Jillian Jacqueline is in Her ‘Prime’

One’s prime can be defined as a state of time in which someone finds their greatest strength or success. Jillian Jacqueline is taking full advantage of her “Prime” in her music and in her life.

Written by Kelly Brickey
Jillian Jacqueline is in Her ‘Prime’
Photo by Rob Norris

One’s prime can be defined as a state of time in which someone finds their greatest strength or success. Jillian Jacqueline is taking full advantage of her “Prime” in her music and in her life.

The Pennsylvania native is catapulting her way into the country scene, infusing the modern elements of reverb with organs and rocking guitars to create her own version of the genre she calls “cosmo country.” Her latest single, “Prime,” represents her musical style while also reflecting her bubbly and fun personality all the same.

“For me, it was just kind of this anthemic, fun song that I wanted to write that didn’t really feel like super bubblegum-y pop,” Jacqueline said about the song. “It felt like it was really rooted in the foundation and it felt completely like me. That song, actually when I finished writing it, it became the cornerstone of the EP, so I just felt like it just said a lot of who I am as a person in one song and that’s hard to do.”

At the same time though, Jacqueline doesn’t believe her young age stops her from fully living out this thriving time in her life.

“I know people always talk about your prime is like if you read the definition, it’s like you’re 40 and your kids are leaving your house and they’re going to college and you’re like empty nesting, that’s your prime,” she said. “That’s not your prime! Your prime is whenever you want it to be your prime. I feel like I’m in my prime right now. It’s just about embracing wherever you are in your life and youth is such a state of mind.”

Using “Prime” as the precursor to her EP, her conversational lyrics translate along with her new wave rock country style to let listeners feel at ease when it comes to just living life right. One track that means a lot to the singer/songwriter’s personal view is “Kids These Days,” which she co-wrote with her producer, Tofer Brown. The revolving cycle of the passing generations inspired Jillian to relate to the struggles of growing up under the watchful eye of judgmental supervision.

“Being young and figuring it out and we all come up with our own systems of belief and things that we wanna care about and stand for and I think that’s really cool. I think it’s cool how it’s like a circle of life kind of message and I think everybody can relate to that.”

With authenticity inspired by some of her heroes, Patsy Cline, Elvis and Sheryl Crow, Jillian took her realistic perspective to the studio with the legendary Vince Gill. The “magical” experience of recording her song, “Overdue,” with him made Jacqueline freak out and be in awe of his talent all at once.

“Hearing him sing it and put his own harmony on there—he chose his own harmony part—and really made it his own. The way his voice lifts in the chorus over mine, I don’t know. It just feels like something you can’t…it’s priceless. It’s really powerful. When I first heard it, of course I cried,” she said.

Jacqueline will be taking her “neon country” to the Girls of Spring writers round, which will feature other well-known female songwriters in Nashville. Knowing about how impactful an event like this is for women, she definitely plans to soak in the significance.

“I’m just blown away by how many talented females there are in this town,” she said. “There’s a lot of support happening between all of them. I think we all realize it’s been tough for females, but we all realize we all have something to say and we all deserve that moment to say it.”

Little does Jacqueline know that her “Prime” has put her on the map as one of those talented females she looks up to and she’s got so much more to show for it.