Written by Teyquil Skelton
What an amazing time I had speaking with the singer/songwriter and instrumentalist, Ms. Jena Rose. I asked her about her busy schedule, as the young 20-year-old pop singer/songwriter is living the life of a busy bee and always doing something.
Rose is on the move and in no way is she thinking of slowing down anytime soon. She has an upcoming EP being released and she’s collaborating with some real heavy hitters, including Nick Furlong of Panic! At The Disco, and producer extraordinaire John Feldmann (Blink-182, All Time Low, Good Charlotte, Avril Lavigne). Being amongst that kind of caliber of talent in such a short time is a wondrous achievement all around.
“It’s so cool that I get to collaborate as both an artist and a songwriter,” Rose admits. “It was a dream come true working with artists/producers that she admired.”
I was curious as to how her training as an instrumentalist and vocalist prepared her for where she is now and what were some of the processes it took? She mentioned that she has learned so much in her training, from piano improv to vocal techniques and how much they’ve shaped her as an artist.
At age 9, Rose‘s teacher taught her improv on the piano and that same night she went home and wrote her first song on the piano. From there the rest was history. Rose values these teachings and uses them quite often when needed. Especially when she’s headed into the studio or on stage, she does vocal warm-ups to gear her engine for performance in either establishment.
Rose talked a little bit about her busy schedule, as she’s living the life of a busy bee. A successful musician is open to promoting their brand in any way possible. Rose is no exception; she’s constantly active and staying creative daily.
She explained that she loves it all; from creating content on TikTok and Instagram Live, to writing and recording songs in the studio, to filming and promoting her video for her single, “Checkmate.” She’s also taking acting and dance classes.
With over 4 million hits on YouTube for “Checkmate,” 450k Spotify listens and so on, I asked the songstress how this newfound success is sitting with her right now. Rose responded, “I am so grateful for the opportunity and so happy that my fans love and enjoy my music.”
The songstress explained that her main goal is to inspire. If she’s able to convey that to others, it would make her super happy, and she would be grateful for that.
Aside from the busy schedule and the consistencies of always being on the go, I was curious as to what a day is like of Jena Rose, the person, and not the artist. Rose resides in Marina Del Rey, California. Her days are rarely never without doing something in relation to promoting. Either she’s creating content on social media or actively rehearsing to some degree, but when she does have downtime, she makes it a point to have matcha every day. Besides enjoying a matcha, she enjoys going for walks along the water, and meeting with friends.
When she’s not singing, Rose works on brand partnerships with MAC, Tommy Hilfiger, etc., just to name a few. Rose explained that her management reached out to people, along with Rose attending New York Fashion Week, in addition to building connections with people in that industry.
To me, music and fashion go hand in hand no matter what you do or say. You can’t have one without the other. They both speak a language that is relatable and similar. I have no doubt that Rose would agree on this with me also.
When we got around to talking about her past tours, I mentioned Noah Sierota and how much of a blast I had speaking with him about life, music, togetherness, unity, and so forth. I inquired about her time spent with Echosmith and some of the shenanigans that happened backstage while on tour with them. Rose mentioned that Echosmith pulled a prank on the crew and that it ended up being so funny which to me, speaks volumes as to how much fun touring can be when you’re amongst good, kind, people who share similar values as you.
Rose has also shared the stage with superstars Aly and AJ whom Rose grew up listening to. Rose gushed about her fangirl frenzy she had on Aly and AJ and how much it continued on tour all the way until the end of it. Can you imagine having the opportunity to tour with artists you admired growing up?! Talk about an awesome dream that is one surely not granted to everyone.
This pandemic has been a thorn in the world’s side for over a year, and now that it has somewhat subsided, Rose and so many other artists can do live shows again. She has a few coming up later this year. Like all things, you must work at something to become good at it, and Rose has worked hard at her craft and continues to do so.
Lastly, I wanted to know if Rose would ever consider attending college and she explained that where she’s from the Texas tradition is to finish high school and go to college and get a degree. But for Rose, that tradition doesn’t apply right now. With all that she has going on musically, it would only cause her to put less than 100% into her career. Though school isn’t for Rose now, she highly encourages others to do so because it is important, and I support that entirely.
The road ahead for Jena Rose is nothing but positive and I see bright lights shining with such a beam in her future. Rose is fierce, bold, beautiful, confident, and talented and with all that she possesses, Rose is undoubtedly going to put the world on notice with her gift that will surely soar as high as any eagle is capable of flying.
Connect with Jena Rose
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | Spotify | Apple Music
