Jennifer Peña: Music, Memories & Superación - S3 | E7

[00:00:08] What is going on everybody? Welcome back to The Unspoken Truth. I am Breyden and this is my best friend. We all know who this is, Cody. And we have a very special show for you guys today. Today we're going to be joined by an artist who helped define a generation of Tejano music and Latin pop music. From Jennifer Peña to hits like Abrázame y Bésame, El Dolor de Tu Presencia, and Vivo y Muero en Tu Piel. She has built an extraordinary career in Latin music and now today she's sharing a new chapter with Superación. Did I say that right?

[00:00:38] Superación? Yes, you did! You don't want to hear me butcher it. You do not want to hear me butcher it. And she will be performing at Trees in Dallas Sunday, November 15th. So we all want to make sure that we go out there and check get your tickets to the show. But put your hands together and please welcome the amazing Jennifer Peña. Jennifer Peña We'll make some applause here. Jennifer Peña So excited, so excited to have you. So excited to meet you. Jennifer Peña So how are you? Jennifer Peña Very good, thank you. I'm very good. Excited to be on the show with you guys. I'm excited about the show.

[00:01:07] Jennifer Peña So at Trees on the 15th. I'm really looking forward to it. Oh, we're going to go ahead and just dive right in. Is that cool? Jennifer Peña Yes. I'm a little concerned about the internet now. Jennifer Peña So how did music begin for you and when did you know that music is what you wanted to do and perform? Jennifer Peña I always loved music. I always loved listening to it and I really, really loved singing. So I would sing anything I could and anywhere they would let me.

[00:01:34] Jennifer Peña Really, when I knew it was for me was when I was offered a recording contract at 11 years old. That was just kind of like a little out of the ordinary kind of felt like, okay, this isn't something that happens every day. I don't think. I mean, maybe it is. I didn't feel like it was. So, or may, and at least at the time it was a whole lot less common than it is today. Jennifer Peña Right. Jennifer Peña I just felt like, well, I think God might have a plan for me in this. He kind of had my destiny written.

[00:01:59] Jennifer Peña Yeah. Yeah. So what was it like balancing, you know, childhood along with performing and recording? Jennifer Peña So that was a little, that was a little trickier. Definitely at a certain point, the work began to kind of take over the childhood. I was always like a little mature adult. I had two older sisters. So, you know, I was always doing the things that the older kids were doing. But so music just kind of like a little mature adult. I had two older sisters. So, you know, I was always doing the things that the older kids were doing.

[00:02:22] Jennifer Peña Yeah. So it kind of worked for me and I liked working. I liked feeling useful and, you know, busy. And it's always just kind of been part of my personality. So eventually and very quickly, actually, that world kind of took over and it was harder to be the kid. I don't think I ever did. Jennifer Peña I was just a little adult. Okay. Jennifer Peña Yeah, that's, I mean, that's kind of true. I just kind of learned as I went really, I think that the way I learned the balance.

[00:02:52] Jennifer Peña was making all the mistakes and learning from them as I went. So outside of music, what would be one thing you want people to know about you as a teenager, since you did so much just straight music? You were focused on music. What's something that somebody doesn't what people don't know about you as a teenager? Jennifer Peña People, I don't think people realize that because I was always surrounded by people. I don't think people realize how lonely it was. Like I was, I was, I was always surrounded by people. I was always, you know, in a crowd and always

[00:03:21] Jennifer Peña was honestly the center of it. Right. But yeah, never really felt like I had somebody who understood me, my position or, you know, my points of views or anything. So that was a little difficult. Jennifer Peña How about hanging out with your girlfriends? How was that? Did you have time to do so?

[00:03:41] Jennifer Peña It's different too. Girls are mean. I'll say that right now. I think everybody who is a girl and, you know, has had, has had friends growing up knows that girls are mean and girls were mean, really mean. Jennifer Peña When I was 11 years old and started like that kind of, it was just a whole, a whole new world.

[00:04:02] Jennifer Peña Not in a good way. No, really, it wasn't a good way. The good definitely outweighed the bad. But for moments like that, like being a normal teenager and having normal teenage friends, it was never quite, you know, fun for me. Jennifer Peña I had my sisters, thank God. They were my best friends, always have been, always will be. And they're who I cling to because really they're the only ones I do. Jennifer Peña How much older are they than you? Jennifer Peña My sisters are six and nine years old.

