Sadie Jean’s
“WYD Now?” Is Pop Music’s Heartbreak Hit Of The Year
By Karley Kofman
Photo Credit: Sophie Ziman
Who doesn’t enjoy a good heartbreak hit? 19-year-old Sadie Jean brings you “WYD Now?”, a confessional record reflecting on lost love. The song takes influence from Taylor Swift and Phoebe Bridge’s lyrical reliability, with the artist paying homage to her high school breakup and reflecting on the raw and vulnerable emotions that came with its fallout. The track holds great sentimental value to Sadie, as she recalls that each writing session with her best friends and collaborators, Grace Enger and David Alexander, would end with her wanting to reconnect with her ex-boyfriend.
Following its eventual completion, it was TikTok that allowed the pop anthem to reach its full potential. Her “Open Verse Challenge” became a mainstay on the app’s popular page, earning the artist 263k followers and nearly 7 million likes. She feels overwhelmed with love from the praise the song has received on social media, and for good reason. In less than two weeks’ time, “WYD Now?” has over 6.2 million Spotify streams and counting. We asked Sadie about studying at NYU’s Clive Davis Institute, her creative process, and more!
Hey Sadie, congrats on the success of “WYD NOW?” There has been so much excitement surrounding this release— how are we feeling now that it’s out?
I’m super excited that it’s finally out! Putting out music is so much more cathartic than I ever expected it would be!
You started off on TikTok posting covers as well as original music— Did you ever have the preconceived notion to pursue music as a career, or did you always think this would be something you would do more as a hobby?
Pursuing music has always been my dream, but there was a period of time in high school where I felt pressure to go into a more “practical career.” But when it came down to it, I realized I really couldn’t picture myself doing anything else.
Photo Credit: Sophie Ziman
How has your songwriting changed over the years and has TikTok made an impact on how you write songs currently?
Over the years, my songwriting has definitely improved as I practice more and more and continue to learn from working with other songwriters. But my priority when writing songs has always stayed the same - to be as honest and true to my story as possible.
Who are some current artists that inspire you? Going further, who would be your dream artist to collaborate with?
I love Taylor Swift, Julia Michaels, Phoebe Bridgers, Lorde, and JP Saxe – to name a few. It would be such a dream to collaborate with any of them.
“WYD Now?” is simply a viral hit! Can you take us through the writing process and what the song means to you?
I wrote this song with my two best friends and classmates, David Alexander and Grace Enger on one of our writing trips to Upstate NY. The three of us write a lot of songs together so it often feels like they know me better than I know myself… so they could tell I had been feeling upset. We started off with the first verse, still unsure where we would take it, but after a bit of arguing and some self-reflection (from my end), we eventually realized that it had to be about wanting to reach out to an ex. Writing this song was an especially vulnerable and eye-opening experience, and I’m so happy with how the final product turned out.
You currently are in school at NYU’s Clive Davis Institute. What are you looking forward to while in the program and what is your end goal postgrad?
I love going to NYU and I feel so lucky to be able to study what I love most. Learning about songwriting, music business, music journalism, and production in a classroom setting is a super unique experience and it has definitely pushed me to grow as an artist and person. My end goal is to just be as knowledgeable about all aspects of the music industry as possible!
What are your plans for the future in regards to songwriting and performing live shows?
I have a lot to learn, so I plan to keep making music and performing as much as I possibly can!
“WYD Now?” Cover Artwork — Click to Listen!
What is the most challenging part about being young and trying to gain success in the music industry?
It’s easy to get caught up in all the work that needs to be done and all the industry craziness, so it’s been difficult and most important for me to remember that I need to have my own life separate from that. The songs should always come first, and for me, there is no good music if I’m not living the real-life experiences to inspire the most meaningful songs.
What is the most rewarding part regarding the success and progress with your music so far?
The most rewarding part of all of this has been seeing how many people relate to my music. I didn’t expect my own very personal experiences to resonate with so many other people and it's been super cool to see.
Lastly, what’s something people do not know about you that you wish they knew?
Before I learned to write, I used to make my sister be my personal scribe and write songs down for me.