ARTIST PROFILE: GL1TT3RP1SS
Bittersweet kisses, laughter, and glitters; in a carefully decorated car, two women look at the camera for the first time, sing and share the love and pain of queerness. Insecure, soft, and vulnerable, they hold their hands, gaze into each other’s eyes, and tell a story about past rejection. Taking inspiration from an intense fallout after rejection, “You Don’t Know” by the queer R&B and art-pop duo Emma and Jenny, aka GL1TT3RP1SS, is about tender hurts and finding strength
“She opened up to me, and I thought things were going good,” said Jenny after being ghosted by someone who she thought was right for her. She wishes the other person could stay a little longer to get to know her, yet sometimes they just leave too soon. “I mean, obviously, I’m amazing,” Jenny sighed. Answers are easy to give, but so is avoidance. Betrayal of trust and love can be deeply hurtful and frustrating, and sometimes, we may never find out what went wrong. “I didn’t know what to do to help with the situation,” she said. Having been through a series of on and off intense relationships, Jenny is too familiar with those feelings. Like anyone who has been heartbroken, she had to pick up the broken pieces and glue them back together. She learned how to love again from a place of hurt: “I feel like there’s something special about sharing that part of me with other people,” she said, “we can look to light even in the rain.” With no reservation, she began to open up about those vulnerable moments and channel layers of complex feelings into singing, leaving pieces of herself in the music.
Jenny started singing before she could walk. Her earliest memory was singing Mariah Carey, Brandy, and SWV constantly. Singing has been her escape and release from the pain she felt in an abusive household and being very gay in a time when it was shameful. Growing up, Jenny was the only Chicano in a midwestern town in Minnesota. “I always felt weird,” she said. To many people, she was this eccentric little person who had a tough time with rules. Being a young mom and coming from a broken family had a profound impact on her. “In the past, I have clung to those types of infatuations over real relationships and have ruined what could have been lovely friendships thirsting over people who really didn’t fit,” she said, “like Emma, I always thought there was something wrong with me.” There was a time when she struggled with homelessness and addiction. After years of therapy and effort to push past her limitations, Jenny came out of it firmer and softer, “working for others is what gives my life meaning. Creating workflows and platforms to represent and help other queer/BIPOC and struggling folks is what I’m here for.” As a second-generation American Chicano queer woman with two kids, who have experienced abuse, homelessness, addiction but are still soft, strong, and vulnerable, she stands tall and sings. “We need that representation, and I feel strongly about it,” said Jenny.
On the other side of America, Emma, aka Daughter of Dawn, grew up as a military brat, living in 9 states across the U.S. and Japan. At the age of 15, Emma joined her first band and began the life of a semi-professional musician. She fell in love with music production and became obsessed with sound and texture. For Emma, music means more than a love of art. It was the firm hand that grasped her in a time of crisis. When she was going through transition, music was her way to document and express joy, frustration, pain, and euphoria. “Overcoming challenges for me has been less about strength and bravery and more about reconceptualizing my reality,” she said, “I could reject the one that was fed to me and try to make the world better for everyone, and this has made all the difference.” Music connected her to people who support, understand, and love her for who she is, and of course, it also brought her to Jenny. “It (You Don’t Know) reminds me of our love because it was something we created together, and no matter the content, that shines through,” said Emma. She took cues from Jenny and mixed in her love for electronic music, R&B, and weirdness.
As a music producer, activist, and artistic being, Emma supports and brings every dream into realization. “I care about every single person on this planet having the absolute necessities not just to survive but to thrive. I care about everyone having the ability to actualize themselves and find their authentic truth and to be able to live that truth in peace. I care about honoring each and every person for what they are and meeting them with empathy and love. I care about lifting every marginalized voice in this world until it is louder than the collective noise of colonization and capitalism. Art is a great and unlimited force that effectuates social movements and change,” she said.
When it comes to vocalizing social, political issues and emotions, to Jenny, art, and music speak louder than words. “When I’m really feeling something, I try to organize. I write poetry based on what I’m going through. When I don’t create, I get super depressed,” she said. But in the making of “You Don’t Know,” she and Emma spent quite a long time pondering the words. “Sometimes, the lyrics don’t always come very easily because the subject matter is so personal,” said Jenny, “Emma helped fill in the blanks. We talked about the type of situation we were trying to portray. Whenever I was stumped, we worked together to fill in the blanks.”
Cowriting involves a lot of trust and understanding, but the deep connection between Jenny and Emma makes it easier. There is a lot of communication involved, but it is a glittering and rewarding process. They are bringing forth a new album, sharing moments of a long journey. It is about the journey of finding love and strength in disappointment and rejection. Jenny was mildly obsessed with Igor by Tyler the Creator, and Emma accurately picked up the feelings she was going for. “Emma is a really brilliant producer, and she’s understood that vibe and has made it all sound so good,” Jenny looked at Emma with love and gratitude. They both are music collectors and fans. Jenny’s influence includes Mariah Carey, Jazmin Sullivan, Jorja Smith, Amber Mark, and Chino Moreno. Collectively, their music is influenced by Blanks, Aluna, The Internet, and Serena Isioma.
With the collective passion for art and music and deep compassion for those underrepresented, they joined hands in the creation of GL1TT3RP1SS. GL1TT3RP1SS is a place for love. It is a harbor for anyone who feels alone and rejected. People from different backgrounds join hands together and share their stories. Through music and art, they heal and thrive. GL1TT3RP1SS stands for justice, strength, queerness, and transness. They connect and nurture through vulnerability and compassion. Collectively, they carve a better path.
