Pop sensation Jasmine Ortiz talks about her music career and the story behind the new single “When It’s All Done“
Tell us about your new single ‘When It’s All Done’, how was it working on it, and what is the story behind it?
Working on my upcoming single “When It’s All Done” was both personal and freeing. I wrote it in under an hour and recorded it in the studio with my producer Cesar Da Emperor, in Hollywood. We always have such a great time recording, it’s a super collaborative effort. We work very quickly together because the creative juices are flowing and we just vibe that way. “When It’s All Done” is super fun, energetic, and empowering. It represents the feeling of finally cutting ties with a toxic friend, and the freedom that comes from that, all in a lighthearted way. Recovery and redemption are themes of the song, and the process of letting go. Who hasn’t experienced “frenemies” at least once in their personal or professional life? That is why I think it is so relatable. Most importantly, “When It’s All Done” is about taking your power back, regaining the positive back in your life, especially when you have gotten rid of the negativity.
Has COVID changed you as a musician or how you approach your creative process? Have you learned anything new about yourself during quarantine?
Covid has absolutely changed how I approach not only my music, but everything. I take nothing for granted. I am more willing to take chances, say yes more often, and not waste a single minute. Covid dealt humanity such a horrific blow, we lost so many people, it puts everything into perspective. I learned that I am more resilient and braver, than I believed myself to be. During Covid, my school, The Frost school of Music, part of the University of Miami, went on-line. It was heart-wrenching to suddenly have to, up and leave school, and go back home to PA. I was blessed enough to be given amazing opportunities to work with producers like, TrackDilla and Cesar Da Emporer both multi-platinum producers, having worked with huge names in the industry. My mother, best friend Tyce, and I decided to drive across our beautiful country, and temporary move to Los Angeles, we did this during Covid. It allowed us to visit many famous landmarks while completely or practically empty, like the Arch in Missouri or the Grand Canyon in Arizona. We visited many states and places before arriving in LA. We were very careful, facemasks, wipes, we took every precaution.
Tell us something that your fans do not know about you?
My fans probably do not know that I am an equestrian. I began training bi-weekly to ride horses, English discipline concentrating in Hunters and Jumpers disciplines, at age 9, with the end goal being competition. By the time I was 11, I would be at the ranch 3 to 4 times a week then eventually every day. I continued until age 14. I know how to groom horses too, that’s part of the training, you first go to the tack room, get your supplies, groom your horse and then ride, then after practice, for a couple of hours, you take everything off of your horse, put it away, brush him. It helps bond you with your horse and it establishes trust too. Sometimes, I would help out my trainer, to clean the stall or with feeding. I stopped because after one fall in particular, which is common when you ride, I broke my humerus bone and although I finished my practice with a broken bone, I would eventually stop competitive training. I didn’t want to risk my ability to play instruments, should I have a more serious injury in the future and then forfeit any chance of ever doing and playing what I love.
What inspired your latest single ‘21’ and what message do you hope that fans take from this album?
Being yanked out of school during Covid was traumatic for me and so many students, from grade school thru college. For me personally, I felt isolated and alone. So, it was important to me that 21 be as relatable as possible, to anyone who had felt as I did, during Covid and quarantine. Many people, who experienced that lonely feeling of not being able to be with their friends and families recognize that, that feeling lingers and doesn’t let go. I held on to memories of my friends and my life at school, in lieu of seeing them in person, it gave me something to look forward to. Many people, due to the pandemic couldn’t visit their places of worship, schools, or even their jobs. Instead, many were all forced to stay home from those places, which are so important because they help to establish and create that create a sense of community, of belonging, and a foundation for so many of us. Since no one knew how long the pandemic would last; that uncertainty added to the anxiety and the desperation felt by so many, myself included.
I wrote 21, soon after I returned to the University of Miami for the Spring 2021 semester and had my first in-person classes. It was how I felt after being away from campus for 10 months and away from my best friends at school. Despite the 10 months, nothing had changed, my friends, who are in my music videos, were still the same, in fact they were even better. It’s true what they say, distance makes the heart grow fonder; my appreciation for them, my school, my professors, grew ten-fold. 21was an ode to my school, to my friends, to turning 21 and to one of my biggest influences and musical icons, Drake, who filmed his music video, Gods Plan at my school. I filmed the music video for 21 in many of the same locations as Gods Plan, to pay homage to him and my school. We are the only two artists to ever have been granted permission to film at the University of Miami, so I stand in good company! He is a big influence on me in many ways as is my time at UM.
Some claim that COVID has given other proportions about our lives, has the plague affected you in terms of creativity? Did you find yourself more time for writing and creating?
Covid affected so many people that I hold close, including my own family. The subject hits close to home, and just like music it is personal and affects everyone differently. In terms of affecting my creativity, it has I feel, made me more aware of how short life is, and how lucky I am to be alive. Covid made it perfectly clear that we need to make each moment count, live life to the fullest. My creativity, I found depending on the time during the pandemic was either slumping, because I felt so disconnected from my friends and my college life, or it was at an all-time high because music was all I had to keep me sane.
I like many people during the lockdown, depended on apps like Tik Tok and Instagram for their creative outlet. I also used music as the funnel for that creativity. I had more time for writing and creating in that, I specifically traveled across country to Los Angeles, to record new music in the middle of the pandemic. I was still studying and working remotely in school; while I was writing songs, producing tracks, and writing for other people. That is something I would love to do more of, write and produce for other talent. So yes, I would say that my creativity found new and exciting outlets in the social media platforms, in addition to expanding my writing pallet for others. Simultaneously, I was also producing my own music, in addition to recording the phenomenal music created by the wonderful producers I traveled to Los Angeles to work with.
Can you share any upcoming plans with us?
