Kendra Jae
Big Moves, Big Vision
By Bailey Meyers
It’s easy to peg Kendra Jae as a “rising star,” with her recent breakout into the music scene, showcasing singles like “BIG” and “Seesaw” ft. Saweetie. But the artist says that this has all been part of the plan.
Before the pandemic, Kendra Jae was a dancer. She gained intimate knowledge of the music industry from those who finessed it the hardest in her time touring with Beyoncé and Drake, and she spent time performing in music videos with countless others. When we spoke to Kendra, she told us that the biggest piece of advice she had was to “have intention.” And intention is something that the artist has plenty of. Even when she was dancing, Kendra Jae knew that she would become an artist. “It’s a matter of if, not when,” was her thinking. She had amassed a network of successful artists--some of the biggest names in the industry--through her dancing career and received support from friends like her old roommate, Saweetie, who encouraged her to pursue music. After the big-name artists left the studio, Kendra would hang back and record, only sharing her music with a very select group of confidants.
When COVID arrived and touring was halted, Kendra found the push she needed to go all-in into music. She had been plotting the switch, but the end of her “booked and blissed” dancing lifestyle forced her to play her cards. Kendra put her head down and got to work, armed with knowledge, intention, and connections, starting to define her sound and brand. She said she is “moulding the Kendra Jae name to stand alone.” Although Saweetie is featured on “Seesaw,” Kendra Jae had created the record solo, only for Saweetie to hear it, ask for a copy to play in the car and FaceTime her later saying she hopped on the track and it would be on her Pretty Summer Playlist: Season 1 project.
For now, Kendra Jae is focused on building a name for herself in the music industry. She is intent on using her drive, insight, and self-awareness to bring herself up to the top. She told us that she approaches her music career just like her dance career: fervently. Kendra Jae zones in and follows the advice that she can do anything that she puts her mind to. And yet she aims to do things while pursuing mental peace. She told us that creating music lets her express her vulnerability and that her confidence comes from self-understanding reached through meditation, reading, studying, and conversations with successful artists about their regrets. On advice to other female artists, Kendra said, “when you understand who you are, what you stand for, and how you want to be represented and do everything with intention I think that creates a world where you can... transition, be successful, and be at peace.” Kendra said to “master niches,” and find a personal edge to get ahead. For her, it was dance, and now she’s moving to music.
And the music scene is proving to be quite fruitful. “As much as I saw [transitioning to music], I didn’t quite realize it would be as grand as it seems to be unfolding.” With instant success and much more to come, the artist told us, “I’m still piecing together how big and how grand I can take this thing.” Regardless of the extent of her coming fame, she plans on giving back to her community and creating a name for herself that her family and future generations can be a part of.
The totality of the Kendra Jae vision does not stop at music. Although she is extremely gracious towards dance and music, claiming, “dance bred me,” and, “none of the ambitions that I have beyond music can come to fruition until I make sure that this music thing goes the way I want it to,” she envisions more stops on her journey afterward. She’s curious about beauty and skincare, acting, directing, fashion, and business; endeavors Kendra Jae will certainly succeed in. She saw the limit on how many people she could reach through dance, and through music and her potential future pursuits she plans to “spread my hands as far as I can and see how many people I can touch while I’m here.”
As a newcomer with a shining resume, originality is important if Kendra Jae wants to last, and she intends to do just that by embodying her “Wifey” persona. In her own words, “Wifey is a forever thing, she’s wholesome with effortless, undeniable sex appeal, a relentless work ethic, and the confidence and class that steals the room. She’s the woman you want in your life not just for a night but for life.” In other words, the “most likely to flip a broken heart to a bag.”
Speaking with Kendra, all of the above is undeniably true. In our talk, she attacked the questions with an eloquence that sounded rehearsed and was humble even while talking about her relationships with Drake and Beyoncé. She knows how to make music, but furthermore, she knows how to succeed in the industry. She spoke candidly about her career and intentions and with a passion that made me certain she would come out on top as an individual. She aims to provide an escape for her listeners--an escape she gets in from all of the women killing the music game right now— but one that remains to be consolidated for the people who are like her. She describes her listeners as “the down-ass women who are charismatic and confident and bossy and independent—that is who I want to speak to--the ‘mes’ of the world.”
As a creative, Kendra Jae works organically. Her process is open and often spur of the moment. Referencing a “cheat sheet” that she jots thoughts and moments on during the day, Kendra likes to focus on a feeling or event to guide the studio session. Currently, as she solidifies her sound, Kendra bounces from rhythmic records, influenced by her dance background, to more melodic ones like “Seesaw,” to tracks like “BIG,” where she was able to showcase her rapping capabilities. She prides herself on her variability, and intends to land somewhere in the middle, emulating Aaliyah’s aura of tastefulness, class, sex appeal, and “tomboy swag.”
Through her confidence, intention, and hard work, Kendra Jae proves that there is wifey material out there. A rising star, surely, Kendra Jae knows what it will take to get to the top, and she will do it with class, sexiness, and honesty while empowering women of color. Her journey is impressive already, but big things are in store for Kendra Jae, who--in true Kendra Jae fashion--is working on proving to herself that she has earned a project worth releasing before dropping her debut EP. We can’t wait to see what it will bring.