The pop-rock singer-songwriter and model Jordan Michelle just released her new single titled Have a Nice Life. It is a punk-inspired electro-pop song. She is working on her debut album Dichotomy of a Pageant Queen. On top of those music plans, she unveiled AMPLIFY. This mascara is the first product in her skincare and cosmetics line, By Jordan Michelle. How did her path as an entrepreneur begin? We had an interesting discussion with the talented multi-hyphenate.
Dress, Revolve Farrah Gown.
Jordan told us, “I think it’s been an entrepreneurial journey the whole time. Being an independent artist is very much an entrepreneurial endeavor. The difference is your brand is you.”
Although she always wanted to be in entertainment, being born and raised in a traditional, Jewish family on Long Island, it never seemed like a real option to her. She started modeling in college even though her real passion was music. Modeling led her into a familiarity with the entertainment and arts that ultimately led her into pursuing music.
Revolve Cleopatra Maxi Dress. Shoes, Valentino.
How about doing business? “I have always built little businesses along the way. When I felt like music wasn’t working out I started an event company at one point, as well as a social media consulting firm. I guess it’s just in my bones. The short answer is, the path has been incredibly rewarding, incredibly challenging, really hard, painful, and a lot of fun.”
Dress, Revolve Farrah Gown.
Talking about the genesis of her debut album Dichotomy of a Pageant Queen, Jordan Michelle explained, “One of the biggest challenges I overcame in my artistry was unbecoming the thing I was supposed to be. I think a lot of us experience that in just trying to understand our own authenticity.” Jordan didn’t like being put in a box like a perceived “beauty queen” where one is expected to show up as one’s best, most packaged, polished, and poised self. “Being an artist is about being really raw,” she said. “Why couldn’t I be all of the things that resonate with who I am? That parallel within myself kept popping up; that I’m this hard-working businesswoman but also this dorky twenty-something who likes to party, this disciplined human who also sometimes isn’t, this punk rock fanatic who wore gowns on stage and likes to go to fancy restaurants. I think everyone deserves to feel comfortable being whatever little bits of this or that they are. So we came up with the name Dichotomy of a Pageant Queen, because it represents that dichotomy within me, within all of us.”
Life experiences always inspire Jordan Michelle. She loves to turn what she has experienced into songs. For her, music is the raw place where feelings come out and say the things that people want to say but can’t. Music says it all for you. “I don’t want to set expectations, but I hope that these songs do everything from making people laugh, cry, dance, sing, smile, and maybe achieve dangerous levels of introspection,” Jordan laughed.
It’s been a long time in the making of Dichotomy of a Pageant Queen. Some songs were written a really long time ago. Some are still being written. “Watching it come to life is like watching myself grow up and evolve,” Jordan Michelle told us. As she produced this record, she worked with a range of not only producers and artists, “but actual geniuses and icons who I can’t believe I get to work with. I feel so blessed that I have such an incredible team of people around me who really see my vision and believe in it as much as I do,” she said humbly.
Jordan Michelle loves fashion. Depending on what she is wearing, she “feels a new energy flow” through her. In her video for Tear Me Down, Jordan Michelle embodied a true, timeless punk rock aesthetic. In her view, “As a songwriter, I’m all about self-expression as an art. That’s what I love about fashion. On the other side of the coin, going back to that dichotomy word. I feel like sometimes fashion choices cause people to make judgments. I grew up listening to punk rock. I heavily consider myself a punk. Some may assume I’m not (or proclaim) because of how I look or dress sometimes. Sometimes I don’t wanna dress like a punk, sometimes I do. I love the idea that we can be different day to day, moment to moment; ever-evolving and ever-changing.”
Couture ball gown, Sherri Hill. Shoes, Jeffery Campbell.
What we love about Jordan Michelle is that she always looks at the half-full part of the glass. She took it from her grandmother who survived the holocaust – Optimism in the face of adversity will always lead to the best outcome.
She is excited about where she is going, “My goal has always been for my music to do for others what music has always done for me – heal, inspire, excite, and all other things. I just started putting out music at the end of 2021 and it’s already reached more people than I would have imagined. I hope to expand that reach in 2022 and connect with more people!”
Swimsuit, 844swim. Hat: Brooklyn Hat Co.
At the end of our discussion, Jordan Michelle concluded, “After all of the adversity, hurdles, and challenges, I feel like I’m finally seeing the fruits of my labor pay off. It has been such a journey and I am so grateful to be where I am.
Then we couldn’t avoid asking her an extra question, “If you were not a musician or model, what profession would you have chosen instead?” Jordan Michelle answered simply, “In aerospace!”
Dress, Revolve.
The team:
Photography: Raven Durán @ravendurann
Talent: Jordan Michelle @iamjordanmichelle
Video Director: Rick Wayne @rick_wayne
Photography Assistant: James Lamont @jameslamont__
Makeup: Sullivan Hruska @sullivanhruska
Yacht: Captain Dennis Dennis Oberst – “Naut Hooked”
PR: MUSE Publishing @themusesociety
Harper’s Bazaar Vietnam
