Interview: Jasmine Thompson Reflects on Her Career and Talks New Zedd Collaboration "Funny"
The singer sat down with Popdust for an exlusive interview
At just 19-years-old, Jasmine Thompson has led a career many can only dream of.
With a soaring voice, her features on Felix Jaehn's "Aint Nobody (Loves Me Better)" and Robin Schulz's "Sun Goes Down" elevated the tracks to new heights. Both were certified platinum across the world. It became clear to Thompson very quickly that her fusion of pop and melodic house music deeply connected with people.
"I can't lie, sometimes it is really strange looking back," the singer told Popdust. "It's important to be gentle with yourself. I think that's why I don't feel that much pressure, because the only reason I'm doing this is because I love to create music."
"Funny" the singer's latest collaboration with Zedd, is a kaleidoscopic dance song that's brought to live by Zedd's signature array of bright electro house. "The song is about that old phrase: you only know what you've lost once it's gone," said Thompson. "'Funny' is a kind of modern twist on a new way to say it."
How did you connect with Zedd? What was it like working with him?
"So we got connected through a producer that I was working with on Funny -it was originally supposed to be a more piano ballad type of song. I was in LA working with Monsters and Strangers, and they thought that Zedd would really like this song, so without telling me they sent it to him and he loved it and immediately wanted to collaborate on the track. So I got a surprise email with Zedd's version and it blew my mind! I was so happy that he wanted to work on this song with me."
How was it making this song while in quarantine?
"Lockdown has been easier than I thought it would be. At the beginning, I was very scared to be on my own for so long, so I am quite happy that I have learnt to be okay with being slightly bored at home. Normally I am always looking for an excuse to go out and I never let myself have any me time. It's been hard to stay creative but 'Funny' has definitely been the light at the end of the tunnel for me. Art is so important at the moment, and it's lovely seeing other artists being so creative while being at home. It's all very inspiring."
So how did "Funny" come about. What's funny?
"The song is about that old phrase: You only know what you've lost once it's gone. 'Funny' is a kind of modern twist on a new way to say it. I think it's quite common that when something ends there's always one person who comes running back trying to show you the attention that they didn't give before and the love that you didn't receive before."
Is it ever overwhelming looking back on the extraordinary career you've already had at such a young age? What's the pressure like to outdo yourself, and how do you manage everyone's expectations with your own?
"It's important to be gentle with yourself. It's strange, it's been almost a decade since I started posting on my YouTube channel, but I am very lucky to have had all of the experiences. I'm very grateful to my family and my team for keeping me very grounded. I think that's why I don't feel that much pressure, because the only reason I'm doing this is because I love to create music.
It sounds like this song was meant for a stage.
"Hopefully whenever possible, Zedd and I can finally do something live and give it more life on stage."
What's next for you?
"I'm so excited to live in the world of 'Funny' for the next however long. I truly love this song and I've got a lot of songs saved up, and I can't say too much just yet, but there is a lot more to come ASAP."
Funny