There’s a slow aching fatigue that can creep in when you’ve been interviewing artists for years, especially when you’ve ticked off a few dream bylines and marquee names. A quiet drifting into a rhythm that, over time, starts to calcify. The once-electric feeling of discovery becomes rarer, elusive.
Then you’re sent a song like Hills and Valleys, and it hits like a breeze through a window you hadn’t realized was shut. A friend sent it to me, casually, but the moment Jenna Suhl’s voice emerged, tender, anchored, quietly expansive, I felt something shift. Every so often, an artist arrives who recalibrates your internal compass. It reminded me why I ever started writing about artists in the first place.
It’s difficult to articulate that kind of resonance. Abstruse, almost. But Jenna’s work tantalizes the spirit with its unforced honesty. There's something gently griseous about it too, like the soft fog that’s been veiling parts of your own emotions until her songs cut through.
She first introduced herself through 2022’s BRAT, a bold, R&B-soaked debut that crackled with attitude and texture. (Yes, Charli—we love you, but Jenna did it first.) With Hills and Valleys, she doesn’t just pivot sonically, she invites. It’s a homecoming. A love letter to the chosen family, to the people and places that steady us with belonging amidst life’s flux.
That deep sense of belonging is something Jenna Suhl understands intimately. A Korean American artist raised in Santa Rosa, not quite San Francisco, as she’ll gently but proudly clarify. Jenna grew up straddling cultures, languages, expectations. It’s a duality that could fragment someone, but in Jenna’s music, it fuses into something sincerely whole.
In an interview with Timid, Jenna opens up about her creative evolution, belonging, and why tension only exists when we stop letting ourselves be free.
Timid Magazine: When did it first feel possible that you could pursue music professionally—not just as a passion, but as your career?
Jenna Suhl: When I believed it’s possible. I used to say it came from wanting to just “try” it, and that’s partially true because it did start from that. But I knew if I was gonna “try” it, I’m gonna have to try with every part of my being aligned with the faith that this is possible. Because without that, I’m always gonna have one foot out the door.
TM: You grew up between South Korea and San Francisco. Can you tell me more about your upbringing, and how living between two cultures shaped the way you saw yourself?
JS: I grew up in Santa Rosa. It’s a beautiful suburban city north of San Francisco and honestly I love that I grew up there. I might’ve not seen it this way then, but living between two cultures is definitely a luxury I’m grateful for. Because two is more than one, right? I think a lot of people who grew up with a multi-cultural background may be able to relate, but it’s both a challenge and a blessing all at the same time. Just depends on how you look at it I guess.
TM: You’re based in LA now, but you’ve also spent time in Korea recently. As someone with Korean roots but a Western upbringing, do you ever feel tension—or perhaps freedom—when navigating identity through your music?
JS: I think the navigating part becomes easier with music because it transcends culture for me. I grew up the way I did, I happen to be Korean-American, I lived the experiences that I did, right? It is what it is. So I try to make the effort in being true to what exists in myself when it comes to music. But I believe art is fluid, and we can be as we are at any given time. And tension only exists when you don’t let things be free, especially yourself.
TM: We talk a lot about ‘grind culture’ in creative spaces. How have you learned to protect your peace as an artist in fast-paced environments like LA? And how does that compare to your experiences working in Korea?
JS: Wow, I love this question. I feel like LA and Seoul both have similarities and differences. Each city is unique and has its own pace and rhythm. Some of my friends in New York will probably say that LA is too slow, while for others it may be too intense. But wherever I go, there’s a few fail-proof tools I keep close to help cultivate peace within myself. But the top two are meditation and FaceTiming with my best friends.
TM: MPLIFY, in the Warner Music Korea family, officially introduced you as one of their artists last fall, but your creative journey clearly began much earlier. What made you want to align with this particular label, and what values matter most to you in the team supporting your vision?
JS: Divine timing – this connection came at a specific time when I was ready to receive it. And I feel very lucky to be in such an open space, where my taste and style are accepted and valued. I think what matters most to me in all relationships is exactly that—for us to accept each other while helping each other grow.
TM: Let’s talk about your newest release, Hills and Valleys. What inspired the track, and what does it represent for you emotionally?
JS: Hills and Valleys was inspired by the ebbs and flows of life in the most general sense. But if we were to go deeper, it’s inspired by my life with my best friends, the closest people I call family. It’s about home, and how you can take it with you wherever you go in life. It’s hopeful and sweet.
TM: There’s a three-year gap between BRAT and Hills and Valleys. What was happening for you creatively or personally during that time?
JS: A lot of restructuring, reevaluating, reflecting. Let’s say everything was under construction.
TM: Was there any hesitation or fear in putting this song out into the world? Sometimes the most personal tracks can be the hardest to release.
JS: I think I was more excited to share this with the world. There have been times when I’m scared out of my mind to release something heavily personal. But I think when I’ve felt hesitation or fear, it was mostly because I was too focused on whether other people are gonna like it or not. I’ve realized that when you focus on how much you love something, everything else doesn’t matter as much.
TM: The song feels like a departure from your earlier R&B sound—it carries a kind of quiet nostalgia. What made you want to go in this direction? Is it a sign of where you see your sound evolving?
JS: Whoa that’s crazy to hear that I had an “earlier R&B sound” haha thank you for that. Because I never thought I could identify myself as an R&B artist. I think there can be one or more genres that an artist frequently visits, but I don’t think they should be expected to permanently stay there. For me, I’m continuously staying open to different directions and interested to see where the evolution of my sound takes me.
TM: The music video is beautifully cinematic—almost like a love letter to Korea. What was the vision behind the visuals, and how did you approach translating the song’s emotions into imagery?
JS: Thank you. I have to give credit to the wonderful director, Tim Ro. He listened to my story and translated the song into a beautiful work of art. Everything that was done in the entire process was rooted in love, and there was so much trust exchanged between us which made the interpretation and artistic direction so on point and cohesive with the essence of the song.
TM: What’s your songwriting process like? Are there any rituals or ideal environments that help you feel most creatively open in the studio?
JS: Coffee or tea, water, and candle or lights for vibes. I don’t know, I’m not really married to any ritual (yet). I’ve written in a janky bathroom stall before as well as a full-blown studio. I think different environments can help trigger different creativities.
TM: Who are the artists—past or present—who have influenced or challenged you the most creatively?
JS: Too many to name! But I’ve always loved (not in particular order) J. Cole, Boyz II Men, Jazmine Sullivan, Alicia Keys, Rihanna, SZA, Jessie Reyez – and I’ve fallen in love with Renee Rapp, Charli XCX, Amelia Moore, Destiny Rogers, SAILORR. So many talented people, I just love to see them thrive. I also love PHABO and Doechii and Isaiah Falls—jesus, I could probably go forever.
TM: If someone is hearing your name or pressing play on your music for the very first time—what’s the one thing you hope they take away from the experience?
JS: That they get hungry for more.
TM: Are there any upcoming projects or collaborations you’re excited about that fans should be keeping an eye out for?
JS: I have a lil summer treat for you <3
TM: Korean food in Korea or LA?
JS: Korea. Gotta get it from the source, c’mon now!
