“We’re everywhere. And we are taking spaces where spaces are due to us,” says Jaydena on trans artists as she opened Pride House for the 2024 Olympic Games. On the occasion, Jaydena performed songs from her debut EP, “ANGELTOWN,” which dropped this summer, as an ode to Paris, culture, and growth in the world she has created.

Having had her song “Oxygen” released in 2023 and “Ripped Wings” featuring Tracy De Sá, Jaydena blessed us with her new angelic EP “ANGELTOWN”, a testament to her journey, with inspiration from her life In Paris and experiences as an ethereal artist. Following her moving performance at the Paris 2024 Pride House, Felipe Castro met Jaydena to discuss her layers of artistry, how fashion has become a playground for self-expression, and having lunch with your grandmother after raving all night. So grab a moment of peace, and immerse yourself in ANGELTOWN with this conversation and Jaydena captured on 35mm by photographer Louise Reinke with styling by Lila Soen in this exclusive.

I love that. ANGELTOWN is inspired by your move to Paris. How do you see diversity here different from other places you’ve lived in?

I love that you’re asking me this question right now because I was thinking about it this afternoon. Te lo juro, I was walking down the street, I just came back from London, and you can feel the energy, It’s just so different in every town that I’ve ever been to. Paris has a soul that is so unique. There’s a lot of diversity and there’s a lot of mix of culture, art, and exploration. There’s so much space for everything to collide and become one thing. Also, for things to not be just one thing and be a part of each other at the same time, and I love that, especially for ANGELTOWN. For me, it’s kind of like taking a little bit of reference of everything that I see in this town and creating my universe, you know, my own ANGELTOWN, my perspective of what this town looks like to me.

So ANGELTOWN is…

It’s Paris. ANGELTOWN is Paris.

In your records, your music is very dynamic and transformative, do you feel you’re transforming with it?

Yes, it’s changing a lot. I know it’s also changing with me. Each song has a different meaning, and it’s also having this different energetic state. I wanted to translate a lot of emotions into sounds.

Along with transformation, your work is layered with artistic and cultural references. Which were the most relevant for your new EP, ANGELTOWN?

You know what, a lot of renaissantism and Latin core culture, religious images. The Virgin Mary is at the top of my mood board. Literalmente she’s the mood board. I wanted to convey this translation of my upbringing and the thing that inspires me the most, which is art. Going to the museum and just feeding off these beautiful historical pieces of art that are still standing.

Total look by Julia Heuer with shoes by Rombaut

Opening Pride House during the Paris 2024 Games must have been so emotional for you. How did it feel to have that role in the LGBTQ community?

I feel so honored. I feel so privileged. I feel so grateful. My whole life I saw myself as this amazing human being who can sing and create art and to have a stage like this where I can sing my truth, and I can be just un porte-parole of something bigger than myself. Jaydena was there, but I was not there. It was not about me, that was not Jaydena’s concert. This is bigger than me, I’m representing the community: transgender people everywhere in the world. That’s why I came out with a trans flag. For me, it’s like “Hi, we’re standing here”. There’s not a single transgender person in sports so far that performed during the Olympics. But to be one of the very few transgender artists who got to perform during that time. It’s like we’re here. We are here. We’re everywhere. And we are taking spaces where spaces are due to us. We have our seat at the table, and it’s for us.

How did you find out you were opening?

A friend of mine, Tim Zouari, kind of told me that he was interested in having this little kiki with me. And I didn’t know back then when he proposed that it was going to be the opening event of the Pride House. So when I realized this, it was like, what on earth is life, especially because everything collided so perfectly with the release of ANGELTOWN so clearly. You know how I found out? Over the email that he sent to my agent, and my agent was like, “By the way, you’re performing for this thing”. It was so major. I didn’t even realize until I was out of the stage that I was like, “Oh, yeah, I just did that”, because it didn’t click until that moment.

Gagged. Wow. What would be one word to describe the experience?

Warmth. It felt warm. My work and the noise that I’m creating, even if I’m whispering, I’m not screaming out to the world “Hey, pay attention to me”. This is a little perspective of this human, one in many, many millions. So, to be heard and to be seen and to have that chance just felt like warmth, like a beautiful hug from the Sun.

That’s so nice. There’s a lot of artistry in your EP, in your records, and in your shows. How do you think art and music can work with activism?

Oh my god, I think art and music should always be linked to activism, and they are. Especially for me, just my existence is already a political statement because I’m not just a woman singing about angels, sex, liberation, and everything, I’m also a transgender woman who sings about sexual liberation and spirituality, so it is already political. I think when you get to be so aware and align with your purpose, and you utilize your art to align within your purpose, the purpose, and the direction are just one with each other.

How does activism influence your creative process?

You know, I’m not even trying to do activism, it’s what I have to do because what I do, like breathing air, is a political statement. I’m speaking about my life, I’m not trying to put a layer onto things, if ever I’m trying to remove everything and be naked, and just express how I feel. But having that opportunity to express my perspective through so much awareness… that’s how you become an act of activism if ever. I guess it’s just oxygen at this point, my existence.

