Jai’Len Josey is from Atlanta, Georgia, specifically DeKalb County, where she grew up surrounded by the warmth and character that made the city home. She describes her childhood in Atlanta as a unique experience, remembering how people were friendly, polite and intentional about showing Southern Hospitality. Greeting people, holding doors open and treating others with respect were normal parts of the environment she grew up in.
Her mother played one of the biggest roles in shaping who she would become.
Originally from Detroit, her mother had her own history in music and entertainment. She worked as an intern and creative director at Solar Records and later worked as a creative designer at So So Def. Music was a constant presence in their home, and Jai’Len was introduced to a wide range of sounds at an early age.
She grew up hearing artists like Donny Hathaway, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Nicks and Luther Vandross, along with jazz and yacht rock. Her mother’s taste exposed her to different eras and styles of music before Jai’Len ever began thinking about making music herself.
She even connects her musical relationship to a story from before she was born. Her mother would attend album listening parties while pregnant with Jai’Len, and she remembers her mother saying she could feel the music through her stomach. Jai’Len considers that the technical beginning of her connection to music.
Beyond music, her mother also helped shape her character. Jai’Len speaks highly of the way she was raised and the importance her mother placed on being kind. Those values remain a part of who she is today, both personally and creatively.
As she got older, performing became a major part of her life. During middle school and high school, Jai’Len trained in musical theater, eventually taking that training to the next level through the intensive Broadway Dreams program.
That path eventually led her to Broadway.
Jai’Len performed in the Broadway production of SpongeBob SquarePants, but even while working in theater, she was beginning to discover that she had her own stories and music she wanted to create. During breaks, she would return to her dressing room and make beats by “beating on the table,” using those moments to work on her own songs.
The desire to make her own music continued to grow.
Eventually, Jai’Len made the decision to leave the show and return to Atlanta. Instead of continuing to focus solely on musical theater, she wanted to give herself the opportunity to build her own career as an artist. She began releasing EPs independently and developing her sound on her own terms.
In 2023, she released her debut album, “Southern Delicacy,” an 11-track project with no features. The album represented an important step in establishing Jai’Len outside of the theater world and introducing listeners to her as a recording artist.
She has continued that journey with her most recent album, “Serial Romantic,” which is currently available on all streaming platforms.
The project includes songs such as “Won’t Force You,” “Truce,” “Housewife,” “I Believe (Selfish),” “Love Ain’t Shit,” and “Out Of My Body.”
Jai’Len Josey’s story is rooted in Atlanta, shaped by a mother who understood the creative world, and developed through years of performing and musical training. From growing up surrounded by records in her home to performing on Broadway and eventually returning to Atlanta to create music of her own, every part of her journey has contributed to the artist she is today.
She didn’t have to choose between where she came from and where she wanted to go. She took everything she learned along the way and made it part of her own story.
