Jade Barbara laughs when she talks about her early recording setup. “I mean, I was 15, using microphones off headphone cables,” she says. “Now that I’ve learnt how to use proper DAWs and more useful recording tools. I've been able to take my production to the next level.I’m much more excited to show what I can actually do.
”Her new single, ‘breathe (a little)’, marks a shift away from that DIY era. The track is polished, drawing on Y2K pop influences, but the lyrics explore the darker side of a stale relationship. “The idea of subconsciously resenting your partner really stuck with me,” she explains. “I’m in a really happy, long-term relationship, so it’s such a foreign thing to me. I started experimenting, building these characters and storylines."
Jade says the vision became clear once she wrote the line, “Can I take a shot instead of you? That line brought this club scene to my head,” she says. “With the character tyring to avoid emotions they don't want to feel.” She describes the result as “punchy Dance Pop” influenced by the music she heard growing up. “My parents were always playing P!nk, Soul II Soul, TLC,” she says. “I wanted to give ‘breathe (a little)’ the same kind of vibe as a Jamelia or Britney Spears song, but still keep it very me.”That personal touch includes a “Chick-Ahh” vocal ad-lib inspired by MJ the Musical. “Everyone thought it wouldn’t fit, but I worked it in anyway.”
Finding the balance between a catchy hook and meaningful lyrics was also a priority. “That’s always been my struggle,” she says. “‘Do I make it dance-y, or do I go deep?’ Like, before this I either wrote really simple choruses or these complicated three-part harmonies that no one can sing along to.” This time, she felt she found the right middle ground: “I accidentally got the chorus stuck in my head for two days, so I was like, that’s it, done.”Though she has released music before, Jade views this single as her "real debut."
She notes the significant growth in her production and songwriting skills since her earlier lo-fi uploads. “I’m definitely grateful for those first songs, they obviously show where I started, but there’s been so much growth since.” Her appreciation for hook-heavy pop is evident, even in her own listening habits. “Depends on the vibe,” she says of her car playlist. “But I’m probably blasting Lady Gaga, the Heathers Off-Broadway soundtrack, Harry Styles, or Yena’s ‘Catch Catch.’ ”Despite the upbeat sound, Jade prefers to explore complicated themes. “Sometimes the most interesting parts of a story are the messiest,” she says. The uptempo production paired with lyrics about a relationship breaking down, creates a specific tension throughout the track.Regarding her future plans,
Jade is staying relatively quiet, but she views this release as a definitive statement of her current identity. “This one’s just me,” she says. By calling it her "real debut," she is moving past her earlier work and establishing a new standard for herself. Jade is expecting her next release to be out in the coming months and it’s clear she has found a sound she’s ready to stand behind.
Stream "breathe (a little)" now on Local Sounds:https://localsounds.com.au/song/jade-barbara/breathe-a-little