BEYOND THE NOTES
jordan cierra has never been one to settle for anyone else’s vision. From her earliest days experimenting with music, she’s faced the challenge of staying true to herself in an industry that often values marketability over individuality. Her journey to authenticity, however, hasn’t been without its struggles.
“I worked with a couple of producers, and they really wanted me to go a certain way,” she recalls. “It just didn’t really feel like me.” These experiences left her questioning how to balance creative collaboration with her vision. It wasn’t until close friends gave her a simple yet transformative piece of advice that clarity emerged: “If you’re gonna do it, you gotta do it the way you want to.”
After that moment, everything changed. Jordan realized that her music needed to be unapologetically her own. It wasn’t about resisting others—but staying true to herself. From then on, her music would reflect her vision. It would be on her own terms. She was done trying to fit into the tidy, marketable mold of the industry.
Growing up in a household filled with music ranging from Beyoncé to the High School Musical Soundtrack, Jordan always had a deep connection to sound. Interestingly enough, it was the COVID-19 pandemic that offered her an unexpected opportunity to focus on her craft. During those isolating months, she began to discover her own voice. Naturally, Jordan gravitated towards the pop-rock genre, resonating with artists like Conan Gray and Olivia Rodrigo. It was a process of making music and reclaiming her identity in a time of uncertainty.
“My main goal is to make music that feels authentic to me and what I have the most fun doing,” she says. This dedication to honesty shines through in every aspect of her artistry, especially in her debut single, “Odyssey”, which released in June 2024.
Unlike the typical breakup songs that dominate radio stations, Jordan’s lyrics explore a different kind of loss. “A lot of the songs I write are really sad, heart-breaking breakup songs,” she explains with a laugh, “but I write from a perspective of friendship breakups or friendship loss.”
Inspiration for “Odyssey” unexpectedly struck while scrolling through Instagram. The opening lyric, “You are my odyssey,” came to her, and the rest of the song followed quickly, taking shape within just 20 minutes. Built on themes of memory and nostalgia, “Odyssey” captured an emotional depth that resonated deeply with her audience. Even the visual aspects of the song, such as its color palette, were carefully selected to align with the feelings she wanted to evoke.
Jordan’s journey reached new heights when she signed with Cherry Pop Records, a student-run label, in the summer of 2024. The collaboration provided a space where her ideas could flourish. “There’s something so cool about it being student-run, and all these ideas are coming from [students] like me!” Jordan shares with excitement.
The partnership opened doors to live performances across the greater LA music scene, including shows at Breaking Sound. Despite the nerves that inevitably come before stepping onstage, each performance reinforced her sense of purpose. “It stresses me out a lot before I go on,” she admits, “but the minute I start singing, I’m like ‘This is literally what I want to do forever.’”
Her latest single “dymk?” releasing on January 31, 2025, marks the start of an exciting chapter in her music. While her signature themes remain, Jordan has expanded her vision to include a blend of nostalgic comfort and daring new elements. With a sense of liberation and determination to make music on her own terms, jordan cierra is an artist to watch.
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