Have you ever just met someone who you know is going to go far in life? I certainly had when I met a my good friends middle daughter. All of her kids are talented, but Jadaya had this spark when I first met her. Wanting to use my blog as a platform, I decided to showcase Jadaya this week.
Jadaya Bivins is a bright light. She's talented, but not just with music. The teenager excels in school, plays field hockey, and always finds the time to perfect her craft.
Late last year, Bivins released her first single, Green Eyes, on all streaming platforms. However, she recently had another first experience as she performed and created her very first music video.
The video, shot in a local bowling alley, made Jadaya's song come to life. While the video made the song come to life, its music that makes Jadaya come to life.
Jadaya, behind the scenes of Green Eyes
When Jadaya was ten, she knew music was what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. Alonzo and Michelle, Jadaya's parents, happily obliged by gifting her private voice lessons. The sparkle in Jadaya's eyes during those private lessons speaks volumes.
"I was about 10 years old. I told my vocal instructor at The Music Academy. She asked me what I wanted to do with music and I told her I wanted to be a recording artist. Since then, I’ve performed at recitals with The Music Academy, did open mic nights around town and virtually at my church. I’ve had the lead role in my middle school plays, so I sang a lot for that. I performed at the Stone Pony with my music school, and I got to perform at The Apollo," Bivins says.
The first performance Jadaya ever had was a nerve wracking one. Jadaya was seven when she participated in her elementary school talent show. Big sister Sequoia joined in on the fun and sang back up to I'll Be There by the Jackson Five.
"I can’t remember much but I knew I was nervous until I started singing," Bivins says, laughing as she recalls the memory.
After taking hours of private lessons and knowing that music was the direction for her life, Michelle encouraged Jadaya to think about putting covers out on YouTube and Instagram. Jadaya followed moms advice and after some successful covers, Jadaya decided to release a song.
"I was encouraged by my mom to just get started and put something out. I was definitely nervous about putting something out. I was worried that people weren’t going to like it. I’m still nervous about it, but I realize that I’m going probably always feel that way with every song, but I have to just keep going," Bivins says.
Jadaya's cover art for Green Eyes
When it came down to recording her first song, Jadaya entered the studio nervously. After a few run throughs, you'd think she was a pro.
"I had a lot of fun. I was so excited to finally be recording my own song. By the end of the session, I was all hot and sweaty. It’s definitely work but it was fun work," Bivins said.
For Jadaya, she'll never forget the day that the song officially hit the airwaves. She received tons of love from her family, friends, and even was featured by her school via a nice website post about the creation of her first single.
"It didn’t feel real. I couldn’t believe that my song was on some of the same platforms as my favorite artists. There hasn’t been a huge reaction from the public, but my family and friends love it. My school was kind to put it on their website," Bivins says.
Speaking of favorite artists, Jadaya has a select few who inspire her on a daily basis.
"My biggest inspirations are Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, and Ariana Grande. I love that they are all women who can really sing. They each have a unique style of singing. That motivates me to try to be as good as them," says Bivins.
Behind the scenes of the Green Eyes video shoot
You might be wondering, was there a certain boy behind Green Eyes? The answer is no.
"My song doesn’t have a message. There is no one that I’m specifically singing about. It was mainly something fun to sing about. Hopefully someone will realize they might need to let go of the guy they’re crushing on," Bivins says, laughing.
While making a music video was fun, Jadaya knows that she learned more about herself during the entire process. She also leaves behind some inspiration to other kids her age about chasing their dreams.
"I learned that I need to have more confidence in myself and appreciate and celebrate the accomplishments I’ve had and will have. To the kids my own age, don’t give up on your dreams. Work hard and consistently on them. If you truly love what you’re doing, you’ll never work a day, at least that’s what I was told," Bivins says.
What's next for Jadaya? She's got big plans, as she's heading to ninth grade.
"My plans are to continue creating, connecting with other talent, and making videos. There will definitely be new singles in the future," says Bivins.
For more information on Jadaya's career, you can follow her on Instagram: @jadayabivins, Facebook: Jadaya Bivins, TikTok: jadaya.bivins, Twitter: jadayabivins and Snapchat: jadaya bivins. Her music is available on all streaming platforms.
Jadaya absolutely blows my mind with her talent. She's definitely inspired me to work harder after my dreams. If a young teen can do it, why can't I? Go out and set the world on fire Jadaya, you've got it all inside you.
Signing off,
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