[00:04:31] Jennifer Peña Okay, very cool. All right. Yeah, we're what you're the oldest of years? Jennifer Peña I'm the oldest of about eight. Yeah. Yeah, it's wild. Jennifer Peña My mom raised me and my sister and then my dad kind of followed with more kids. Jennifer Peña Love it. I have, I have five. I wanted six. I wanted them close together. I want them to be really tight knit. Jennifer Peña No way. So I have two right now and a grandbaby, but I stopped at two. Jennifer Peña Wow. Wow. Congratulations.

[00:05:02] Jennifer Peña Thank you. Jennifer Peña That's awesome. A grandbaby. Wait, wait, wait. Jennifer Peña Not before. Jennifer Peña I was waiting for it. Jennifer Peña Thank you. Jennifer Peña Thank you. I was wondering if it was going to be said. Jennifer Peña It would be said. Jennifer Peña I can always be called out by this one. Jennifer Peña He is old enough. Jennifer Peña I'm 38. I started young. My daughter is 18 and my grandson will be one in December. Jennifer Peña Awesome. Well, congratulations. Jennifer Peña Appreciate it.

[00:05:29] Jennifer Peña So I've got a question about, you know, still going back onto the early years. What do you remember most fondly about being in Jennifer E. Los Jets? Jennifer Peña It was a lot of fun. I was doing what I loved.

[00:06:08] Jennifer Peña Loft Jennifer Peña I was doing people. Doing what I love. So all my memories are pretty fond. Jennifer Peña I love that. Jennifer Peña So when you went from young Jennifer and you went to, you know, let's go to 2002 and it marked a new chapter for you because you had signed with Latin Music Group. And you, you know, what drove that transition?

[00:06:29] Jennifer Peña Well, at that time, my, I had, well, I had been working with Cue Productions for seven years or so. I had learned everything. I knew about the music. Jennifer Peña And I was in the music industry up until that point with them. And I did, I was just kind of starting to feel like, okay, I'm growing up. I'm starting to feel like it's time to venture out and learn new things. There's got to be a bigger world out there. Right.

[00:06:55] Jennifer Peña And at the, at the same time, my contract was coming up and I was offered a contract, a recording contract from, from UMG. So it was kind of, I had a couple of labels and, and, and options. So it's just kind of that time. It's, it's kind of that natural, natural progression, right? Jennifer Peña Sure. Jennifer Peña Natural pollution that takes place. Jennifer Peña So with that, you know, that new change in the new record label, you got a new sound. And like I listened to you with prior to that. But do you, when you went into the,

[00:07:24] Jennifer Peña The Libre era was like when I like wore the CD out like that, that was my, I got more into it. And so, you know, how involved were you with like choosing those songs and shaping that sound? Jennifer Peña Oh my gosh. Jennifer Peña That, that, that's big. Jennifer Peña That era. So here it is. That was the first time that I kind of felt like I was stepping into my full identity. The album was called Libre. I was 18 years old. I think that the label had begun to kind of trust me a little bit more.

[00:07:54] Jennifer Peña More With my sound, my style, my look, my, you know, style really putting myself out there. I had been doing it, you know, and growing up in the public eye for so long. Jennifer Peña So that was a lot more like, Hey, here's some songs. Which ones do you think? And that was really the first time that it was like, Oh, instead of just falling in love with songs or, or rather, I never really had a, it wasn't really like I had a problem with anything before.

[00:08:20] Jennifer Peña I just automatically loved everything that was given to me again, because I love to sing and I love music. And I really think I had some great songs in my previous albums as well. Jennifer Peña But for Libre to, to, to be the process was a little different. It was like, here, we have these producers in mind, met with them. They were amazing people. Of course we have these producers in mind.

[00:08:37] Jennifer Peña And then it was just kind of check these songs out. Which ones do you think? And there was where I kind of really kind of noticed like this super power of mine to pick a hit. Jennifer Peña I think I'm breaking it. I knew some of those songs that I heard for the first time, like I heard one and I'm like, that's it. Like I have to record that song. That song is going to be a hit. That's it. You know?

