Erika Jayne: I’m not trying to be anyone else

MANILA, Philippines - American dance music artist Erika Jayne experienced the blistering summer heat of the Philippines when she stayed in the country recently to shoot footage for the music video of her upcoming single You Make Me Wanna Dance.

“I’d tell you this — it was so hot. Oh my gosh, you guys, I thought I was going to die. But I made it through,” Jayne quipped. The dance music performer shot footage at Chinatown in Binondo, Manila and at the Greenfield District in Mandaluyong City. She also employed the services of choreographer Georcelle Dapat and her dance group G-Force.

Summer heat aside, Jayne said the experience was worth it. She described the upcoming music video as “colorful, youthful” with “tons of energy.” 

“You can’t get that type of authenticity anywhere else. It had to be done here. It’s gonna be beautiful. It’s unlike anything we’ve ever done before, so it’s really gonna add some great things,” she said.

Jayne added, in praise of Georcelle: “I make dance videos, that’s what I do. I’m a singer-dancer. I’m a showgirl slash musical theater slash EDM artist. And I needed to make this come alive. And they really pulled it off for me.”

The music video shoot is part of Jayne’s plan to expand her audience and her career in Asia, including the Philippines. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, her love for music began when she was a musical theater program student in a performing arts high school. From there, she progressed to dance music, “sneaking in clubs like a bad girl” as a young woman. She considers Madonna, Michael Jackson and Prince as her musical influences, describing them as the “three of the best entertainers to ever come around, ever.” 

“I’ve always danced since I was a child. And I’ve always loved dance music. I’m always the person jumping around at the booth, acting like the fool. And I’m still that same person. When I hear a song, I have to go straight to the dance floor,” she shared.

Debuting as a dance-club performer in 2007, Jayne has released a number of club and Electronic Dance Music (EDM) hits such as Stars and Party People. Six of her singles topped the Billboard Hot Dance Club Song charts from 2007 to 2011. 

“Why not the Philippines? There’s a great opportunity in the Philippines,” Jayne said when asked why she wants to launch her music in Asia. “People like to dance in here. People are warm and friendly.” 

Although it was Jayne’s first time to visit the Philippines, the singer is familiar with the country as home to a number of singers with “big voices,” such as those who have recently figured in US reality shows such as American Idol.

“There are a lot of good singers here. There are a lot of good voices here. A lot of big, big voices, like R&B voices,” she said.

There are also a lot of EDM fans in the Philippines. In recent years, DJs, both local and international, and dance music artists have successfully headlined concerts and music festivals in the country. Jayne knows there is that kind of audience in the country, making her music a perfect fit to a nation that’s raring to dance.

But how does she stand out in a music scene that’s not lacking of EDM artists? “I am Erika Jayne. I’m not trying to be anyone else,” she said. “This is what I do, I believe in it, I’m committed to this and the songs that I put out, what I have to say. That’s all I can do.”

“I will not make a record I do not like. I will not make a video I do not like. I will not wear costume I do not like. Much like every other artist, I hope,” Jayne added. 

Unlike her musical idol Madonna, Jayne has no intentions of being controversial just for the sake of being controversial. “I am what I am. I don’t plan on being anything other than Erika Jayne. So if I’m controversial, it is what it is,” she explained.

Rather, she chooses to “re-expand” her career, which explains her plans to launch her music in Asia after her years of success in the US and in Europe. “Same lane, different overtones” is how she would describe what she is doing now.

“There’s always pressure,” Jayne said about being a dance club music artist. “But at the end of the day, you just have to do your job and create the best product possible and hope that people will like it. And you have to believe in it yourself.”