If you were on TikTok during the early days of the pandemic, you might have frequented Sadie Jean's performances across your feed. She made the waves with WYD Now? We got to catch up with her serendipitously in New York City at the cutest cafe, and we talked about thrifting, songwriting, and what's in store for her this year.
Sadie, it's so great to meet you!! So, how did you go about doing this as your career, and when did you know that you wanted to become an artist?
Sadie Jean: It's crazy because I don't remember. Like, my mom would tell me as soon as I could make sounds, I was making up melodies. And as soon as I could talk, I was like adding words to the melodies. And then, my sister, before I could write, would write songs down for me. I was like obsessed with just music. But I don't exactly know who it came from because there is no music in my family. I guess for as long as I can remember, it has been my dream. Yeah, and then I just kept doing it, but I think It took, I like, always, it was always my dream.
And when and what made you start teasing songs on socials?
Sadie Jean: I think it was during Covid, and I remember posting, and my first viral video was just me wanting to sing Dixie D'Amelio's song "Be Happy." That was my first viral video, and then it just kept going, so I started posting more and building off it.
Growing up, who were artists that you listened to that have inspired who you are today?
Sadie Jean: Because I was always in the car growing up in, like, a suburban town, and being the youngest of my siblings, I remember running errands with my mom and listening to top radio with Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Coldplay, Maroon 5, and those early 2010 hits.
When you're writing songs, where do you draw your inspiration?
Sadie Jean: It's all my life, for sure. Growing up, I would write songs for myself to feel. The point of it was for me, but I wanted others to relate to. When I'd listen to other songs, I'd feel that the songs were talking about my crush, and then I'd want to write more.
Tell us about your latest, "16. "
Sadie Jean: "16" is the most nostalgic song I have ever written and more upbeat than any other song I have released. It's about revisiting the places you went when you were 16, seeing them all with fresh eyes, and really noticing how much time has passed. It really explores that feeling of longing and missing the joy of being 16 that I will never get back."
Samantha Fong
"At 15 years old, I begged my mom to take me to Walmart to get Taylor Swift's debut deluxe album and I never turned back. This was my very first entry point to stan fandom. Growing up in Memphis, Tennessee I was exposed to a ton of music - from rapping 3 6 Mafia to bopping to Justin Timberlake's solo discography. Now, in LA have a day job working in nonprofit development, but by night, I'm a full-fledged fangirl. I'll listen to generally any genre, but I'm a sucker for a good pop song. If you ever need someone to scream sing Carly Rae Jepsen's E·MO·TION with, I'm your girl. No, I still have not gotten over the One Direction hiatus. Please continue to respect my privacy. Twitter : samfonggg, Instagram : samantha_fong"
