F  L  A  U  N  T

 Previously known as Jade Jones in 2017, when she released her first single “Don’t”, which gathered over 200K Spotify streams as well as multiple features in editorial playlists, and the mentorship of legendary musician Lenny Kravitz, [Jade](https://www.instagram.com/jadecroo/?hl=en) is now debuting a new chapter in her artistry.  The 22 year-old self-produced artist from Brussels, Belgium is releasing what she calls her manifesto. Written, performed and produced by Jade, “In the Breeze” is her way of taking full control. Recorded over the past two years in Brussels, NYC, Japan and Berlin, the song is a collection of “life experiences and lessons learned.”  FLAUNT had the opportunity to chat with Jade about her new single, the process of producing it, and the meaning behind it.   **How would you describe your sound?** I would describe my sound as really melodically driven. When I make music it is really about creating a space, an environment, and an energy with sounds. And then it’s sort of completing it with my story through the lyrics, but I think that is what really drives my music and my music creation. That is number 1.  **What was the inspiration behind “In The Breeze”?** “In The Breeze” sort of came out of nowhere, but at the same time it was a long time coming, if that makes sense. It was in the works. I wrote it my sophomore year of university and I just graduated this year, so about maybe two years ago. At the time I was, for a couple of years then, in a sort of difficult place and I had a very difficult relationship with music. I had written a song a couple years prior that had gotten like a tiny little bit of attention, but enough to put me back into a bit of a shell, and feel a lot of pressure, and feel a little stuck and have a lot of doubt with my music, which is a dream that I’ve had ever since I was a little kid. And by that time I had moved to New York City to study music, so I was so expected to really succeed at this one thing that I was struggling with and that I was not sure if I was passionate enough about, did I love it? I was afraid at that point. I just remember being in front of my piano, something that I was so afraid to touch at the time, because I kept on getting disappointed. I just remember being in front of it and maybe playing a couple of chords and I don’t even know how the lyrics came to be, but I had been waiting to write a song like this for years, and there it was.  **What kind of message do you hope a fan will get out of hearing it?** I wrote it for it to be my mantra of sorts, something that wasn’t in existence yet, but it was my wish. “In The Breeze”, the lyrics describe this sort of imaginary space for me, where I would be able to just feel good, and confident, and accomplish all of my dreams and let all the weight go, and where I would essentially figure everything out. The song is quite, I don’t want to say hypnotizing, but it has its own pace that lends to the message sort of going in, and, like I said, this idea of a mantra, I call it my manifesto. I would hope that the listener would listen to it and it takes them to this place where they can recharge, or they can find hope, or any of the above.   **And you produced it yourself as well, right?** Yes. In hindsight, one of the reasons I was so stuck in struggling with music for a couple of years was because I could never make the music that I heard or that I was inspired by or that I loved. And that was because I was very limited at the time. I was really all alone in my little room, with no other friends doing music, no other people that I knew. It was only, again, around the time that I wrote the song, where I started producing, and that literally changed the entire game for me. I didn’t have to try and find the right producer for me, cause that never ever ever worked, and that just added to my disappointment. It was when I was able to take sounds and manipulate them and create the environment, the space that I wanted, that I was able to find my voice, and make the music that I wanted to make. And I am so proud to be another female producer.  **What was the process of producing it like? How long did it take you?** It’s a little cool story for me because I started working on it not too long after I wrote it, so about two years ago, and I finished it a couple of months ago, maybe June or May. It took about two years because I recorded it once, and then this person told me that I should do it again. I thought I was done with it, but I obviously wasn’t, so I did it again. Now that I look back on it, I thought about this the other day, the song was actually recorded all over the world. It was recorded in Brussels, it was recorded in Berlin, it was recorded in Japan actually, and it was also recorded in New York City. All little bits from my life over the past two years, memories and souvenirs have accumulated and created this song, which is exactly what I would want the song to be. It’s a bunch of life experiences and lessons learned.  **How did you start making music?**  As a child, like many, I had dreams of being a superstar, that was everything. But when I think about it, I was really shy about that dream, in a way. Especially as I got older, although I wanted it with every single cell of my body, I didn’t actually believe that I was very good. So I just sort of played it on loop as a fantasy in my head, although I was totally the type to walk in an airport, especially that time when I went to Los Angeles, and sing at security in the hopes of some head of Disney Channel to discover me. I was definitely that type. But as I grew older I definitely got more and more shy and private about this dream. That was around my Hannah Montana, Cheetah Girls face. I think I wrote my first song at the age of 14, and it was called “Where The Wild Things Are,” it was very cute. That’s when the song writing, and being an actual artist and the love for the music and art started. That’s when I became the artist, let’s say.  **Are you working on anything else right now?** Yes, I am working on preparing the music video for this song, which I am working with a really cool Brussels based team, which I am super excited to work with, because it’s so important for me to connect and have a foot both in a community in the States but also in Belgium, so I am really really excited. So the music video, and eventually there is going to be another single.   **Can we get any hints of what the video and the new single will be like?**  The music video is hopefully going to be a really good accompaniment to the song. I like to think of it as leaning more towards a visualizer, I think visualizers are really cool, I have a thing for them. I think they are a really cool medium to get your song across. And for the next single…Oh, I know what I can tell you, it’s a little bit more upbeat. Also produced by me. And the music video for that was actually shot in Thailand.  **How was filming that?**  It was fun! I shot it, I can’t believe it, but almost a year ago. It feels like it was shot two months ago but obviously with Corona time has flown by.   **Has Corona delayed your music plans or were the singles always supposed to be released now?**  I am not sure. I know that I would’ve wanted to release it much sooner. Would I have if Corona wasn’t there? I am not sure. I am not sure if I would’ve been able to pull it off. Maybe Corona actually really allowed me to focus on it. I don’t think Corona delayed those plans, it might have delayed or halted other plans.    **What are your goals for the future of your music?** I want to release these singles and just establish myself, put my feet in the water, and see how people respond to those. But I am working on a Debut EP. Hopefully that can come out sooner rather than later, but that has been in the works for a while. I also want to keep on bettering myself and working as a DJ with Leify because that also just brings me so much joy and so many cool things are in the works for that, so I am really excited about that.  **Anything else you want us to know?** Just stay tuned for the “In The Breeze” music video.