There’s something powerful about a pop girl who knows exactly who she is. For Jae Stephens, that means embracing the camp, chaos, vulnerability, and unapologetic femininity that define her latest album, Audacity. As pop’s leading women carve out their own identities and redefine what it means to be a pop girl, Stephens is finding her place by refusing to fit into a mould. Rooted in creative freedom and self-discovery, Audacity marks a new chapter for the singer-songwriter, one in which she’s learned to let go of expectations, trust her instincts and embrace the individuality that makes her stand out. From playful pop anthems to more introspective moments, the album celebrates owning your identity, taking up space, and having the confidence to do things entirely on your own.

After years of navigating the music industry's expectations and figuring out where she fits, Stephens is finally giving herself permission to have fun. The result is a body of work that feels bold, feminine and entirely her own, complete with a playful visual world inspired by the women and characters who shaped her imagination. But beneath the camp theatrics and infectious pop energy is a deeper story about self-acceptance, creative freedom and learning not to take everything so seriously. As she steps into this new era, opens for Khalid and looks ahead to bringing Audacity to life onstage, Stephens reflects on finding her sound, discovering unexpected truths through songwriting and embracing the power of being unapologetically herself.

With Audacity, Jae embraces a version of herself that feels freer, bolder, and more self-assured than ever before. From finding the confidence to make music on her own terms to building a visual identity that reflects the album’s playful, feminine spirit, this era is about trusting the process and allowing things to unfold naturally. We sat down with Stephens to talk about the evolution of her sound, the unexpected self-discovery that came with making the album, and why sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is stop overthinking and give yourself permission to take up space.

I want to start with the title, because Audacity is the first thing that jumps out at you. What was it about that word that made you think, "This is what I want to call the album"? Why did it feel like the right title for this chapter of your music?

I felt like it kept coming up. I'd seen it used to describe my writing before, and I wanted to lean into it and play with it a bit more. It encouraged me to be bolder in my songwriting and tell my version of the truth, even if it didn't paint me in the best light. I wanted to have the audacity to go there anyway. It was my original title, and then I picked something else, but for whatever reason, it didn't work. So I went back to it. It felt meant to be, and I think it really sums up the project and what I was going for.

In terms of making this album, what felt different about expressing yourself compared with your previous bodies of work?

It was interesting because I had to figure out which parts of my process to keep and which to change. As a songwriter,  I don't try too hard. I like to let things flow and come out naturally, without getting too attached to any one idea or concept, but I also knew I wanted the album to feel cohesive. I wanted it to feel like a body of work with a consistent thread, both thematically and sonically. Figuring out what that was and how to find it was really interesting. It was about following my usual blueprint: writing from my heart, writing whatever I liked, and letting whatever came out happen naturally. Once you have a collection of songs, you start to realise how they're similar and how they fit together. You might realise that a particular song doesn't quite fit, so you have to take it out. It felt like putting together a really nice puzzle, and I'd never built a project that way before. As a result, it feels much more cohesive, especially compared with my previous projects.

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When you listen to the album, there's such a nice balance of different elements. There's playfulness, vulnerability and high energy. How did you balance those different parts of yourself when writing and bringing the whole project together?

I'm just not very precious about anything I write. I come from a songwriting background, where I'm used to telling other people's stories or making things up, and I carry that approach into my own writing. I’ll write whatever I think sounds cool, fun or good. I don't necessarily care whether it's true, and that lets me step outside myself and my own perspective without overthinking anything. Only after a song is finished do I look back and realise what it was about, where it came from, or how true it actually was to me. That's what lets vulnerable, more solemn songs exist alongside the party songs, dance songs, and upbeat tracks. I always give myself space to write both, depending on my mood that day. Building the album was about finding the best songs from each side and figuring out how they could sit alongside each other.

Since the process involves discovering these different parts of yourself, what did you learn about yourself throughout the journey of making the album?

It's funny because I don't feel like I learned anything about myself as a writer or creative. I feel like I created music the way I always have, enjoyed myself and tried new things. But I learned a lot about myself as a person. This is probably one of the first times writing has become a therapeutic, introspective process for me.  I'm not a particularly autobiographical writer, so I don't usually feel like I'm baring my soul. But when I look back at the songs on this album and listen to them, I think, "You clearly meant that, because you wrote five songs about it!" It was really interesting to come face-to-face with myself that way. Otherwise, I don't think I usually get the chance to do that. It was fun, and it's something I hadn't really noticed before. I'll probably be more conscious of it going forward: how the truth naturally comes out.

How would you describe this era? What's it been like expressing that energy through the visuals as well as the music?

It's been really fun because, for me, the music always comes first. I need to have the songs before I think about mood boards, visuals or anything else. From the songs, you get a title like Audacity. Then you can get really campy and silly with the concept: who is the girl who sings these songs and talks all this shit. How does she dress? Where does she live? Where does she hang out with her friends? What does she do? That's how I built the world around the album. I thought about how I wanted this empowered woman to live, look and feel, and what kind of image I wanted to portray to the people listening to these songs. It's been fun referencing images of women I've seen growing up, including heroines from some of my favourite films. I've referenced characters like Catwoman and Coyote Ugly. We've also referenced the scarlet letter A on some of my bras when I perform. It's another form of reclamation: a woman taking back her power. These themes run throughout the album and have appeared in other forms of media over time. It's been a fun little project, finding ways to connect all these different references. That's not usually my strongest suit. The music comes easily to me, while everything else requires a bit more thought. But I think it all came together so naturally, and in such a fun way, as a testament to the story being told through the music.

