Rising songwriter Jae Stephens is stepping into the spotlight herself with her debut album "Audacity," due out on 25 September. Having spent years writing hits for other artists, she is now channelling that experience into her own pop career, drawing inspiration from the 2000 film "Coyote Ugly" to shape the record's confident, female-led, nightlife-infused world.

Stephens signed with Def Jam Recordings and Raedio, the label founded by Issa Rae, in 2024, after being selected for an emerging creators programme in 2022. Before her own breakthrough, she wrote songs for artists including Ashanti, Jennifer Lopez and Ne-Yo, and worked with producers such as Hit-Boy and Brasstracks. Her new single "Sugar Trap" and its accompanying video, set in a fictional bar called Miss Andry's, reflect the album's themes of autonomy and self-assured pop ambition, as she adjusts to the heavier promotional demands of being the artist rather than just the songwriter.