Jennel Garcia Debuts 'Life Starts Here' EP - Exclusive Stream!

JJJ is so excited to premiere singer Jennel Garcia‘s debut EP, Life Starts Here!

You might remember the 22-year-old singer from X-Factor, where she placed 11th during the second season.

“This EP means so much to me not only because it’s my debut, but because it’s like my diary that’s come to life,” Jennel told JJJ. “Each song has its own special meaning to me so I’m excited to finally share it with the world. It’s a way for people to know me better and see another side of me.”

She added, “I can’t wait to see what songs are the listeners favorites and to continue to tell my stories through music in the future! This is just the Start! Life (finally) Starts Now!!!”

Click inside for Jennel’s Track-By-Track breakdown…

– “Don’t Break My Heart Again” was a song that was instrumentally presented to me by my producers Zack and Kenneth. When I first heard the groove and felt the vibe of the song, the words “don’t break my heart again” just popped in my head. Kenneth had come up with the first line of the chorus and I came out and said “That’s perfect! Totally fits my idea!” And we took it from there! It’s about giving someone a second chance because you kind of just can’t help but want them but it’s never been the right timing. It’s a song in hopes of finally loving someone at the right time and them not hurting you again because it’s right for them too.

– “Hate to Love You” was one of my first co-writes ever. It was me and three other guys, one who I had just met that day. I was nervous and I felt like I was sitting in a crowded room in my underwear. It was a really bare naked feeling. So I started writing lines and lyrics in my notes that described my high school relationship– which I thought was the most important thing in my life at the time– and we just started writing Hate to Love you. It was very meaningful to me. It was my version of Alanis Morissette’s “You Oughta Know” and so I chose to debut it as my fist single as soon as possible!

– “The Only One” was a song that I wrote while I was in high school about the same relationship that Hate to Love You is about (LOL). I recorded a voice memo of it as I wrote it then never showed anyone until I started writing my EP three years later. My producers ate it up! They loved it and I feel so much more in love with the song after they musically made it come alive and brought it to life. For me, it was a very deep and dark song at the time because that relationship was probably the worst thing happening in my life as a 17 year old girl. Now, the song just means a lot to me as a musician because I know it came from a real place and it’s something I lyrically put together myself.

– “Life Starts Now” was another song that was an interment all presented to me by my producers, Zack and Kenneth. When I heard it, I knew it wasn’t a song about love or relationships. I heard life, adventure, empowerment and growth. I built the song around something I said before my audition which was the title of the song and name of the EP “Life Starts Now”. It’s about becoming the person you’ve always wanted to be, never backing down, and living your life to its fullest.

– “If You Only Knew” was a song I wrote last minute during the record process of the EP. I just sat at the piano and wrote and played and it all just fell into place. It’s a really personal song for me because it’s about something that was going through at the time. It’s interesting though because things really turned around for me after I wrote that song. Things ended up working out for me in the long run. Love is such a mystery! But that’s a story I’ll have to tell in my next record.

– “Looks Like You Missed Out” is the last song on my record because I wanted it to end with a bang. It’s the only song on my record that I didn’t write or have any part in writing. It was a song written for one of my favorite bands during one of my favorite eras of music so I took on the song with open arms even though I didn’t write it. I felt like it was THE song I’ve always dreamt of doing because it’s punchy and electric and it was out of the box for me. I’m excited to sing it live and let my pop punk alter ego come out for 3 minutes.