2026 marks Insecure’s 10th anniversary
The year 2026 is notable for marking the 10th anniversary of the cult series Insecure, a project created by HBO and developed by American writer and producer Issa Rae, designed as a love letter to Black women. Kendrick Lamar’s "Alright" opens Insecure
On October 9, 2016, the first notes of Kendrick Lamar's "Alright" resonate over a series of fragmented shots of palm tree branches animated by the warm wind of California. In the midst of a sunny Los Angeles, everything seems possible. Issa Rae’s musical taste defines Insecure
From the very first moments of Insecure, by invoking Kendrick Lamar, Issa Rae establishes her musical taste as one of the pillars of her creation. Ten years later, the producer has established herself as one of the most powerful women in the television business – but not only that. Raedio launches in 2019
In 2019, at her initiative, the record label Raedio was launched in partnership with Atlantic Records (a subsidiary of Universal Music). The latest star to follow from the label is Jae Stephens, who revealed in September her first album, AUDACITY. Jae Stephens’ early life in Los Angeles
“My brother and I were really typical kids from Los Angeles growing up,” recalls Jae Stephens on this rainy Monday in October in Paris. Her smile, despite the chain of interviews, is not affected by any weather. As a true American, she displays impeccable manners and a good humor that can charm even the most grumpy. Jae Stephens’ family background
“If the R'n'B of Mary J. Blige and gospel music permeate the musical household, it was only after a few years that a singing career became established in the mind of the American.” At six years old, the move to Los Angeles was a welcome first turn. With the support of her parents, the young girl went from one audition to another, before realizing that music interested her more than the sirens of Hollywood. Jae Stephens’ shift to music
“At one point, it was no longer enough to be cute to get the role. You also had to be talented. Let's be honest: it wasn't my case. That's how at 12, music became my priority.” She then enters the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, which counts among its former students celebrities such as Phoebe Bridgers, the Haim sisters or singer Jordan Patterson. Jae Stephens’ inspiration from Beyoncé
Jae Stephens’ parents, her first support at all times, have only one piece of advice to give her when their daughter presents to them her fervent desire to become a singer. “They told me: 'You should look at what this girl does.'” The "girl" in question? Beyoncé. Jae Stephens’ online community
Like most teenagers born after 2000, Jae Stephens is “chronically online.” Her sixteenth birthday is celebrated on the Habbo network, a sort of online virtual game, predecessor of Facebook, Instagram and the like. Did she know then that her fan activity online would greatly help her future career? Jae Stephens’ early songwriting
It is still on the Internet, and especially on SoundCloud, that Jae Stephens publishes her first songs. She is discovered by her manager, based in London. Without hesitation, once she finishes high school, the young woman flies to the United Kingdom. Jae Stephens’ career in songwriting
Upon her return to Los Angeles, Stephens becomes a songwriter for others. Not just any others: Chxrry, Ne-Yo and Jennifer Lopez are among her collaborators. A first job that allows her to refine her pen, but in the face of which the growing desire to prove herself as an artist gradually emerges. Jae Stephens’ breakthrough with Raedio
It is not until 2022 that her manager enters her in a competition where the winner can win a contract with Raedio, the new record label of Issa Rae. After winning the competition, Jae Stephens reveals High My Name Is, her first EP on the label. "Body Favor" becomes a hit
However, it is with the track "Body Favor", which became viral in 2025 and recalls the good times of the Neptunes, that the artistic vision of the young woman is fully affirmed. Jae Stephens’ album AUDACITY
“A lot is happening on Jae Stephens' first album, AUDACITY. Fortunately, chaos seems to be her favorite playing field.” Thus begins the review of Jae Stephens' first album by the music media Pitchfork. Jae Stephens’ production style
“Like for many singers today, production has really become a necessity for me. I wrote my own lyrics, so I had to learn to produce my own tracks on GarageBand to accompany them.” Jae Stephens’ musical influences
The trajectory of Jae Stephens resembles, almost exactly, that of her British colleague PinkPantheress. There is therefore nothing very surprising about crossing the name of the latter in the credits of the track "Crush", which opens the album AUDACITY. "Crush" blends influences
“Crush”, the track that invites PinkPantheress to let her British accent resonate on the chorus, recalls the percussion of Janet Jackson's "Nasty" and fits into a new jack swing lineage (a musical genre characterized by heavy percussion with rhythm boxes like the Roland TR-808 and typical hip-hop samples, associated with a syncopated swing) well welcomed. Jae Stephens’ artistic vision
In fact, the entire work of Jae Stephens proves that the artist knows her heritage on the tip of her fingers. “I Miss the City” and its shimmering harp melody make one think of Brandy's “All in Me” while “Gymnastics” and “Expensive & Difficult” evoke the chopped pop productions of Timbaland at the beginning of the 2000s. Jae Stephens’ album as a cultural statement
It is that Stephens imagined AUDACITY as a project that would fit into the universe of the film Coyote Girls, but also into an urban and nocturnal atmosphere, where everything would be directed by women. A kind of personalized matriarchy embodied by the track “Attaboy!”, one of the highlights of the album. Jae Stephens’ vision for pop music
“I feel like we are coming out of a period dominated by a rather somber bedroom pop scene, where everyone was locked in their room, singing softly into their microphone. There was something a little sad about it, the artist comments. I think people are starting to get tired of that atmosphere. They want to go out, make noise, have fun, rediscover a certain carefreeness, feel sexy and party, even if they end up a little drunk!”