Absolutely, in addition to my new release, “When it’s all Done”, I also have an exciting new single coming out by world-renown DJ and Producer, Sak Noel. We have been working on this amazing new pop song and I cannot wait for the world to hear it!! Sak is a Grammy award-nominated producer, who has worked with very elite artists such as Jennifer Lopez, Maroon 5, Sean Paul, and Pitbull just to name a few. His particular style and brand are known the world over, and so it is a very exciting time for me, as I continue to learn and grow so much as a musician, singer-songwriter, and producer, from working with such well-respected Maestros. I have worked with such amazing producers, I am very lucky and blessed, but above all, grateful.
Where will we find you in 5 years? We’d love to hear some of your aspirations, dreams, and goals that you have.
By next summer 2022, I will have graduated from the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami. In the next year or so, after releasing singles, I am certain, I will have produced/recorded my EP by then and increased my social media presence by a substantial amount. In addition, now that COVID restrictions have lifted in many places and in the years to come, one imagines even more so; I expect to have done many more live shows, tv presentations, meet and greets, radio interviews, to allow me to both promote my music while getting closer to my fans. I love live performances, I love every aspect of it, singing, dancing, playing instruments. I look forward to all of that. I also hope to have traveled across the country and the world, while on tour, opening- up for someone like Drake, and eventually doing my own tours. I hope to have produced award-winning music and songs for other artists as well, that connect with their audiences and help their careers in an important way. Whether it’s via writing or producing for others or myself, I love music and want to work.
I also would like to expand my music, as I sing in three languages, English, Spanish and Chinese Mandarin, which I have studied since the age of 9. In doing so, I want to head into fashion, toys, all sustainable options, and all with a portion of proceeds going to orphan and poor children in the US and in the poorest nations on the planet, as well as women and children who are survivors of sexual crimes. Finally, with the new marketing and social media experts we are working with, as we expand my brand, our goal is to have music that resonates with as many people as possible. This would afford me opportunities to use my platform, in ways that will help the disenfranchised and help bring attention and change to causes I greatly believe in and am personally vested in. Like Leonardo DiCaprio, who uses his stardom and celebrity status to help save our planet. Thus, bringing climate awareness and the atrocities that are occurring, to the forefront of the UN, to the masses via social media, and in doing so; he helps to shape policy and change laws. DiCaprio simultaneously raises funds and awareness for the cause, in the millions, which help fight this global problem, which if not corrected will be our demise.
I hope to work with Leonardo DiCaprio, Greta Thunberg, and Xiye Bastida, in the hopes to help heal the globe. As an activist and an artist, One of my major goals is to lead in the creation of a greener way of touring, from supplies used at concert venues, to how they are powered, to the transportation for those tours, to the lighting, to the merchandise that is sold, the goal being to leave as little of a carbon footprint as possible while taking a percentage of earnings to be donated toward the cause. You get what you give, I believe in being part of the solution to the problem and the time is now. At school, I am a Model UN Delegate, and in doing so, it has allowed me to grow immensely as a public speaker, negotiator, policy developer, networker, and writer. As it has opened my eyes to some of the world’s most pressing issues from a global perspective, I hope to one day use my voice and platform to do the same for our youth. It is through educational endeavors like Model UN that function as the best vessels to afford young people to understand and make use of their ability to make a difference in the world. Finally, I would love to give back to The Frost School of Music at the University of Miami.
I am so grateful to my school, my deans, my professors, for all they have given me, the U, and Frost are a big part of who I am, and I want to pay it forward. I’d like to have a mentorship program between my school and my team, I’d like to set up a scholarship in music at Frost in my name and I’d like to give opportunities to up and coming artist and producers studying at Frost; plus, I promised my Deans some tickets to the Grammys one day, so I have to get there!! I will always represent UM with our colors, Orange and Green, proudly “GO ‘CANES!”
You and many of the artists share their daily lives on social media, how important is exposure and connection to the audience for you?
Connecting with my audience, my fans, friends, and family is an everyday struggle because of time. I am a full-time college student and a full-time musician, so balancing life and social media is time consuming but an important part of my career and a normal part of being young in today’s world. Social media is a necessity as an artist in this day and age. Content creation is exciting, creative, and a direct way of connecting to my audience.
I love connecting to fans, holding contests, reading their feedback, and sometimes answering them directly. Besides connecting to my fans, I also enjoy, being an advocate for important issues on my platform, which I often talk about. All of the DSPS have been amazing, I’m grateful for the curators’ support, in addition to most social media platforms, where the interaction is more direct with my audience, and of course, YouTube and Vevo, who have played a pivotal role in getting my music videos out there to millions of amazing fans.
From all the singles you’ve released so far, which one still makes you excited every time you hear it?
I think the song that still makes me the most excited when I hear it is Jaguar because it was such a fun song to write and video to film. I think the message of the song will always resonate with me in a nostalgic way because it represents the time in your life when you felt invincible and didn’t really consider the consequences. The theme is being young and free which is something that people can always pull from.
Without a doubt you are very creative, how involved are you in the whole process of creating the music videos and production of your songs?
For all of my music videos I have been pretty involved in the wardrobe/styling and pre-production aspects. More recently for the videos we shot for Cherry On Top, Trick Or Treat, Jaguar and 21, I have actively worked on creative direction, co-directing the videos in addition to helping facilitate production. I always bounce ideas off of mom who directs my music videos, and together we brainstorm the best possible vision. For the When It’s All Done video, she had the concept of using 1970s inspired visuals and aesthetics while combining that with modern light displays and wardrobe. I had the concept of including a storyline depicting two “frenemies” fighting within the video, echoing some of the song lyrics. Together we came up with a really cool concept.
