[INTERVIEW] Jennifer Chung says to, “think about where & how you find purpose, validation, & conviction”

HYPNOTICASIA: Introduce yourself to the readers of HypnoticAsia! 

My name is Jennifer Chung & I’m a singer-songwriter, actor, & cofounder of WATS Media!

HYPNOTICASIA: In 2007, you uploaded your first cover on YouTube; what made you decide to start your YouTube channel?  

Back in 2007, YouTube wasn’t what it is today. I was just a young girl who loved to sing and wanted to share with her friends. I had just moved to a new city & my best friend said she missed hearing me sing so I did a cover of her favorite song at the time “We Belong Together” by Mariah Carey. This ended up being my first video on YouTube. Slowly people around the world began stumbling upon my video and & I started taking requests. It was a lot of fun, no pressure, & really exciting.

HYPNOTICASIA: You are a pioneer online creator and have helped pave the way to many Asian-American artists today. Do you think things would be different if you didn’t take that step of uploading your first cover on YouTube? 

Thank you for saying that! I KNOW my life would’ve been completely different if I never uploaded videos on YouTube. I was really fortunate to get onto the YouTube wave unintentionally. I wasn’t doing it to get clout or become popular because reality is, it wasn’t a thing then. I was able to build a community of supporters just by being myself in an industry (music) where there wasn’t much representation for people who looked like me. I essentially grew up online and years later I can say it’s the very reason why I’m still able to keep creating music. YouTube was also where my very own husband found me.

HYPNOTICASIA: June 12, 2020 marks 13 years since the release of your first video via YouTube. How have things changed in the last 13 years for you? 

So much has changed. I went into YouTube as a teenager and had to figure out what I wanted for myself as the platform grew. What would make me happy? Did I have what it took? WHAT would it actually take? At what cost? I’m happy to say that I was able to come back to content creating as an adult & being way more certain about what I truly love to do. I had stepped away from it for a good amount of time and although my peers would’ve said it was “social media suicide,” it was absolutely the right thing for me.

HYPNOTICASIA: Do you do music full time? Why did you decide to pursue music?

I’m a full time creative — a multi-hyphenate. Music will always be my first love, but it has opened doors for me as an actor & as a cofounder of a  creative content agency. All of us have different circumstances and duties in life. It wasn’t in my cards to completely be doing music full time — I always had to have part time jobs to stay afloat even when music was my only creative focus. It’s only made me stronger & grateful for everything I’ve been able to accomplish thus far.

HYPNOTICASIA: What do you think you’d be doing if you weren’t doing music?

If I had no ounce of musical expression left in me, I think I’d go full throttle with building up other talent & creating work for productions.

HYPNOTICASIA: Who or what has been your biggest influence? 

I’d have to say my mom has been my biggest influence. She was a single parent of 2 kids in a country she barely spoke the language & had a love for dance that she honed in on as her whole life’s career. She’s still a dance teacher to this day.  She taught me resilience and what it means to love an art form fully.

HYPNOTICASIA: You recently released “IFYIS (I Forgive You, I’m Sorry)”. Tell us about your new track! 

IFYIS (I Forgive You, I’m Sorry) is a song that was inspired by my relationship with my parents. I know a lot of Asians can relate because there are just certain things that are unspoken within our culture. I had held a lot of resentment by their decision making through divorce, how my brother & I were raised, etc. But I know now they both tried the best that they could as individuals. It’s hard to forgive but we’ve gotta work towards forgiving the people in our lives who truly love us and only want the best for us. Forgiveness is essentially for our own inner peace & growth.

HYPNOTICASIA: We love your music video for the new track. Any fun stories when filming it? 

We weren’t actually sure what we were going to do but an idea popped up & we went with it. My husband & I actually shot most of the scenes in one day! Being in quarantine, we tried to think of something we could do together for fun but also stayed organized on a tight schedule. We tend to work together often for other peoples’ projects so it was a fun challenge to create something just us two from writing out ideas, shooting, & editing.

HYPNOTICASIA: You work with Sam Ock often in music; what is the process like? 

Sam Ock is genuinely one of THE most talented musical geniuses. He can play every instrument & write meaningful music because that’s just where his heart is at. I think we both work well together because we trust one another. I tend to write an idea with lyrics first and a melody in my head & sing it to him. He fills it in with his compositions with what he’s hearing and we finish the song together. There are also a few songs where I’d write the lyrics from beginning to end and he’d compose around that. It’s always good times & we get excited to write music that could potentially make an impact on peoples’ lives.

HYPNOTICASIA: Can we expect more music in the near future? 

Absolutely. I have a single that I’m planning a release for. I also have new music coming out for WATS (We Are The Songs) — a duo project with my husband.

HYPNOTICASIA: In 2016, you were invited to the White House, how was that experience! 

I was super humbled to be invited by President Obama’s AAPI initiative. I never thought being on YouTube would eventually allow me to visit the White House. We got to the behind the rope tour & experience history. It’s one of the things I’m most proud of in my career.

HYPNOTICASIA: You moved to Atlanta, GA with your husband. Has the move changed your life? Do you think your surroundings influence your music?

Moving to Atlanta was probably one of the best things to ever happen to me. When I first moved here, I wasn’t really focusing on music — more so acclimating to this new surrounding. I let myself take time to LIVE life & experience new things. It’s only made me a better writer because I had things to say. If you don’t give yourself time to reflect, what do you expect? I do believe that your surroundings can influence ANYTHING you do. We just have to learn how to be self aware and find ways to thrive wherever we end up.

HYPNOTICASIA: Has being in quarantine influenced or affected your songwriting at all?

Quarantine hasn’t necessarily affected my songwriting but it’s absolutely helped me think about life and to count our blessings. Everything & anything can be fleeting without real purpose.

HYPNOTICASIA: Is there an artist you have always wanted to collaborate with that you haven’t already? 

An artist I’d love to collaborate with or just learn from is India Arie. She’s a legend and a lyrical genius. Her music heals people!

HYPNOTICASIA: If you had to choose just one track from all of your songs, which would you say is your favorite? 

If I had to choose one song, I’d say I’m really grateful for “Take It One Day at a Time” because it’s the song I receive the most messages for. I’m thankful that it’s continuing to serve its purpose to give people hope. I have a song I haven’t released yet though that is the song that means the most to me. It’s my anthem. I can’t wait for y’all to hear it.

HYPNOTICASIA: You co-founded WATS Media with your husband. Tell us about your company! 

We’re a creative content agency based in Atlanta. We provide videography, photography, & social media strategy. You can check out some of our work on our website: https://www.wats.media/

HYPNOTICASIA: We just have to ask! Who designs your awesome merchandise? 

I work with an amazing designer named Jean Pyo! https://www.jeanpyo.com/

HYPNOTICASIA: What advice would you give to an aspiring artist? 

My advice to an aspiring artist would be to really take the time to get to know themselves. The better we know ourselves, the harder it is for outside voices to dictate the trajectory of where we’re going. Think about where & how you find purpose, validation, & conviction.

HYPNOTICASIA: Is there anything you’d like to say to your fans? 

I can’t say enough how grateful I am to everyone that’s stuck by me since the OG days. You’ve truly seen my growth not only as a musician but as a human. I’m also thankful for the people who give my music a chance even if they don’t have an emotional tie with me from the past. There’s so much great music out there & it’s humbling to know that people take the time out of their day to still listen to my songs. Thank you for giving my voice a place in your lives.

Be sure to stay connected with Jennifer Chung through her official website and social media!

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