[00:09:05] Jennifer Peña And so that was really interesting to me. Like when they were this through the label and then released and received, you know, all the attention and the support that they did. It was like, huh? I think I do know good music. And I do know good music.

[00:09:22] Jennifer Peña I mean, I think I pride myself on that. I think I really do know a good song when I hear a good song. I know good music. I, I also like later know before that, because I think Britney Spears was about, I don't remember how old, but somewhere before that, I was noticing my ability to, to, to, to pick a star.

[00:09:39] Jennifer Peña So like when that whole thing was kind of happening in the music industry where Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera and all these stars were coming out, like there was something in me that when I saw those girls and when I saw Backstreet Boys, when I saw Eminem for the first time, I was like, oh my God, like these are going to be the next superstars of the industry.

[00:10:01] Jennifer Peña And I didn't realize it at the time. And it's not like I was like, oh, I need to sign them or anything. I was young myself, but I knew like I felt something different in me and I just kind of knew. So there was like that instinct that I was beginning to trust. Jennifer Peña And when it was kind of confirmed with Libre and the songs and the, you know, support that I received worldwide, then it was like, I began to kind of trust my own instincts a little bit more when it came to that.

[00:10:26] Okay. And with going with saying that, did you sense that songs like El Dolor de Tu Presencia would become such a defining hit? Jennifer Peña You know, I did, but fun fact, fun fact. I did not know El Dolor de Tu Presencia was a remake. Like, I didn't know it had been recorded before by Anita Nazario. Jennifer Peña I didn't know that at all. Jennifer Peña It had already been a hit years before, like, you know, I don't want to say generation.

[00:10:53] Jennifer Peña Years before it had been recorded by Anita Nazario was a huge hit for her. And I had no idea. I picked the song, I heard the song and I'm like, absolutely. Yes, that's a 100%. Jennifer Peña It came out, it received all the support and on the promotional tour, they're like, Jennifer Peña How do you feel to have recorded a song of Anita Nazario that was an exit? And I'm like, what? Jennifer Peña It was crazy. And then I walked out and I'm like, what are you talking about? What happened there? What was that?

[00:11:22] Jennifer Peña And they're like, no, that song was an exit. Jennifer Peña It was like, cool, good to know. Jennifer Peña Again, it kind of confirmed for me. It was like, okay, you know, we know the good stuff. Yeah. And I was explaining to Cody too about your Libra era. And that was when you were, I would say you were catapulted into Latin pop music. And you were, she was everywhere. And these songs for this album, like, I think it grew a bigger audience for you.

[00:11:50] And it was just, it was cat and everybody knew who Jennifer Peña was. And, you know, I believe you did the Houston Astrodome too with the Livestock Rodeo as well. Jennifer Peña Yeah. I think it was like 60 some odd thousand came. Jennifer Peña I did. I did the Livestock Rodeo. Jennifer Peña No, that was also another CD that I had. It was really great. Like, see, like, there are very few artists that you can see live that are just so good live. And she is one of those artists. She just, her vocals, they're singers, you know, they're vocalists.

[00:12:18] Jennifer Peña Thank you. I felt that, that, that whole catapult into Latin pop is the, it just felt really authentic to me. It was part of who I was. It was the exact kind of mixture of like, yes, I grew up singing Tejano because that was the opportunity I was given, you know, in my first albums and that. But as it all evolved, and I think Abraham saw it as well, because he would kind of throw in those pop songs too.

[00:12:42] It was, it was who I, who I am, who I was, you know, who I was and who I am. I am a little bit of that and a little bit of this and a little bit of everything else. So it felt really authentic to me. So I'm going to go into my next segment and it's life beyond the spotlight. So what was it? What was it like going from going nonstop performance schedule to acquire a chapter in life? Because you took a break for, for a little bit. Jennifer Peña Yeah, I did take a little bit of a break and it was, it was, it was good. It was good.

