holiday-y)

12/26/2016

Debut is such a good song .......
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