BC Jean is a multi-platinum selling, award winning songwriter and performer who draws from heartache, love and encourages strength, while celebrating the fragility of the heart when falling in and out of love. Listen to her single I’ll Survive You or the story she tells in If I Were A Boy (Beyonce’s platinum hit single) and you’ll get a taste of the talent behind the artistry of BC Jean.
I am happy to have one such creative force as a guest on my column.
What did you learn about yourself while writingI’ll Survive You?
Well to be honest, it’s the one song I have that I did not write. My label wanted me to do it so I flew to Swedenfor two weeks to work with Max Martin and when I got there, he had that song for me. When I heard the song, it sounded like something I would write and I could relate to it tremendously. It’s an amazing power ballad, the words are so strong, and it’s done in such a simplistic way that it just made sense for me to do it.
What was the hardest part of making the video for I’ll Survive You?
Being skinny before shooting it! I’m a control freak so trying to keep the creative control as much as possible with my label was a little bit difficult with the budget I was given. It’s hard when you’re trying to show everything you got but with a small budget, it’s very difficult.
I recently heard the saying, “Survival is the new success,” have you always been a survivor or did your survival instinct develop over time?
I’ve always been a survivor, although I’m becoming more sensitive the older I become. I get emotional now; I never used to do that. I would always put my emotions into my writing so I didn’t have to express them physically and out loud, I’d just put it into a song. My skin has always been tough. I know who I am, my backbone is strong, and you really have to have that in this business. But, it’s funny, creative people in general are very sensitive souls but you have to have the hard outer shell or you’ll just curl up into a ball and die.
If someone were about to listen to Just a Guy for the first time how would you describe the lyrics?
Just a Guy for me was my version coming off writing If I Were A Boy. It’s like “ ok you’re just a guy,” it’s trying to accept the boy and accept the fact that we are different species; boys and girls are going to be different at the end of the day and it’s accepting and learning to work around that or work together, hopefully.
If I Were a Boy is incredibly realized, you got inside a male’s psyche, how did that evolve and how did that insight into a male’s relationship with women change you?
I’ve always been kind of a male brain in some sense, I always look through the point of view of a man, I see the way a man looks at people; I’ve always taken note of that for some weird reason.
When I wrote that song I was going through a really bad break up and it literally came out of me like a breath of fresh air, it was like a 20-minute therapy session or diary entry. The idea initially came from a walk around Times Square. I was trying not to eat fast food, (I really wanted pizza) but was trying to fit into my skinny jeans and I was like, “if I were a boy I would eat the sh*t out of that pizza!” Toby Gad thought that was very interesting, he asked how I would sing, “If I were a boy.” Then I took it to what else I would do: I’d be a better man than my ex-boyfriend, I’d do this, I’d do that and then it was easy; it was 4 chords, it was a diary entry and I was like, “Man if my ex-boyfriend could hear this one time, I’d be a happy woman!”
What has playing the role of “Harper” on “Talent” taught you about yourself as a performer?
Harper is a lot like myself years ago, I hope that we do more seasons so I can continue building the character. She’s going through a lot of the same stuff I am she's struggling to be taken seriously as an artist as well as a songwriter. Harper’s kind of doing it alone, she doesn’t have the family like I have to help, she has her friends. She goes back and forth a lot and I think that’s what keeps setting her back but at the end of this season we see her striving forward.
What did you learn about acting in season 1 and how did it help you evolve in season 2?
It’s kind of like acting class for me I was set up with such a great team behind me and great actors costarring next to me and the directors and producers are very supportive. They know I’m not a straight up actress they know I’m a musician, having the role of a musician in the acting world made it more comfortable for me. Everyday I came on set, I was going to act, I was going to sing, and it just made sense. I definitely think that having season 1 behind me built the foundation for me to come back on season 2 and be very proud to be there and I felt like I belonged there in season 2.
Was being a judge on “Talent: The Casting Call”, difficult for you?
Oh yeah! I didn’t think it was going to be. It wasn’t as long as American Idol, it wasn’t this long season, but gosh, I can’t imagine doing that! You get attached to these people, because they are real people and you see they are having real emotions, every single girl cried! And it wasn’t us trying to hurt their feelings; we were trying to give them honest critique. You have to know the truth if you want to strive forward if you want to grow you have to know the truth.
Did you see yourself in any of the contestants?
Absolutely! I saw some of myself in those contestants. When I first started auditioning, I was so nervous and nerves definitely got the best of some of those girls. There were just three of us judges that were actually there to help but its’ hard to see that, in their eyes we’re “the judges” and we’re judging them and that’s not how we felt, we wanted them to succeed. I think a lot of times in this business people do want you to succeed but as the artist, you’re thinking the opposite. But no, they don’t, we don’t want anyone to do badly, we would love to see greatness.
What were you looking for in a potential superstar?
We were looking for confidence, potential and something I think all of them have, they’re just young, and it was a lot to ask in such short amount of time.
I read an article in the LA Times that said, “BC Jean, ready to greet the world.” Are you ready? And what is your message?
I believe I’m ready! I’ve been meeting the world little by little. I think my message is going to change everyday. I’m always going to have a message, I think everybody is going to have something to say everyday and it’s always going to change. I don’t have a plan as to what I’ll say. I teach myself as I go and I go off instincts.
And honesty, I’m not trying to come out and compete with all these pop girls and get into a skimpy outfit, I’m not trying to put on this big production just for entertainment , I want to come out with good music and something people can relate to. I want people to be able to relate to me and hope my music brings out emotions in people.
What is your creative process like; does an idea for a song come first, or lyrics and then a concept?
It just depends; I like to say I’m a giant mood ring. I could have an idea in the middle of the night, I can have an idea after I eat, I can have an idea while I’m using the bathroom. It just depends. In my phone, I have a bunch of voice notes so I have melodies that come to me and then I have lyrics attached to those melodies and sometimes not. Sometimes I’ll be coming up with a guitar riff and I don’t realize it at first and I think it’s an actual vocal melody and then later I realize it’s just a guitar riff.
Where is your current inspiration coming from?
Boys! It’s always these boys I date and love, heartbreak and trying to be a strong female force and not needing a man but wanting it to complement you. I think I subconsciously have not found the right one due to keeping my message clear on my first album, everyone has asked me “why haven’t you found the right guy,” and I think it’s going to come on my second album.
What are three things you cannot live without?
Oh my gosh! I have so many things! Let me think: My dogs, music, and pizza. I love pizza so much!
What does being brave mean to you?
Bravery, I think can be a front, trying to prove to everybody else you’re strong but then once you convince yourself of that, it takes away your insecurities. If you can have the least amount of amount of insecurities possible and just stay strong, bravery will shine through.
Plans for 2012?
To make more great music, to keep paying my rent and to live by the beach. I know the beach will help my spirit; I think it will give me inspiration and calmness to get my second record out so I can fall in love.
Where can my readers find you online?
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