We’re long-time fans of Jillian Jacqueline’s, and it’s about time everyone gets to know her (or you’ll be missing out on some major talent). Fans of prominent modern female country artists like Carly Pearce, Maren Morris and Lindsay Ell will likely enjoy Jacqueline’s sound. She’s one of the rising stars we picked for our “Class of 2017” as well as One to Watch in 2017, and Rolling Stone Country named her as one of their “10 Country Artists You Need To Know” in May 2016. The Chester Springs, Pennsylvania, native has a unique voice and flare that makes you stop what you’re doing and just listen to her sing her heart out. Her artistry is evidenced in her most recent release, Side A, a nine-track collection of songs including acoustic versions of lead single “Reasons,” as well as “Hate Me” and “God Bless This Mess.”
Earlier this summer, Jacqueline pre-released 4 songs off the album, and based on the success of those releases she’s reaching more and more fans. In fact, “Reasons” has been streamed on Spotify over 11 million times while “Hate Me“, “Bleachers” and “God Bless This Mess” have over 1 million plays so far. “Reasons” is a captivating ballad describing a couple who have come to the end of their relationship, although neither is quite ready to let go. “Hate Me” is a breakup song that will resonate with many people who have no doubt felt the same emotions and Jacqueline’s powerful vocals really shine on this track.
“Sugar and Salt” has a traditional country sound and is an “opposites attract” ballad that pulls at the heartstrings. She sings: “You pour out your heart right on this kitchen floor. / I spill one more tear on the table and slam the door. / We act like we don’t give a damn no more. / We’ll fill this house with sorry in the morning. / Hey, sometimes it’s good and sweet. / Hey, sometimes it turns into a bitter thing. / But when it comes to you, when it comes to me, love and misery look the same. But it ain’t our fault, we’re just sugar and salt.”
“God Bless This Mess” is a highly relatable song. Its lyrics suggest you let your guard down and embrace yourself, flaws and all: “Oh, God bless this mess. / Well here’s to the waiting, all the waiting that we have to do. / The dreams we make that never come true and all the hurting that comes without warning. / Here’s to the view from the tile of the bathroom floor, aint we all been there before? / And the hellbent sun that’s gonna come up the next morning.”
While Jacqueline shines on the emotionally driven ballads, she also packs a punch on her more up-tempo/pop-infused tracks such as the anthemic “Holier Than Thou,” with its fun chorus reminding us that the haters are always gonna hate. “Everything that rises always gotta come down but you don’t seem to be worried about that right now. / That the law of gravity doesn’t apply to you, yeah. / You’re holier than thou.” “Bleachers” is surely going to be a crowd favorite with its infectious chorus. Some may want to shy away from songs described as pop-infused country, but Jacqueline’s lyrics are so authentic and her sound is so clean and honest that the mix works and allows her to stand out beautifully in today’s modern country landscape.
Jacqueline has a keen knack for storytelling and that’s highlighted throughout the album. She also collaborated with top-notch writers for the project, including Tofer Brown, Lori McKenna, Trent Dabbs, Sarah Buxton and Hillary Lindsey.
She’s been out on the road across the U.S. and most recently in the United Kingdom, opening for the likes of Billy Currington, Ryan Adams and Dwight Yoakam. She considers the legendary Kenny Rogers as one of her mentors and spent many years as a cast member of his Christmas From the Heart Holiday Tour.
Jacqueline has announced a follow up album titled Side B, planned for release early next year. For more information on Jillian Jacqueline follow her on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and her website.
Side A Track Listing
- Reasons (Tofer Brown, Sarah Buxton, Jillian Jacqueline)
- Sugar and Salt ( Jillian Jacqueline, Brett Tyler)
- Holier Than You (Tofer Brown, Jillian Jacqueline)
- Bleachers (Tofer Brown, Trent Dabbs, Jillian Jacqueline)
- Hate Me (Tofer Brown, Jillian Jacqueline, Hillary Lindsey)
- God Bless This Mess (Tofer Brown, Jillian Jacqueline, Lori McKenna)
- Reasons (Tofer Brown, Sarah Buxton, Jillian Jacqueline)
- Hate Me (Tofer Brown, Jillian Jacqueline, Hillary Lindsey)
- God Bless This Mess (Tofer Brown, Jillian Jacqueline, Lori McKenna)