[00:13:12] It was a good change. I was just at that point in life where I felt it was necessary. I think when I had my first son, my first kid, I wanted a little bit more of a quiet life. I had grown on the road, the hustle and bustle of it all. Yeah. So I had that hustle and bustle of it all for so long. And when I had my first child, it was just like at first while I was pregnant,

[00:13:38] I just kind of imagined myself jet setting and, you know, planes, trains and automobiles with my baby on my head. And until, until I held him for a time and kind of brought him home and realized like, yeah, you know, I don't really want him sleeping in like hotel rooms or, you know, Yeah, I think I want a little bit of a quieter life for him. And so I took that break as well. And I realized I really like, I thrive on routine and, you know, structure.

[00:14:07] Even though my life is none of that. But yeah, like I realized I really thrive in that. I have no idea what that's like. My schedule is so chaotic. You know, it's a little bit of both. Yeah. Okay. And mine is too. It's like, it doesn't, it has to be intentional. You know what I mean? Like I have to set aside the time to be intentional about structure and routine and then allow for the chaos as well. Right. Because that's just, again, it's like, I'm a little bit of both. With flexibility. Sure. Yeah. I'm a little bit of both still today.

[00:14:36] And so whenever you did take your break, what parts did you miss about, you know, performing? Honestly, I didn't miss much. Yeah. Were you still recording or did you just completely? I was not. Not even. Nope. Honestly, wasn't even singing. She's being a mama. She's being a mama. Yes.

[00:14:53] And I didn't, I didn't miss much. Honestly, I, I liked the structure. I love being a mom. I love dedicating every waking minute to my kids, to my first born. And then eight years later, as I began to expand my family, every one that I added on after that.

[00:15:10] And I do enjoy that as well. So I can thrive in both worlds equally. They both feel like home to me. And I take what I get. Honestly, at this point, I'm just like thankful for every moment that I get with my babies and every moment that I get with my fans as well, to be able to do what I love to do. And I like to mix my drums. I'm always singing with my babies. They do love to sing a couple of them. Okay.

[00:15:34] My, so my oldest son sings really good and is super into like listening to music. And then my 10 year old loves guitar. She's learning to play the guitar right now. She loves to sing and she harmonizes like amazing. That is great. Like impressive. I couldn't harmonize at her age. My son, my son's really musically inclined and is also starting to sing.

[00:15:55] So it's really cool. It's really cool to see you, man. And then my eight year old or nine year old just turned nine. She sings beautiful as well. She's got like a beautiful voice. And then my littlest, my seven year old isn't to dance. He likes to dance and he's Michael Jackson. See, that's me. That's me. I would be the backup dancer. If you hear me sing when I, when the, when the radio skips in the car, I scare myself. I am not a singer.

[00:16:19] And then my littlest is just the performer. Like she'll do anything. She'll sing, dance. She's like, whatever, as long as everybody's watching me. So she was born in August too? Almost. She's June. Definitely. She loves that stuff, man. It's funny. Cause when he and I became friends, his son was like six or seven years old. And one day we were driving down the road and I had put on the Judds and he got to love the Judds.

[00:16:43] And then one day we're driving and I just hear this little, this little voice in the back, just harmonizing, like just perfectly. And I'm like, what? And I go, let me replay that song. Can you sing that again? And he's like perfectly harmonizing. And I'm like, do you know that your kid's a singer? I hear him in the shower. And I mean, it's, it's great. It's just, yeah, it's great. I was saying how impressive it is. He didn't pick stuff up like that. I'm trying to just keep it going. No, you're great. No, you're great. Yeah. No, he's got a great ear for it. It is impressive. It's really impressive and fun and fun to watch and see.

[00:17:12] So going into this new era, the Superación era, what made, you know, this the right time for new music and why the title Superación? So I think it was the right time to release because I, so Superación songs were songs that I had collected over a couple of years when I started even thinking about coming back to music. And honestly, I had to get my feet wet a little bit. I had to put in the practice.

[00:17:37] I had to see if I was even like, honestly, it had been so long since I had been even in a creative environment that I didn't know if I still had it in me. I didn't know if I could sing anymore. I didn't know if I could perform anymore. I didn't know if I could write anymore. So I'm like, let's get started with something. Okay. And, and honestly, it's called Superación because I overcame so much internally.

