She’s 21 and already one of music’s promising vocalists.
A wise man once said we are not too young to love. Age doesn’t always reflect a person’s experience with life’s great teachers, including love. With twenty-one-year-old singer Jurneé Alexis, her voice, lyrics, and presence reflect a level of poise and talent we admire in our vocalists. In the year since she released her debut project, Heartbreak Files Vol 1, her brand has increased, culminating in her most recent video and single, “Don’t Understand”. Released one month ago, the song’s success is but a glimpse of what she has in store for the world.
Born and raised in New York City, Jurrneé’s childhood was filled with many of the colorful memories people attach to New York City, including Times Square and Central Park.
“It was really fun. All the things people see on tv I experienced at an early age and so it’s a regular to me, says Jurneé.
As a child, she sang for her earliest audience of an immediate family at five. Her parents, in turn, decided to support their daughter, encouraging her to sing whenever she could. Influenced by the R&B sounds of Usher and Alicia Keys, Jurneé fell in love with music and decided right then that she would be a singer.
From there, she began experimenting with the violin and ballet as she grew older. She described her formative years in the interview, stating, “I was everywhere. I played the violin for a little in the orchestra while doing ballet, volleyball and choir. My middle school allowed me to have all my academics and on certain days deal with instruments and dance”.
In high school, she went to a school for the performing arts. Eager to get her name out there, Jurneé did what she could in the absence of a studio by singing on her personal YouTube channel.
“In high school, I wasn’t even thinking about songwriting. I was more of a vocalist. The studio process was foreign to me. The way I started my career as an artist was doing covers on YouTube and then working on navigating to songs, she says.
High school provided Jurneé with direction, but also experiences that she would draw from to “put my feelings and emotions into a song to help someone, eventually”.
Once Jurneé entered college, she began collaborating with a team of producers and writers, who helped her take her stories and create songs.
“At the beginning of college, I was working with Kyana, my cowriter, who helped me write Ready Now and Don’t Understand. Her process inspired me to write a song and make it cohesive. She helped me tap into my artistry, says Jurneé.
Soon afterwards, Jurneé began making music, going to the studio to record songs that would later end up becoming her debut project, The Heartbreak Files Vol.1. Songs like “Ready Now” and “Back To You” garnered 24,000 and 5,000 streams on Spotify successively as well as critical acclaim from close friends and family.
During her success, however, she experienced heartbreak.
When asked what inspired her new song, “Don’t Understand”, she states, “Earlier this year I went through a horrible relationship. Everything was fine at first, but then I was confused. That’s why I say I don’t understand.”
Released in video format in December 2022, the video for Don’t Understand has earned over 5,300 views on YouTube. Jurneé recognizes her success but admits she struggles with imposter syndrome besides doubt over which songs she should release next. Like any artist, she wants people to listen to her music and enjoy it.
Comparing the musical influence of artists like Kehlani and Jhene Aiko, Jurneé wants her music to be a source of relief for people the way Jhene and Kehlani were for her in high school. “It’s my life experience and I hope someone is enjoying it and I want people to take my songs with them.”
Eager to give fans more of herself in 2023, Jurneé has promised fans a project this year and 2 videos, covers and remixes to diversify her brand. Ultimately, her happiness is the goal.
“I have to really work on putting out and not really caring what people say because it’ll all be worth it as long as I’m happy.”
Wright World 