Plano native singer-songwriter Jena Rose’s dance track climbs The Billboard dance chart
Plano native singer-songwriter Jena Rose’s dance track climbs The Billboard dance chart
Jena Rose is perhaps the most pleasant 17-year-old you will ever meet. Over the telephone, the Plano native seems like any typical schoolgirl.
“I’m sorry, that was my dog,” she says in a lilting voice as a shrill bark interrupts our conversation. But don’t let Rose’s youthfulness fool you. The girl is serious about her music.
Perhaps you’ve heard her voice thundering from the speakers at your favorite dance club. Remixes of the teen diva’s latest single recently landed the track on Billboard’s dance chart. “Sweet Love” broke the Top 20, peaking at no. 18. The song’s popularity took the classically trained pianist with a gift for songwriting a bit by surprise.
“I’ve always said to myself there is no plan B,” Rose says of her musical ambitions. “This is what I want to do for the rest of my life. I’m determined to get there, and I hope I do. Things have been coming true, and I hope they continue to from here on.”
She puts in the effort for sure. “I write all my songs on the piano,” Rose says. “I started out taking inspiration from Sara Bareilles, Leona Lewis and Adele. That’s really been my inspiration. I’m a singer-songwriter. And then just recently I’ve been doing these dance remixes. I didn’t expect it, but I love it. It’s a really good community, and I’ve been having a lot of fun.”
Last November, Rose performed at an Austin gay club for the launch of online radio station, PrideATX.com. She loved the experience and says that she finds her gay audiences very supportive. With a physician father who specializes in gender reassignment surgery, though, Rose has always felt a connection to the LGBT community.
“I’ve always grown up in a house that’s very accepting and loving,” Rose says. “We don’t see race, gender, anything.”
This wise-beyond-her-years spirit also informs the diva’s songwriting. In fact, listeners are often caught off guard by the maturity of the teen’s lyrics. Rose says she finds many rich sources of inspiration in the world.
“Being young, I haven’t gone through everything in life, obviously,” she says. “I like to take inspiration from the world around me, my friends, family, TV shows, movies, and also my own experiences. Basically, I sit down at the piano and work with different chords and melodies. Then a song just happens.”
Rose anticipates releasing her first EP at the end of this month. Its offerings — from ballads to uptempo tracks — will showcase the diva’s songwriting skills and musical range. And while the EP has yet to be officially titled, Rose has a good idea of what she will name it.
“I think it’s going to be called Reasons,” Rose says. “That’s the next song that is coming out, so we’re naming the EP after that song. Honestly, [the single] is my favorite. It’s real. I’m excited to put it out.”
Later this spring, Rose will join indie pop band Echosmith for its Inside a Dream Tour. A Dallas show is slated on May 4 at the Granada Theater, and Rose is eager to perform for her hometown. The pop princess has also toured with High School Nation, a traveling festival making lunchtime stops at high schools across the country. So far, though, Rose has no particularly odd fan encounters to report.
“There was one girl who knew me from YouTube, and she was like crying the whole time,” Rose says. “That was such an amazing feeling. But as far as weird stories, I don’t know if I have any yet. I’m sure I will have some from the upcoming tour. I’ll let you know.”
— Scott Huffman
For more information, visit jenarosemusic.com.