Upcoming singer-songwriter Jenny Stenger began her musical journey in January 2022 with the debut single, “Better,” followed by her debut album, Trying My Best, in November of the same year. Since then, Jenny’s lyrical storytelling has spoken to listeners through personally complex emotions & experiences that resonate with audiences on an in-depth level.
Jenny’s latest single, “Unlovable”, is a heartbreaking ballad that pulls on the heartstrings of listeners by taking them on a journey of self-doubt, insecurity, & the gut-wrenching feeling of believing you are simply unlovable.
Jenny has kindly taken the time to talk with Fierce & Fabulous Revolution regarding the emotionally creative journey behind the song & what this latest single means on a personal level. You can find the full interview below.
Hey Jenny, thank you so much for this interview. Can you start introducing yourself to readers who might be unfamiliar with your music?
Jenny: Thank you for taking the time to learn about me and my music! I write a lot of songs about human emotions like unrequited love, mental illness, jealousy, and heartbreak. I like writing about feelings that seem really simple unless you’re experiencing them first-hand, and then they feel really personal and complex.
When did you first discover your love for music?
Jenny: I’ve been singing my whole life- I used to put on “concerts” for my parents in our living room when I was little and would tell everyone I wanted to be a pop star when I grew up. My parents are both musicians too, so music has always been a big part of my life.
Have you always known you wanted to pursue a career within the music industry?
Jenny: For most of my life, I actually always thought I would be an actor. I started doing musical theatre when I was 8, and have always loved music and storytelling, but it wasn’t until I was 19 that I decided I wanted to pursue songwriting. It was always a dream in the back of my mind, but I was too scared to go for it until then.
How would you currently describe your musical style?
Jenny: I like to call it “sad girl pop”. There is so much variety in the pop genre and I feel like my music is a lot sadder and slower than the type of music people might initially think about when they think of pop music. I’ve also been leaning into a folkier sound recently, so I think the phrase “sad girl” ties that into the genre pretty well.
You recently unveiled one of your most emotionally moving singles to date, “Unlovable.” How did the idea to create this song come together?
Jenny: I’d been wanting to write a song about the fear of being innately unlovable for years, but could never capture the feeling in the right way. Back in November of 2022, I was going through a breakup and listening to Noah Kahan’s incredible album Stick Season, and when I got home, “Unlovable” just came together. Between the fresh emotions and musical inspiration, it finally just clicked.
This song paints the scene of feeling useless in the eyes of love & guides you through an emotional lyrical story. How did it feel when you wrote the lyrics for this song & sang them out loud for the very first time?
Jenny: I tend to use songwriting as a diary, so writing the lyrics felt really natural and raw. I was really scared to show the song to anyone because it felt so personal, but I was also so proud of the fact that I finally got the feeling of being unlovable across in a song. Now that a little bit of time has passed and the feelings aren’t so fresh, singing it has been really healing, and it’s been so cool to watch such a painful feeling turn into art.
What does this song personally mean to you?
Jenny: Something I like about this song is that you can hear the internal battle between blaming yourself for unrequited feelings and failed relationships, and trying to be rational and understand that just because something doesn’t work out doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with you. It came from a very truthful place where I was trying so hard to not sink into the belief, but kept coming back to it.
What advice would you give to someone who was listening to this song & feeling the same way right now?
Jenny: It can be so easy to analyze ourselves and pick ourselves apart trying to figure out why things aren’t working out, but I hope this song helps people realize that unrequited love and failed relationships are universal and human, and it’s not something innately wrong with us.
Do you have any further releases planned for the year that you can currently tell us about?
Jenny: I’m super excited for my releases this year. The music I’ve been writing recently feels more raw and honest than anything I have out, which is making me so antsy to get it out into the world. I think the more honest a songwriter is, the easier it is to relate to their music, and I hope the songs I’m working on find the people who need to hear them and feel seen by them.
If you could offer advice to someone who was just starting out in the music industry, what would it be?
Jenny: I think it’s really important to remember what you love about music and not let the harshness of the industry take that away. The music industry is so scary to dive into and it can be really overwhelming, but staying truthful in art is what makes it so special.
Finally, is there a message that you would like to share with the readers of Fierce & Fabulous Revolution?
Jenny: If I can get one message across, it would be that it’s okay to feel. Having emotions doesn’t make you weak; it makes you human. What I love about music, both as a songwriter and as a listener, is that it makes us feel less crazy for feeling however we do.
You can check out “Unlovable” on Spotify below or on more platforms here.
Jenny Stenger: Instagram.
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