PopCrush Presents: Jadagrace Gets Her Motown Groove On With ‘My Rules’ EP
Jadagrace may be only 17, but the emerging pop and R&B diva sounds like she could have been plucked straight from a vinyl record sixty years ago.
On her brand new EP, My Rules, the young singer-songwriter pays a delightful homage to the stars of Motown, her big, spunky voice weaving playful girl group melodies and dreamy soul grooves. But while the four-song collection is anchored in throwback sounds, it's also modern and fresh—an infectious fusion of classic R&B and modern pop sensibilities.
"Growing up, I always knew Motown music like the back of my hand," the Los Angeles artist shares in a press release. "You don’t really hear it on the radio anymore, so I wanted to take some of those elements of Motown and introduce them to everyone who wasn’t around to experience it back in the day."
A triple threat dancer, actor and vocalist, the charismatic Capitol Records artist worked with superstar producers Rob Kleiner (Cee Lo Green, Britney Spears) and David Kahne (Kelly Clarkson, Lana Del Rey) to craft a spirited, sparkling sound that could easily be featured in John Waters' Hairspray or on Top 40 radio today.
On "My Rules," Jadagrace delivers a feisty ode to feeling empowered and respecting consent in a relationship—"My body, my rules, and tonight I'm kissing you / My party, I choose, and lucky lucky you"—all over a soundscape that would make The Ronettes proud. She dabbles in groovy '60s girl group melodies (think The Crystals) on "New New," a bright, brassy bubblegum tune about a brand new beau.
The singer hits the brakes on "Believe," a shimmering, effervescent piano ballad about letting go of your fears and holding firm to your beliefs. The energy picks back up on "Luv Train," Jadagrace nodding to Little Eva's 1965 cover of "The Loco-Motion" as she beckons over a flurry of horns, "All aboard the love train!"
It was just about a decade ago when Jadagrace first decided to pursue music. The revelation came while she was on set filming Terminator Salvation, in which she starred alongside Christian Bale.
"Every single day in my trailer, I’d watch Hairspray and the Hannah Montana concert movie back to back, and sing along the whole time," she reminisces in a statement. "I just fell in love with singing and knew that I had to keep on doing it.” And now she is.
Listen below:
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