Singer-Songwriter, Jennifer Chung Advocates For Female Artists & Asian-American Creatives To Be Recognized
Jennifer Chung is a Singer-Songwriter, Actor, and the Co-Founder of WATS Media & We Are The Songs! Born in Korea and raised in the Bay Area, Jennifer has been in the music business for 13 years and is recognized as one of the pioneers of online music content creators! She recently released her music video for her song, ‘All Come True’ with stunning choreography and photos from her childhood. She shared with us about the inspiration behind her new song and music video. Check out her profile to learn more about Jennifer, her advice on staying creative and passionate, the lessons she has learned throughout her career, and how she has developed self-confidence!
Q: What sparked your interest in singing and songwriting? Can you describe your career journey and how you have been able to pursue a career out of your passions?
Jennifer: “I grew up in a family full of artists. My mom was a dance teacher while my dad was a singer. There was always music in the house & I started early by creating my own musicals by singing things I was feeling while finding my own melodies. I consistently performed and grew a habit of putting myself out there. I met the right people who were down to write original music with me when I began my studies at UCI & with the happenstance of being an early adopter of YouTube, I had created a community of people who listened. I credit all the wins I've had in life to God because timing is everything. I've been at it for 13 years as a singer-songwriter and though I studied Drama in college, I only signed with my first acting agency a few years ago & things are just picking up. Resilience & belief are very powerful things :)”
Q: How have your singing and songwriting styles changed from when you first started to now? What have been the most valuable lessons you have learned throughout your career?
Jennifer: “When I was younger, it was much easier to write love songs or about heartbreak from a significant other (LOL). The woes of young love. But giving myself time to experience life, take it in, & reflect - now my writing has a lot to do with growing up & what it looks like to navigate the world. I do still write about love though. It breaks us & makes us.”
Q: Congratulations on your recent music video release of 'All Come True'! Stunning choreography and loved the slideshow of images in the end! What was your inspiration behind the lyrics as well as the beautiful choreography and photos connected to it?
Jennifer: “Thank you so much! 'All Come True' is a really personal song because it has everything to do with my journey of dreaming since I was a kid to my dreams now. I'm sure many of us have had dreams we aren't sure will ever come true, but there's also peace in knowing that there are BIGGER dreams we dream, not just for ourselves but others, that we pray will come true even if it isn't in our lifetime. There's a lot of things behind the song but the tribute with the photos of my grandmother and mother had to do with acknowledging that they've most likely sacrificed a lot of their own dreams to see their other dream come true: to see their children live their life with happiness.”
Q: Why do you believe it is important for female artists to be recognized in the music industry? And why is it important to recognize Asian-American creatives?
Jennifer: “It's important for female artists to be recognized in the music industry because equality is still something we have to fight for in all industries. The more women we have behind the scenes, the more representation we can have in front of the scenes as well. There's so much of the male gaze that's still being incorporated in the media that keeps affecting all of us. It's important to recognize Asian-American creatives because we're highly underrepresented & it feels like now there's a bottleneck in the movement. I'm hoping we as a community can break through it and show that there's so much more than the stereotypes.”
Q: How do you stay creative and passionate in an industry that can be extremely competitive?
Jennifer: “I stay creative and passionate in an industry that can be extremely competitive by constantly checking in with myself. I've gotta remember who I am, my whys, & my loves. My happiness comes from my faith, my husband, my dogs, my family, my friends, & my community who unconditionally accept me for me. Relationships are complex & there's an endless well of stories we can tell. I feel blessed to have the opportunity to share some of those stories.”
Q: Love your health journey updates - your honesty and vulnerability really empower us to be more gentle and accepting to our own bodies too. How have you been able to develop your self-confidence? What advice would you give to your younger self?
Jennifer: “It's taken a lot of practice to keep pushing through the insecurities. When we're conditioned to look out for how we LOOK OUT to others, it can be really crippling. I'm naturally an over-thinker, but if I can use it to my advantage, I can actually think about WHY I feel insecure, WHO is telling me to be, & WHAT causes these feelings. I never let my appearance stop me from getting this far & use my differences as an advantage. We can't stand out if we're just like everyone else. My advice to my younger self is to keep going & don't let what others say or think about me take precedent when they have no intention on stepping up to make my dreams a reality.”
Q: You co-founded a creative content agency, WATS Media with your husband! What was the inspiration behind creating this company? And what do you hope to achieve through it?
Jennifer: “My husband & I are both musicians who've found ourselves diving into creative work that can serve others. Our biggest passion is helping our clients find a solution in telling their stories. It really started with my husband getting work in videography & photography. I was separately starting to run social media accounts for clients & creating campaigns. We decided to join forces together!”
Q: Do you have any advice for women who are hoping to pursue a career as a singer/creative?
Jennifer: “My biggest advice is to learn to love yourself first. Know what that means & practice self care. Having a career as a creative is really vulnerable because you're constantly letting people in on your world even if they may not respect it. That's okay as long as you truly believe it's okay. Your work will speak to whoever it's meant for. It isn't meant for everyone. We should have peace in knowing that. That just means there's more room for all the creatives out there because our creations speak to different hearts.”
Q: What do you root your identity in?
Jennifer: “I root my identity in my faith as a Christian as well as the people who've shaped me - my mom, brother, dad, husband, friends...they helped me survive. I'm here because they were always there.”
Thank you so much for speaking with us Jennifer! Jennifer is wearing our Black Spots Slit Satin Skirt from our Fall 2020 collection.
Connect with Jennifer on Instagram and visit her website to stay updated on her latest projects! Check out WATS Media & We Are The Songs on their socials!
Photography: @thefuturisticvintage x @wats.media
MUA: @toribaee