[00:17:59] Like I felt like it was a period of overcoming so much fear, so much fear of well, of taking risks and so much overthinking. Like I am an overthinker to the max. And especially when something is so important to me. Absolutely. And so coming back to music because of the pressure and because people were waiting for me and people were excited about me, I didn't want to let anybody down.

[00:18:23] And so there was a lot of pressure. And to me, I had to kind of like put that completely to the side. And you know what? Let me just see if the skills are still there. Like I need to just try to write. So, so Superación was a lot of overcoming of those personal overcoming. Right. But as far as like the writing for the album, I'm very proud of it. One, because it, because it had been so long since I had written.

[00:18:51] And two, because I did what I set out to do. I didn't come, I didn't try to write this deep love album. I wasn't trying to write Hasta el Fin del Mundos or Viva Tu Piel. You know what I mean? I was trying to write something that was real, something that was relatable, something that was authentic at the moment, you know? And, and so I kind of like gave myself these challenges and that's how I got the, the, the juices flowing. So to speak, right? It was like,

[00:19:18] I want to write a song that uses this word, or I want to start, I want to write a song called but with a yodel. How do I create that from scratch? Like, how do I, if I want to write a song called with a yodel in it, how do I make that happen and adjust and move and, you know, create? Yeah. And it was such a fun process again, overcoming that inability before that I,

[00:19:43] that, that inability I had before to, to just create, to just enjoy the process and like put all the pressure aside and put everything aside because it was like, oh my God, I'm going to drive myself crazy. Did it come right back? It did. It did. It did. And that's why I'm really proud of it because I listened back to the album and I'm like, man, I did that. And it's kind of cool.

[00:20:11] You know what I mean? Like, okay. Maybe it wasn't what people expected. Definitely wasn't what people expected, but honestly, I wasn't trying to give that, you know what I mean? I was trying to not meet any expectations because I didn't know what people were looking for. And if I had put that pressure on myself to try to meet everybody's expectations, because everybody wanted something different. There were the people who wanted me to come back with, honestly, my old songs. There were people, a lot of people who wanted me to just rerecord my old stuff. That was not going to happen.

[00:20:40] It was like, no, I got to show up. That was then. This is now, obviously. Yeah, no joke. There were people who wanted me to come back with something similar. And it was like, maybe, you know, I was, I'm still trying, still to this day, trying to find what feels, but I can say in the moment, recording that album, writing that album, definitely recording it and producing it. It just felt right. Absolutely. You know, and to overcome that, nevermind what anybody's have fun and enjoy this process. Yeah. And that's what I did.

[00:21:11] With the new album, what was the inspiration behind songs like Atala and Wakala? It was a lot of, just, I think a lot of people in my age and in our generation are going through a lot. We know there's a whole lot going on in the dating world and the, you know, in our age bracket, a lot of, you know, divorce, um, a lot of beautiful marriages. And I, and I love marriage. And so I wanted to be able to come from different places. I've been in a marriage. I've been in love.

[00:21:39] I want to be able to share that part as well. And I want to be able to share the things that my friends share with me about like, girl, can you believe that? You know what I mean? The relatable stuff. Like, I feel like everybody can just kind of feel it. And if you listen to the lyrics, you can almost put yourself in every little story. You, you've been in all every one of those situations, right? And you can relate somehow, even if it wasn't you,

[00:22:05] it's somebody, you know, or somebody they know, or somebody who knows has shared with you. And so that's really what I was trying to, I was trying to really make a well, well, well-rounded album that felt like just super relatable in our day and age and our time. And it was what I was, you know, experiencing myself a lot of it. So I know there were some songs that didn't quite make the cut because of whatever reasons, there were all kinds of reasons, but there were three,

[00:22:30] I think that didn't make the album and they were great. And they added something else that, you know, was, it was just something, another element that, you know, didn't quite make the album, but I still felt that the album was complete and great without it. So will we get those out in the future? Maybe? Maybe. Maybe. I love that. Maybe. I love that. So at this point with like, with your musical career, would you say this would be a musical

[00:22:59] comeback or like a continuation of your musical journey? Well, I would have to say a continuation. I think a lot of people were seeing it as a comeback, but I think a comeback would have been coming back with this more of the same. Yeah. And I couldn't do that. I feel like a different person than, you know, the girl who started definitely at 11 years old, but who also left the industry at, you know, 23 years old and

[00:23:25] started a family. I became an adult, you know, away from the spotlight. And so coming back is like, it's got to, it's got to be different. It's got to be. So it's, so I'd say a continuation. If it was a comeback, I think it'd be a little bit more of the same. Before we go, we're going to talk more about the show, the coming up shows, but I have something I want to show you. So years ago, I was probably 20 years ago, 20, 25 years ago.

