From Oakland, California, the soul-pop queen known as JAKLYN has released the official video for her song “Syrup” in collaboration with the producer duo TRKRNR. In 2016, JAKLYN Independently released her debut album, That One Girl. The original version of the song “Syrup” was among the 14 tracks on the album, as well as “All Over Again”, which was a finalist in the international John Lennon Songwriting Contest. As part of her album Syrup: The Remixes, TRKRNR put a fresh, electro-R&B spin on the song, and this is the version we hear in the video.
JAKLYN tells us about her inspiration for the track and the visuals:
“The inspiration behind the song “Syrup”— originally released on my album That One Girl — harkens back to a very strange time for me in my job as a product designer at a software company. I was singled out by my boss to attend 1:1 training sessions with an outside HR consultant. I couldn’t quite understand why it was necessary, and his explanation didn’t really help. From what I could tell, he and others felt like I was sticking out too much in the company’s office culture, and not in a good way.
“The personalized training was offered to me under the guise of helping me be more successful. But it felt like a lesson in how to be smaller. In a sweet, sugary voice, the HR consultant showed me how to keep my hand motions closer to my body and constantly reminded me to speak more quietly. And she explained to me that I needed to ensure the other people in the room spoke before I took my turn. (At the time, I was often the only woman in my meetings.) She would repeat certain catch phrases to me with a sort of hypnotic rhythm. I feared that if she was right, I’d have to completely change my personality in order to effectively navigate my environment.”
“Most of the sexism I have encountered in the office is of the subtle variety. It’s difficult to pin down, and it often remains unchecked. It can make you feel crazy to experience this kind of thing on a daily basis. My outlet in dealing with this has always been making music, where I can freely express myself in a way that is big and bold and unapologetic.”
To us, it’s as if the story of “Syrup” is part of a novel. The visuals are chilling and awe-inspiring and, we hear the soulful voice of the multi-talented and independent singer/songwriter. Perfectly combining the passion and futuristic themes, JAKLYN has released a track and video that will be sure to stick inside all of our heads for weeks. And her genre-defying album That One Girl fully demonstrates just what she has inside and what she is capable of getting out to listeners.
