Welcome to The Drop, Refinery29's home for exclusive music video premieres. We want to shine the spotlight on women artists whose music inspires, excites, and (literally) moves us. This is where we'll champion their voices.
Jenna Raine may just be the next great young songwriter. For her debut EP the 14-year-old Texan worked with producers Edgar Vargas and Candice Pillay (Christina Aguilera, Rihanna) and tapped into her experiences to write a heartfelt collection of songs about love, life, and friendship.
In addition to her songwriting chops, Raine is a multi-instrumentalist who plays piano, guitar, and ukulele. She's already had more performance experience than most, going from her school talent show to the girl group L2M to releasing her own music.
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Refinery29 caught up with this Gen Z up-and-comer to discuss her 100K-streams song "Us," what inspired the video for the song, and the waxing and waning nature of friendships.
Refinery29: Tell me about what inspired you to write "Us."
Jenna Raine: "I co-wrote the song with Candice Pillay (Christina Aguilera, Rihanna) and Edgar Vargas. As we were in the studio, I was scrolling through pictures and I came upon a picture of me and my friends when we were little. That sparked the idea to write a song about friendships that can stand the test of time. I know many of my fans and listeners deal with these kind of friendships and can really relate so we made every single lyric special, unique, and relatable. The whole writing process was filled with so many emotions. It was crazy! In the end, I think we created something very special, and I’m so happy on how it turned out."
When you read this treatment, what appealed to you about it? How did you think it complimented "Us"?
"The treatment portrayed the song 'Us' perfectly. I wanted to share my story about a friendship and this treatment brought everything I put into the song to life through visuals. I want viewers to feel something when they watch the video. After I watched the video, my mom and I were crying, but that’s because it is a bittersweet story for me and the video reflects that. I hope viewers can watch the video and have a story of their own, whether it’s learning about my journey or relating back to one of their own experiences."
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Have you ever had a friendship like the one depicted in this video?
"Yes I have actually. I co-wrote the song 'Us' and it’s about one of my best friends that I’ve had since I was born. She may not have actually moved away but it felt like she did. We went down different paths and drifted apart but I will always be there for her. We still talk now and then [and] we will always have a bond and friendship like no other."
This interview has been condensed for length and clarity.
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