The public has been asking for a black pop star, and Jae Stephens is after that title. Her debut album, “AUDACITY,” released on Sept. 25. The 29-year-old singer was born in Dallas and has experience writing songs for singers such as Jihyo and Kylie Cantrall. You may recognize her song “Afterbody,” from her EP titled “Total Sellout.”
Crush
- This song is one of many that highlights a recurring theme in the tracks: playful misandry. The men in her life are nothing but her play things. (Stephens uses a PinkPantheress sample in the refrain, if you’re wondering why this Dallas-born singer is suddenly British.)
No one knows my name
- The official anthem of Audacity. A song about partying like no one’s watching.
Attaboy
- The personification of the term, “I can fix him,” but in a self-serving way. In a lot of Stephen’s songs, you’ll notice that she considers herself the prize. The mantra “saw him, caught him, trained him, raised him, fixed that boy” is the best kind of earworm. She’s basically treating the man like he was a dog.
Sugar Trap
- I think this song is what sirens sing after they crash a pirate ship. Another man has fallen victim to Stephen’s charms or her “Sugar Trap.”
I Miss The City
- A change in pace from the previous songs. Stephens is more vulnerable as she describes a relationship with a controlling partner. “I couldn’t be cuffed, I thought I was down ” and “You’re sick of my mouth, I’m sick of the house.” After she realizes she’s losing the best part of herself, she decides to leave him.
The Distance
- Here we learn about Stephen’s habit of being avoidant with her partners. She says that she has work in the morning, so they can’t stay. Perhaps her previous relationship burned her out too much; she puts up this distance as a way to protect herself.
Soft Side
- Some of the walls have broken down and Stephens has allowed another man to enter her life again. The post-chorus is so big and grand, but the ending is so quiet.
DownHill
- On my first listen, my jaw didn’t leave the floor. What I thought was going to be a soft love ballad turned into a diss track of Stephen’s ex. A standout moment for me is “Heard you travelled the world getting closer to God, but my friend saw you out, said you’re closer to bald.”
B4U
- In this track, she continues to put up walls to her partner. She resents him for making her feel so good. With lyrics like “My biggest character flaw is that I adore ya (Oh-oh-oh).” I’ve never heard someone complain about being in love before. Of all the songs in this album, this track has my favorite beat. It wouldn’t really matter what lyrics Stephens put on the song; I would’ve been dancing regardless.
Expensive & Difficult
- Stephens is bragging about how hard it is to love her due to her high expectations. She calls herself expensive and difficult. I disagree. You’re not a terrible person for having and following your own set of standards and expectations.
Gymnastics
- Stephens is saying how no man can trap her, as she will escape with her gymnastic skills. In the end, she apologizes to the boy for her behavior but admits that she’ll never change. This is the perfect ending song for the album.
I have been following Stephens’ career since the start of the summer. The album really shows personality. This is what makes Stephen’s album so refreshing to my eyes and ears. It feels musically distinct from what her counterparts are releasing. I can’t wait to hear what else she decides to release.