You're on tour right now, how has it been meeting people in real life who have been with you from the beginning and seeing the relationship you've built with them over time?

It's been really nice. It's been lovely to meet fans who take so much pride in having been there from day one. They're proud to say, "I remember when you were doing this, when you were here. I've been following you since then." I think audiences really connect with a journey and a genuine coming-of-age story. Overnight success isn't as intriguing to people these days, when we see so many amazing artists reach new peaks later in their careers. I'm grateful people take the time to buy and stream the music and come to the shows just to tell me they've been waiting for this moment for years. It makes me feel like the whole journey was necessary.

Now that the album is out, you're seeing people respond to it, and you're also opening for Khalid, which is exciting. What's been most exciting about performing this particular body of work live and seeing how people respond to it?

It's been fun. On this Khalid tour, I'm only performing three songs from the new album. The rest of the set comes from my previous EP, Total Sellout. It's made me really excited to dive into the album fully when I tour it myself, because I think there's so much potential. The project is campy, feminine, girly, fun and silly, and it has a whole world around it. When I have the opportunity to bring that world to life properly, I think it'll be really fun to play with the theatricality it lends itself to. I'm excited to experiment with the arrangements and the music and just have a good time.

Speaking of the current musical landscape, it feels like the pop girls are having a real moment. Everyone is doing their thing. How has your journey been in discovering your sound and figuring out the music that speaks to you and best expresses who you are? Has it always been clear what kind of space you wanted to occupy, or has that been something you've had to discover along the way?

It was definitely a bit of an ego death. For a long time, I held on to an idea of how I should present myself: the kind of music I should make, how I should dress, how I should sound and look, and how everybody wanted me to be. I think I internalised all of that and started believing it was how I wanted to be, too. I really had to step outside of that and realise that my music wouldn't connect if it wasn't authentic, if I wasn't enjoying myself and if I wasn't having a good time.

For me, making Body Favors, was a turning point. I naturally inhabit this space that's fun, poppy, campy, silly and girly. Once I accepted that, things started happening more naturally because I let them. I let that part of myself take over, trusting my instincts, taste, and intuition. The rest started falling into place. I had to free myself from the limitations, whether they came from me, the industry or my peers. It was probably a mixture of all three. Once I stepped outside those limitations, things started clicking for me, and for listeners, too. I think people can see how authentic it is and that it's genuinely coming from me. It took a while to get there, especially as a songwriter. You spend so much time seeing what everyone else is doing that you naturally want to find a way to fit in. That probably made the journey even longer, but it also helped in some ways. It's that same push and pull, that balancing act.

Now that things seem to have clicked into place for you, what do you think has been the biggest change or evolution since you started? Not just as a songwriter, but creatively, in how you think and in how you approach music and the industry?‍

I think it's mostly about taking the pressure out of everything. For a long time, everything felt like life or death, but it doesn't have to be. This is a fake job! It's a fun job. We're just writing songs all day, and the only way to do it is to enjoy yourself and have fun. Whether it's making music, developing visuals, or shooting a video, I never want to feel rushed or forced. Things will happen when and how they're supposed to happen. It's not all critical. It should be fun. You should enjoy it, and it should feel natural because that's the best way for it to come across. It needs to feel and look natural. That's definitely not the mindset I used to have. Everything felt very intense and a little forced. Once I really focused on the kinds of songs I wanted to write, I think the music started connecting more with me and with my audience. Then I had to learn how to have fun with it and stop it from becoming all-consuming. That's where I am now.

For people who are discovering you for the first time, or meeting you at this particular point in your journey, what do you want them to know about you or take away from listening to the album?

I hope they come away feeling that I have a very strong sense of self. I'm very much in control on this album, and I hope it makes anyone who listens feel the same way. I hope it reminds them who they are and makes them feel like they're in control, too. They're in the driver's seat. You can start over whenever you want. You can leave, quit and become someone new. You can take the driver's seat at any point. That's what I had to do to become an artist after working as a songwriter, to step into this album and this new chapter, and to walk onstage every night on tour. I have to decide to be the HBIC. Even if you have to fake it sometimes, I hope this album helps you get there.

Is there a particular song on the album that stands out to you, whether because of how it came together or because it represents a particular moment for you? Not necessarily your favourite, but one that means something to you.

I would highlight "No One Knows My Name", which is the second track on the album. It's funny because that's the only song where I actually mention the album title, Audacity. I think that's probably because it's where I wanted to be audacious, a little obnoxious and completely shameless. The song starts with me shouting over these loud drums. I wrote it after a night when I saw people being weird, stiff, and overly concerned with the industry and all that suit-and-tie stuff. I hated it. I thought, especially as artists, why are we expected to be so stuffy? Shouldn't we be the ones having a good time? I really wanted that spirit represented on the album, particularly early on. It's the second track, and I'm practically shouting in your ear! I think the song carries the project's message really well.

My last question: you've released the album, and you've spoken about doing your own tour. What are you most excited about for the Audacity era and this next chapter?

I'm really excited that the album is reaching new people. It genuinely feels like it's travelled further. It's so funny because straight men are reviewing it, which is completely new and random for me! But it means we're reaching beyond the typical audience, which is really exciting. I'm also excited to bring the album to life onstage next year, whether through my own tour or festivals. I'm looking forward to giving it another life and sharing it with as many people as possible.