Famous child finds her voice
Paris Jackson finally willing to open up and let music flow out on her first album
I’m not him, so I can’t speak for him. But I hope he would be happy and I think he would be stoked because I’m happy.
It started in herbedroom with just a guitar, but Paris Jackson has turned coping with the heartache after a recent breakup into her debut solo album. Jackson, 22, has been adevoted music fan all her life and dabbled in making her own, but has been hesitant to call herself a singersongwriter until now.
“It’s one of the greatest feelings I’ve ever experienced,” Jackson told the Associated Press in an exclusive interview this week.
She describes her ethereal acoustic sound as alternative folk— a far cry from the genre of her father, Michael Jackson. Being the daughter of the King of Pop adds an extra layer of scrutiny to the vulnerability required to put personal songs out into the world.
“I’m excited, I’m nervous, but I feel confident that the people that are supposed to hear this record are going to hear it. It’s going to reach them. Andwith regards to critics and stuff, Idon’t really think they’re going toknowhowto critique it,” Jackson says.
Earlier this year, Jacksonwasonehalf of acoustic duothe Soundflowers with boyfriend Gabriel Glenn, until the two split. She describes nursing a broken heart as a literal “aching in your chest,” but Jackson turned her pain into art. “You weremyall/andnowi fall to the ground,” she sings on hernewsingle Letdown.
The time in her bedroom resulted in 11 songs on the concept album, Wilted, released by Republic Records, and out on November13. All the stages of grief are represented in her lyrics: anger, denial, bargaining and acceptance, but the last song, the upbeat Another Spring, reveals a strongerwomanwholets her “wounds shine through”.
Jackson citesmanymusical influences— including singersongwriters Damien Rice, Ray Lamontagne and Conor Oberst. Her eyes lightupwhenshe talks about being a “massive fan” of the indie rock band Manchester Orchestra. When she heard that guitarist-singersongwriterandyhull from the band would produce her first record, she waselated. She flew to Atlanta to work with himand says the band was supportive of her sound.
“Everyonewas just so welcoming and so kind and they held this project to be, like, very sacred. They understoodmyemotional connection to it and understood that this ismybaby. They didn’t want to do anything that wasn’t authentic to whoi amandthey just took it to the next level,” Jackson says.
Michael Jackson famously attempted to shield his three children from the spotlight. After Jackson’s death in 2009of an overdose of the anesthetic propofol, Paris and her two brothers— who go by Prince, 23, and Bigi, 18— went to live with their grandmother, Katherine Jackson. Parismovedout at 18 and has been modelling and acting.
In June, she and Glenn had adocuseries on Facebook Watch called Unfiltered, which provided a glimpse into her private life and the duo’s small acoustic tour. Jackson revealed self-harm and suicide attempts in her testimonials, and said music wasa wayto channel her pain.
There’s an upcoming music video to go with thenewsingle Letdown, anod to the younger Jackson’s love of horror and gore. In it, the character she plays has her heart literally ripped out of her chest by her lover. Oneof the recurring scenes is set in dark woods, reminiscent of elements in her father’s famous Thriller video. Whenasked what he might think of her music, Jackson demurs.
“I don’t know. I’m not him, so I can’t speak for him. But Ihope he would be happy, and I think he would be stoked because I’m happy,” she said.
The pandemic has sidelined most musical acts and Jackson says she misses hearing her favourite bands live and aspires to play a fewshows soon, if anti-covid-19 measures allow. She said she hopes the music will help people feel “a little less lonely”.
“I found somuchhealing through creating this. Andthere aremoments where I’ll listen back to certain songs and I’m like, ‘Wow, Iwas so naı¨ve.’ But for the most part, it’s just like so muchgratitude and joy that I get from listening to these songs and just seeing the development and the evolution,” she said. — AP