JINNY’s Big Moment
JINNY explains how her debut EP has been a long time coming and why she’s “enjoying every single part of being a solo artist”!
Please describe your debut solo EP, Towards the Light!
Towards the Light consists of four tracks that mainly convey a message of hope. I participated in writing all of the tracks, and I tried my best to deliver a hopeful and inspiring message to the listeners by including a lot of elements that relate to lights, in order to portray the message of reaching for a brighter future.
Can you share a behind-the-scenes detail about making Towards the Light?
The [music video] visual direction, fitting, album cover design… all [of that] amazing work was done by Akane Yasuda, my friend from elementary school. We [have been] best friends since second grade, and the fact that we’ve known each other for so long and grew up to collaborate on such a meaningful project made it really special for me. I’m so grateful for her!
Did you know from the beginning that you wanted to both sing and rap in your solo music?
Yes. I’ve been into both singing and rapping ever since I was a trainee. Now that I’m able to showcase both, I will continue to do so!
What made “Everglow” the right choice for the Towards the Light main single?
“Everglow” almost serves as an introduction to my life, since I made connections to my own life experiences. I’ve encountered countless obstacles in life, which are described as the “darkness” in this song. However, the song conveys the message that I won’t stop and never give up. This [song tells me] to stay positive, also implying that all the time and effort I’ve put in so far will pay off someday. I hope “Everglow” will also give listeners strength and radiate positivity.
When making Towards the Light, did you purposefully try to make music that sounds different from SECRET NUMBER’s?
I can’t really say that I’ve purposely tried to make music different from SECRET NUMBER’s, because my music style has always been different from [that]. Just [having] the freedom to write my own music allows me to show the true style of not only my voice, but [of what kind of music] I want to perform and create. I will continue to try my best to write music, and I hope the listeners can feel that the music I’ve released and will be releasing is “JINNY’s sound.”
Towards the Light starts with a song about rebirth (“Everglow”) and ends with a song about the power of love (“HIGHER”), so it seems like the EP starts and ends with the most serious and important themes. Was the tracklist order intentional, to have this effect?
Yes. I wanted the order of the tracks to definitely have a story-like effect, “Everglow” being the introduction - [a] brand new and fresh beginning - and “HIGHER” [being] a very enjoyable, upbeat track.
What have you enjoyed the most and the least so far about being a solo artist?
I’m enjoying every single part of being a solo artist: having the freedom to write my own songs, contributing my ideas to the whole production, being able to both sing and rap… the list goes on!
Can you explain your solo fandom name?
I have an individual fandom name that I’ve been using since pre-debut, which is “Jinnius.” It is a combination of the word “genius” and my name, Jinny. [It] means “Jinny [plus] us.” Me and all the fans are one, and it also means all my fans are genius[es]!
How have your past experiences performing live influenced you?
Past live performances [have] allowed me to [become] less nervous on stage. I still do get nervous every time I perform, but I learned my own way of controlling my nervousness. For example, taking big breaths before I start performing [helps] to calm myself down.
What are your short-term and long-term career goals?
My short-term goal is to release more songs before 2025 ends. My long-term career goals [are] to be known as an artist with a distinctive style and to be able to perform all over the world.
Lastly, is there anything else you want to say about yourself or your music?
As some of you might already know, I’ve been waiting for my debut as a solo artist for a long time, and I put a lot of effort into it, so I hope you guys enjoy Towards the Light. I’ll continue to make more music, so please look forward to it! I’m always so thankful for all the love and support you guys have been giving me, and I’m more than happy to start this new chapter of my life with you all!
Keep up with JINNY here!
Answers have been lightly edited and condensed for clarity. Photo credit: Instagram.