[00:23:54] Hey, so I had to break up my phone so I could show you this. So you did a show in Dallas with Dr. Pepper and I was one of the promo models and you were, I think it was the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Center. So I don't know if this, this picture, if it shows you, but that was us that many years ago. And I was like, Oh my gosh. I was like, it's like a full circle moment for me. And so, because I just remember meeting her then and she was just as amazing as she is now. I did not know that. Yeah.

[00:24:25] Thank you. I really love these moments. And that's like been super awesome about, about my return to music is like, it's, it's like I was gone, but I wasn't because I come back and everybody just has so many amazing memories to share. And it's again, that makes it feel more like a continuation. It's like, wow. Yeah. I mean, we, we missed a lot actually. I mean, now these people are coming back with full,

[00:24:51] full families, but, but it's still really cool because it's the same people and it's the same lives and the same full families, you know, siblings and mother and daughter pairs that have been following me since the girls were kids and now they're mothers. And it's, I'm going to cry thinking about it, but it really is a beautiful thing to experience. And I'm really lucky. No, I think it just, it's also just you and who you are is really amazing. And you leave that, you know, that when people who meet you and listen to your music, you'd leave that mark on

[00:25:20] them too. So, you know, it rubs off on the rest of us. I just mentioned you seem very kind, sweet and sensitive. We're going to talk about the show. So you're coming to Dallas. It's going to be November. November 15th. Most of the time, just don't mess with me. Okay. Okay. Sorry. I broke up. I'm going to test it. So yeah. So you're coming to Dallas, November 15th. You're going to be at Trees performing there. Are you excited to be coming back to Dallas? Yes, I am. Like I said, I've been waiting for a long time to just go to Dallas and vibe

[00:25:46] with my people. Cause I, I, I do have like friends out there. And of course I have a lot of friends and fans and you know, not, not family, friends and fans that have been asking for a while, like, when are you coming to Dallas? And I'm like, someday, one of these days, I might be old and anciana by the time I get there. What's your favorite restaurant when you come here? What's your favorite restaurant when you come here? I don't know. I mean, I don't, I don't have a favorite. I love.

[00:26:15] Take me anywhere. Take me out to the restaurant. And like, I'm like, take me out to the restaurant. Feed me lots of food. The key to my heart, feed me. Yeah. I like trying different things too, but my favorite food is Asian. There's some good sushi places out there. I'd definitely like to try. What can your Dallas fans expect from this concert? Just a little bit of the classic, some of the new stuff, the little combination of both.

[00:26:42] A little bit of everything. It's, it's kind of, this is going to sound super weird. It's kind of hard because I have so many hands. No, but really, I really do have a lot of like good older music that, that I know the fans like want to hear and expect to hear. So that fills up a lot of the time and it doesn't allow for a whole lot of like the new stuff or, or anything else, but, but it is a very strong set, very well-rounded show, I think. And it's got a little bit of

[00:27:08] everything for everybody. And we're just going to have fun. I think, I think that's the biggest thing is like, I, I, I can honestly say for the past few years, I've had this like major pressure of like, I have to come out with, you know, big bang and all this stuff. And, and really like, I just want to have fun and vibe. I just want to chill with my fans. And I hope they, they can enjoy that. You know what I mean? That's really what I'm seeing this one as. So what song are you excited, most excited about, or do you get excited about a song to perform live?

[00:27:39] I really like performing all my songs. Yeah. I will say this. There's a song that people have been trying to kick out of my set for like two years now and it's Fuerte. And I will not allow it because for me, like Fuerte is such a special song. It was the very first song I wrote when I said, let's go. Like I can start somewhere. Right. And I don't even know what I can do this. What does that word mean? Fuerte means strong. Yeah.

