Glenna Jane is a rising indie pop musician, and she wants to write happy music again. It’s days before the release week of “Juno,” the first single from her upcoming debut EP, and Glenna is recalling how the song came to life. “I was tired of writing one verse after another that was rooted in hurt,” she says. “I wanted to make something sweet, something joyful.” Enter: “Juno,” a daydreamy sapphic pop song that captures a girl-next-door romcom in just four minutes.
For Glenna, who uses she/her and they/them pronouns, “Juno” recalls a happy memory of their coming-of-age: their first queer crush on a teenage best friend. “I was reflecting on my experiences with my best friend… us riding on the bus after school together, listening to Vampire Weekend, leaving no space between us,” they say. “It was just innocent love.” The song perfectly emphasizes the innocence and naivety of young crushes. In one lyric, she says, “I’m a beginner, I’ll confuse a moment for forever.” While a queer coming-of-age can be anxiety-inducing, the innocence of first love offers joy to kids discovering their queerness—it’s a soft place to land while experiencing what is often a tumultuous realization. Glenna says this is what she hopes listeners will take away from “Juno”: “The pure joy of coming into your queerness.”
Music has played a starring role in Glenna’s coming-of-age: It’s a simultaneous friend, outlet, and confidant. In a way, it’s even a genetic inheritance. “I’ve been singing for my entire life,” says Glenna, who is Filipino. “The karaoke machine is a staple at our [Filipino] parties. I learned by mimicking Whitney Houston and Celine Dion.” She spent her childhood partaking in choir, musical theatre, and talent shows and even attended a performing arts high school for vocal performance. “I wanted to take every opportunity to be on stage,” she says.
Since music and Glenna’s upbringing were deeply intertwined, reflecting on her coming-of-age through songwriting is the greatest full-circle moment—and “Juno” is only the beginning. “The rest of the songs [on my debut EP] are in the same world [as ‘Juno’], but on different continents,” they laugh. In addition to realizing their queerness, the EP explores the topics of moving away from home, cyclical relationships, and reclaiming big feelings they were taught as a kid to minimize. “I’ve taken down so many songs over my career,” they say. “This is finally a project that I feel no regrets or reservations about.”
One thing’s for certain: Glenna Jane is done holding back. She isn’t afraid to dig up the most sacred memories of her upbringing and express them through songwriting, especially if it means listeners will resonate with her experiences. From the queer first kiss, slumber party world of “Juno” and beyond, Glenna Jane writes songs for her younger self, but she writes for you, too. “I create music I wish I could’ve had when I was 15,” she says.
“Juno” was released on April 15, 2025.