Dress by Rabanne and shoes by Dr. Martens

How has living in LA, Mexico, New York, and Paris influenced your creativity?

I’m so grateful that I got to experience life in so many different stages in all of these major cities. Having different cultures that raised me and allowed me to be an active witness of how music, fashion, cinema, and every type of artwork. Being me and the best me that I could be in every single stage of those cities just allowed me to reach this point in ANGELTOWN in Paris. Honestly, major shit.

When you’re on stage or creating music do you feel you are stepping into another version of yourself or is it just an extension of who you are?

It’s the most natural version of myself, that’s when I’m truly free and naked. I’m connected with the source within myself, God, light, love, it’s all of those things. When I’m making music, when I’m singing, when I’m on stage I’m reaching the same spot in my soul. When I’m dancing it happens as well, it’s a ritualistic energy that I allow myself to have. I wouldn’t say it’s a different version or an extension if ever it’s the same. She’s more, perhaps, full of honesty, very free… that’s it.

When it comes to fashion and the fashion scene, how do you merge fashion, music, and your identity to tell your story as an artist?

Fashion is so important to me because music is what I am, but fashion is my playground. It’s what allows me to not just tell a story through my actual walking existence. It’s not a sound or a visual thing, it’s a whole concept that we get to witness. Fashion inspires me, the artistic direction, the shows, everything, attending these things and seeing what other people are creating and the way that I can utilize it or take inspiration. We think fashion is not cinema, cinema is a whole concept and music is sound. Fashion you get to feel it, you get to wear it, you get to be that, you get to be the hanger and the canvas at the same time. Having the ability to mix that with my artistry, my body, and myself as the artist, it’s a beautiful experimental canvas.

You’re a work of art.

Yeah, and fashion allows me to do that.

First words that come to mind when talking about your fashion sense?

Bold. Sexy. There’s this song from Wisin & Yandel that I have in my mind all the time whenever I’m doing something with my fashion, this quote where they’re singing “Ella combina la calle con la moda de París.” That’s it.

I know exactly what you’re saying. Favorite brand at the moment?

Ooh! I have so many favorite brands right now. I just watched Prada by Raf Simons, yesterday, the show was amazing. I feel it’s the direction where I’m also going, it’s really clean, but it’s, I don’t want to say messy because it doesn’t look like a mess, there’s a color with a print, with a fabric, you would imagine that it makes no sense, but it makes total sense. This last Prada show: a major win. I’m honestly a fan of Gucci, Sabato’s Gucci is beautiful because it’s giving raver girl coming from the rave at 11 a.m, and you’ll have a lunch with your grandmother that you haven’t seen the whole month at 12, you still have that Gucci leather dress, and you’re just putting on a little something, sunglasses, you’re going to meet your grandmother, she doesn’t even know that you are still high or hungover. Sabato’s Gucci is a major slay.

What’s the most attractive thing someone can do?

Believe in themselves. That’s it. Love themselves, that’s so attractive. Confidence is key to everything. When you are confident (not cocky) when you know who you are, and you know why you are who you are, you have that self-love, that self-awareness… that’s so hot, like… that’s so hot! It’s like “Yes!”.

What’s the most attractive thing someone can wear?

Denim. Denim and leather, but always denim. There are many things that people can do wrong in fashion, I’m not anyone to judge, to be honest, but denim is just hot all the time yeah.

Undertop by Yohji Yamamoto, overtop by Julia Heuer, and pants by Kenza Iatrides

You collaborated with Tracy De Sá for Ripped Wings, how was your chemistry together?

Oh my god, I love her. She’s my sister, she’s my lover, she’s my teacher, she’s my friend, she’s my witness, she’s an icon. She is an angel in this record, and she has been an angel in real life. Honestly, I love that human, I’m so grateful that this is the first collaboration that I got to put out in the world and this is with her. To me, she’s an inspiration, and I’m sure to the world. She’s an Indian woman who grew up in Spain, who gets to rap about sex and female empowerment, that’s so calm, she’s so calm.

Who’s your dream collaborator for future projects?

I would love to work with Sevdaliza, Arca, honestly Wisin & Yandel, I’m not joking I feel like going off in these neo-reggaeton vibes and bringing the amazing iconic people. This would be something that no one would be at all expecting, the ethereal, angelic high-pitched singer from México, Paris, and the world coming up with Wisin & Yandel, that would be SO hot.

What can we expect from you in future projects?

So far, we are working on a lot of little surprises for the angels. We have music videos, we have a little short film from ANGELTOWN, and we also have a little remix record coming out soon, which explores ANGELTOWN but through different perspectives, through different people, my friends, my dance partners, amazing humans that just have different perspectives of sound. When you get to collide in the universe, that’s hot and that’s amazing. And, we do have a tour for next year, ANGELTOWN summer tour going everywhere.

We will see you there!

Yes, por favor.

Shirt and jacket by Dice Kayek, skirt by Yohji Yamamoto, shoes by Hereu, belt by Julia Heuer, and glasses by Amaury Paris

Credits:
Photographer: Louise Reinke
Talent: Jaydena
Stylist: Lila Soen
Stylist Assistant: Emma Queillé
Glam: Yenny Sith