[00:28:09] Strong. Yeah. And so like that song came out of me so easily and just felt so real and authentic too and empowering. It really was empowering for me. So I feel like I, I can't let that one go. Like I, I, first of all, I love performing it. It's a pop jam. And I just have a whole lot of fun performing, but also like just what it means to me to be able to use it to

[00:28:36] empower, not just women, because obviously it was meant as a, as a women empowerment, but people in general, because I think that it's the message behind it was not women are so strong. Even though I did go there, it was more, we are strong. We are strong as individuals. And if we can keep going and just continue to overcome, I didn't use the word superacion. I love it. I love it.

[00:29:00] If we can continue to overcome, that's what makes us strong. We, we don't even realize how strong we are until after we've overcome. And so that's the message in it. And I think a lot of people saw it at the time, especially when I, when I released it was like, Oh, now she's a man hater. And it was never that it was never supposed to be, it was meant definitely meant to empower women as well. But the message was, we are all strong as long as we continue to move forward and overcome. And then

[00:29:29] you kind of, you get through it and then you look back and you're like, hold through all that. And I got through it and I'm still right here alive and ready to thrive. You know, that's the empowerment. And it's a message that it's, it's applicable. Everybody. Yeah. I'm looking forward to performing in true unspoken truth fashion. We do, we'd like to do a little game and with anybody that we have on the show. So this game is called this or that. And so basically I'm going to give you, I'll read it off to you and you pick which

[00:29:58] one, you know, quick answers, no overthinking, easy peasy. All right. All right. So Tejano classics are Latin pop. Ooh, Latin. I mean, it's not classics for a mood, but Latin pop. And then studio recording or performing live. That's so hard. And I say this because I'm a perfectionist and the studio gives me the opportunity to perfect and you know, but the

[00:30:23] vibe with the fans is everything. I guess I'd have to go with performing live performance for that. Yes. I love a good live performance. So heels on stage or comfy sneakers. You know, I've never worn sneakers on stage. I've always wanted to, but I, it's not like I'm doing backflips or anything. So I always felt like I have to kind of dress up and I'm not a necessarily like a heels person either, but I've never gotten to wear sneakers on stage and I

[00:30:51] probably never will. I don't feel dressed up enough. It's not you. So a road trip playlist or sing along with the radio playlist. And then are you an early morning or a night owl kind of person? I'm a night owl into early morning in a good way. This is in a good way. This does not mean like

[00:31:16] out as up in the club. How about your most favorite song played on your playlist? Most favorite song played on your playlist. On my playlist right now. Ooh, honestly, right now I have one called God, I'm just grateful from elevation worship. And I'm like jamming it like 24 seven. Like I love that. Who don't praise here? These are the next two ones. So who is your dream collaboration for English

[00:31:44] music and then your dream collaboration for Spanish music? I love collabs, man. But I'd say I probably have like a few in shoot and eat genre to tell you the truth. Okay, so English I'm like, I love, love, love, love, love, love vault play. I don't know if you've ever heard of vault boy, but I'm like, I'd love to do something with him. I also love, love, love Ella Langley.

[00:32:10] Yes. Yes. Totally feeling her. Everything she does these days. And in Spanish, in Spanish, I always go for like, what makes sense as far as like our vocals, you know, meshing well. Right now, like Daddy Yankee, Daddy Yankee's Christian stuff is like bangers. Yes. I'm like, I want to sing a hook. Daddy, Daddy, come on.

[00:32:42] I'll say Yankee because Daddy sounds a little weird, but Yankee, come on. Yeah. So Daddy Yankee's Christian stuff is fire. And then I really like Edwin, Edwin, Edwin Luna from La Tracalosa. I love his voice. Like the way he, you know, like hits the notes he hits and everything. And then Luis Fonsi, I've always just loved his voice. I'm not like as R&B as him, but I think our voices would match. I think so too. Luis Fonsi, like, let's get this collab going. Like.

