Like many artists, Jessica Lynn found life – both personal and professional – as she knew it turned upside down by the pandemic, but that didn’t stop her from being creative. While unable to hit the road – for the second year in a row – she instead began livestreaming to her growing and global fanbase, with many asking her to put a twist on several of her tracks. The streams and demand for such songs proved to be so popular that she’s now recorded four of them and will share them next Friday on her ‘Reimagined’ EP, which features her newly released, piano ballad version of “Not Your Woman.” PopWrapped caught up with Jessica to find out more about the collection and her plans for the future now that life is slowly returning to some semblance of normality.

It’s been a while since we last spoke – what have you been up to over the last year or so? How has the pandemic impacted you personally and professionally? 

I know! I hope you are doing great! I have been livestreaming, recording new music, booking future shows, and trying to just stay as busy, happy, and driven as possible. The pandemic has impacted me in so many ways. Professionally, I lost a world tour two years in a row and all of my funding to keep my career moving, however, it also opened up so many wonderful doors and adventures for me on the other hand. I began livestreaming, which landed me in Top 40 Livestreamers of 2020 by Pollstar as well as the Top 25 of 2021, I adopted a disabled rescue dog who has my whole heart, and I was able to create a full-length record to be released next year as well as many singles and music videos that I wouldn’t have been able to put out otherwise being on tour; always have to look at the positive side. 

What are the biggest lessons you’ve learnt since the pandemic changed life as we knew it? Has it made you re-evaluate your life and what matters/is important to you? How do you think this crisis will influence you moving forward? 

The biggest lessons I have learned were two things. The first is that I can handle anything that comes my way. In the beginning, I felt so lost, scared, and helpless and then with the right mindset, I was able to push through and be very successful. I will apply this mentality to challenging situations for the rest of my life. The second is that work is not the most important thing. I can’t tell you how nice it was to be able to actually slow down and just spend time with my husband and family. I was always on the go, living out of a suitcase, or on to the next big thing.  You forget what really matters sometimes. This is also something I will always carry with me. 

You’ve just released an acoustic piano ballad version of your single “Not Your Woman” – what made you decide to share this with the world? Does the song have particular meaning or importance to you? 

This song has always been a fan favorite since I debuted it 7 years ago. When I started livestreaming last year, I eventually created my “piano bar” livestream, where fans could request any and all songs that I have to try on the spot. They requested everything from Queen to Lady Gaga to Neil Diamond and beyond. They then started requesting different versions of my own songs, asking me to make fast songs a ballad or switch them to minor keys, etc. I realized upon trying many of these requests that they actually really sounded great in that format and took on whole new meanings and life.  That’s how the Reimagined EP – which includes “Not Your Woman (Reimagined)” – was born. Everyone in the livestream has been urging me to release them so here we are! This song in particular does have a lot of meaning for me, as it was one of my first truly popular “hits” that has been with me since the beginning.

You mentioned your EP ‘Reimagined’, which drops on Sept 17, and how it was born from high demand from fans after you performed weekly livestreams during the pandemic. Did you ever imagine the response to those streams to be as high as it was or that people were/would be and are so excited to hear new music in some form from you?

I had NO idea that these livestreams would take off the way they did! I’m still shocked over it to be honest! That there were 60,000 people or so a week tuning in to watch me sit in my living room just blew my mind and also made me so incredibly grateful.  I grew so much as a musician and artist doing these streams as well. They pushed me in so many new ways creatively and artistically, constantly having to find new ways to entertain and make the music interesting. It truly has been very rewarding in many ways, and I feel it’s so important to always look at the positives in a negative situation.

What else can you tell me about the EP – has it perhaps inspired you to write other songs that might for instance feature on a new album in the near future? 

The ‘Reimagined’ EP consists of four songs that I feel very strongly about and that have played an important part in my story in a variety of ways. It is the first time that I have ever recorded a release where I am the sole musician playing on the record and honestly, the pandemic and all of my livestreams were the only reason that I felt comfortable enough to do that. I have a large band and my live show is known for being very high energy. I have never really had an opportunity to show people this side of me and I enjoyed being able to do that so very much. I certainly am going to take everything I have learned this last year and apply it moving forward. I do also have my first full-length album coming out next year that was recorded during the pandemic as well which I am very excited about!

The world is slowly starting to open up again and the music industry and the artists within it are finding their feet and re-establishing their careers as they used to know them with the announcements of tours/live shows. Can fans expect to see you hit the road anytime this year or perhaps early next? 

I am definitely trying to find my way back to the life I have always known as everything is opening back up but it is certainly not easy and a very bumpy road. We have a few shows up until the New Year and then the big tour has been rescheduled for next year. Many of my tour dates, along with information about my EP release concert on Friday Sept 17^th, are already listed on my website.

Finally then, are there any plans or projects in the pipeline you can tell me about? Where do you hope to see yourself at the end of the year or a year from now? 

Well, in addition to the EP coming out next Friday, the music video also drops that day and I’m really excited for everyone to see it. I’m sure a lot more touring will be scheduled this upcoming year in addition to the release of a few more singles before my full-length album “Lone Rider” drops as well. Thank you so much for having me!

Check out the piano ballad, ‘Reimagined’ rendition of “Not Your Woman” below and for more information on Jessica Lynn, give her page a like on Facebook or follow her on Twitter.