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a14 people & arts
Wednesday 4 november 2020
Paris Jackson mines her heartache for solo debut album

By BROOKE LEFFERTS at 18 and has been model-
Associated Press ing and acting, but always
NEW YORK (AP) — It started played music.
in her bedroom with just a In June, she and Glenn had
guitar, but Paris Jackson a docu-series on Face-
has turned coping with the book Watch called “Unfil-
heartache after a recent tered,” which provided a
breakup into her debut glimpse into her private life
solo album. and the duo’s small acous-
Jackson, 22, has been a tic tour. Jackson revealed
devoted music fan all her self-harm and suicide at-
life and dabbled in making tempts in her testimonials,
her own, but has been hesi- and said music was a way
tant to call herself a singer- to channel her pain.
songwriter until now. There’s an upcoming mu-
“It’s one of the greatest sic video to go with the
feelings I’ve ever experi- new single “Let Down,” a
enced,” Jackson told the nod to the younger Jack-
Associated Press in an ex- son’s love of horror and
clusive interview this week. gore. In it, the character
She describes her ethereal she plays has her heart liter-
acoustic sound as alterna- ally ripped out of her chest
tive folk — a far cry from by her lover. One of the
the genre of her father, Mi- recurring scenes is set in
chael Jackson. Being the dark woods, reminiscent of
daughter of the King of elements in her father’s fa-
Pop adds an extra layer of mous “Thriller” video. When
scrutiny to the vulnerability asked what he might think
required to put personal of her music, Jackson de-
songs out into the world. murs.
“I’m excited, I’m nervous, “I don’t know. I’m not him,
but I feel confident that the so I can’t speak for him. But
people that are supposed I hope he would be happy,
to hear this record are go- and I think he would be
ing to hear it. It’s going to stoked because I’m hap-
reach them. And with re- py,” she said.
gards to critics and stuff, The pandemic has side-
I don’t really think they’re lined most musical acts
going to know how to cri- and Jackson says she
tique it,” Jackson says. misses hearing her favor-
Earlier this year, Jackson ite bands live and aspires
was one half of acous- to play a few shows soon,
tic duo “The Soundflow- if anti-COVID-19 measures
ers” with boyfriend Gabriel allow. She said she hopes
Glenn, until the two split. the music will help people
She describes nursing a bro- feel “a little less lonely.”
ken heart as a literal “ach- “I found so much healing
ing in your chest,” but Jack- through creating this. And
son turned her pain into art. there are moments where
“You were my all/And now I’ll listen back to certain
I fall to the ground,” she Paris Jackson poses for a portrait in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Oct. 27, 2020, to promote her debut solo songs and I’m like, ‘Wow I
sings on her new single “Let album "Wilted," releasing on Nov. 13. Her new single “Let Down” drops Friday, Oct. 30. was so naïve.’ But for the
Down,” which drops Friday. Associated Press most part, it’s just like so
The time in her bedroom much gratitude and joy
resulted in 11 songs on the eyes light up when she derstood that this is my that I get from listening to
concept album, “Wilted,” talks about being a “mas- baby. They didn’t want to these songs and just seeing
released by Republic Re- sive fan” of the indie rock do anything that wasn’t the development and the
cords, and out on Nov. 13. band Manchester Orches- authentic to who I am and evolution,” she said.q
All the stages of grief are tra. When she heard that they just took it to the next
represented in her lyrics: guitarist-singer-songwriter level,” Jackson says. Solution Sudoku
anger, denial, bargain- Andy Hull from the band Michael Jackson famously
ing and acceptance, but would produce her first re- attempted to shield his
the last song, the upbeat cord, she was elated. She three young children from
“Another Spring,” reveals flew to Atlanta to work with the spotlight. After Jack-
a stronger woman who him and says the band was son’s death in 2009 of an
lets her “wounds shine supportive of her sound. overdose of the anes-
through.” “Everyone was just so wel- thetic propofol, Paris and
Jackson cites many musi- coming and so kind and her two brothers — who
cal influences — including they held this project to go by Prince, 23, and Bigi,
singer-songwriters Damien be, like, very sacred. They 18 — went to live with their
Rice, Ray LaMontagne understood my emotional grandmother, Katherine
and Conor Oberst. Her connection to it and un- Jackson. Paris moved out Puzzle on Page 13