[00:33:13] Luis! Yeah. Yeah. I love, I love the idea of collabs, even though I've never really done very many. So just a couple more questions before we wrap up here. So what are you most proud of today? Simply as Jennifer. I'd probably say who I am. Like, I like who I am. I like who I've become through all that I've been through and all that I've overcome. I'm pretty happy with

[00:33:41] newfound abilities, right? To protect my peace, to find positive in everything. And really, really, really to find gratitude in everything. I'm really happy about that. I'm happy to find myself in this place. Like, I think that makes me just makes me a happier person. And I'm happy with who I am today. What is something that you haven't gotten to do yet that is high on your

[00:34:07] bucket list? I wanted to, I really wanted to skydive. I would always say skydive. I did that. Man, I'm so scared. I'm scared of heights, but it was one of my birthdays. He actually took me and hear me out. So we, we, we get up there and he's peeled to the little crop duster pains. There's no seatbelts. No, and we're strapped to another guy and I'm by the big door that opens and he swings it open and I'm scared, scared out of my mind. Cross one leg over and I'm

[00:34:33] straddled on the wall, you know, just terrified. Braden can't move his head. He's staring straight out the wall, out the window. I jump. He doesn't jump. No, no. Don't see him. Don't see him at all. Now the plane circles back to give him another chance. Doesn't jump. Yeah. It brings him all the way down. And I guess the guy that, uh, he was with, uh, jumped with Snoop Dogg. Oh yeah. And so he was pretty hurt. And I was the only person that failed on him in his career. And the week before, the week before he was like, man, he goes, I know what Snoop Dogg and Snoop Dogg said, I,

[00:35:03] he said, you got me high. Now I'm going to get you high. I guess they did the thing. You didn't go through with it. I had the certificate. Yeah. Yeah. They felt bad for him. But, but to that, it is not how you think it is. Not like a roller coaster stomach, not in your chest. It's nothing like that. It is so amazing. It's worth it. I bet. I'd like to do that. I still like to do it. Well, now you just, now you just put me back

[00:35:28] and you put it back on my bucket list. I was like, I don't think I'll ever do it now, but you have to do it. It's amazing. The last question that I have for you, what is your unspoken truth? Hmm. My unspoken truth. Oh, um, I think that with all the, I'm used to, I'm very used to hustle and

[00:35:52] bustle busyness. And I, for a very long time, I found my purpose in that and feeling busy and busy. And I think my unspoken truth is probably that I am looking to, and am currently finding

[00:36:17] comfort and power and faith in the quiet seasons and in the quiet moments. Yeah. I do true. I actually feel uncertain, which is really hard sometimes.

[00:36:42] That sets, that sets home real nice. Yeah. Awesome. Well, Jennifer, thank you so much for doing this. I just, like I said, full circle moment for me. And I also got to share a lot of your music with my best friend. I like a lot about you. I'm so glad I got to meet you. Yes. And you know, just from watching you perform, like I said, from the, you know, Jennifer Lachette's days to leave it to now, it's just, it's really great. I think you're doing amazing. This new album is really great. You did an excellent job at writing it.

[00:37:10] Wakala is one of my favorites. So, you know, we can't wait to see you. I'm definitely coming to the concert. And then for our viewers and our listeners, Jennifer is going to be at trees. You'll know where we are. Big sign. Yeah. Yes! We love you, Jennifer. Thank you. So real quick, what's one of the most greatest things that a fan's gotten your attention out in the crowd? Oh, honestly, for me, the best feeling is having the fans like in unison. It's just a wonderful

[00:37:38] sound to hear a crowd singing my songs with me or any song with me. Like just to hear a crowd in unison. It's just unity and it's harmony and it's just a beautiful moment. So I always like really, it's great. It's really beautiful. I look forward to the, to the day that I hear a crowd singing a song that I wrote. Yes, it'll happen. It'll happen. So again, guys, make sure you check Jennifer out. She's

[00:38:06] November 15th at Trees in Dallas. Make sure to get your tickets. There are also meet and greet availables. And then again, thank you so much for joining us. Thank you so much. It was really great. Yes! Thank you guys. I look forward to seeing y'all. Y'all will be there, right? Yes, we will be there. We'll be there. Both of y'all will be there. Awesome. Thank you. And I look forward, thank you to, thank you for having me on the show and thank you to all the listeners. And I look forward to seeing some of you guys out there. We'll see you later. Take care. Bye-bye. Thank you. Have a good one. You too. Bye-bye. She's so sweet.