Jae Stephens Talks Having the ‘Audacity’ to Blow Up Your Pop Star Expectations: ‘I Take Up as Much Space as I Feel I Deserve’
Jae Stephens has released her debut studio album, *Audacity*, through Def Jam and Issa Rae’s Raedio imprint. The article presents the record as a confident, playful statement from a Black woman pop artist making her own version of pop stardom, at a time when the mainstream is still catching up with Black women’s influence on the genre.
The 11-track album moves between rhythmic pop, reflective midtempos and hip-hop-influenced hyperpop, with contributions from Dallas Caton, MNEK and PinkPantheress. Stephens, 29, says songs can reveal personal truths after she has written them; the album also draws on her songwriting partnership with her best friend Lita Caputo and explores both self-assurance and moments of self-doubt. Following earlier EPs and a well-received Lollapalooza debut, she is due to support Khalid on his European tour.
- Jae Stephens has released her debut album, *Audacity*.
- The 11 tracks blend playful pop with candid reflections.
- Stephens says the record explores claiming space on her own terms