FOR Filipino-Ghanaian artist and producer Jewel Owusu, exploring genres and staying true to her identity as a musician has helped her stay motivated. Her latest single, “Spark,” delves into what happens when one tries to break out of stagnation.
“I feel like a lot of us feel like we get stagnant in our life and bored with the things going on, and we mistake that with wanting to be with a new person,” Ms. Owusu said at a virtual press conference on Aug. 14.
Produced by fellow Australia-based musician Aria Wood, “Spark” speaks to the universal desires to “want something more in life and be more connected with yourself.”
“Beyond that, I hope listeners have a good time while listening to my music and it provides them a space to move around and dance,” said Ms. Owusu.
She also shared her experiences forging a new path in electronic pop — being raised in New Zealand as a person of color and traversing various genres in her music meant she doesn’t easily fit in any boxes.
“When I first started, I made lo-fi, pop, and bedroom R&B, which is very different from what I’m making now. That’s kinda the music that’s easiest to produce and it also felt like the music people wanted to hear,” she explained.
“Now I’m making music that I want to hear, music that I want to make.”
Her single before “Spark” was “Slip Away,” released last month, with lyrics that talk about growing up a person of color in predominantly white spaces. “That isolation, feeling different from everyone else, follows you through the rest of your life,” she added.
Ms. Owusu also found that staying in touch with her roots in Ghana and in the Philippines has helped her gain confidence to take up more space in the electronic-pop music scene. Last year, she collaborated with Filipino avant-pop artist Ena Mori on the track “Time Machine,” which was dedicated to her Filipino mother’s experiences.
Her upcoming EP, which will include both “Spark” and “Slip Away,” is set to blend many genres: alternative pop, dance music, and even indie rock.
“The sound I’m making comes naturally based on what I like and enjoy listening to,” she said on how purposeful she is with standing out. “In electronic music spaces, it’s dominated by non-people of color, so it’s important to be as loud as you can be to take up space.”
The last time she was in the Philippines was in 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. She has always used the time during visits to be with family in San Fernando, Pampanga.
“I’ve never done anything music-related. It’s always just family time,” Ms. Owusu said. “But I’d love to do some gigs and music sessions!” — Brontë H. Lacsamana