Who’s Gonna Tell Janita She’s a Big Star?

Helsinki-born singer/songwriter Janita may be 36, but her career already spans more than three decades. She began playing piano at age 3. Started writing songs at age 4. Met her long-time music collaborator (and future husband) at 13. Then, over the next few years, recorded several albums and became a teen pop sensation in Finland. Janita moved to Brooklyn at age 17 and was signed to one of Sony’s music labels the following year.

After she left Sony in 2001, Janita (pronounced YA-nee-tuh) continued writing songs, releasing albums and garnering attention for her compelling lyrics, her smooth, jazz-infused vocals and, yes, her stunning good looks. But her latest endeavor, Didn’t You My Dear?, is her long-anticipated breakthrough, an emotional tour de force that melds R&B, jazz, indie folk and alternative sounds with raw lyrics and gutsy, heartfelt vocals. A collaboration with Blake Morgan, this fierce new album moves Janita far away from the adult-contemporary category in which some had caged her, and reflects the personal and professional transformation she’s been experiencing. So much has happened in her life these past few years—a split from her longtime life and business partner, U.S. citizenship, and an image overhaul that includes shorter locks and a less sexualized wardrobe—that it’s hard not to see her personal liberation in the work.

If Janita is becoming more of her authentic self, the tracks on the new album prove it. The songs are still melodic and lush, but they’re riskier and more complex and convey an unrestrained emotional availability that’s both sultry and inspiring. “Traces Upon Your Face” explores the challenge of embracing a new relationship without tainting it with emotional baggage (“I’m so scared to think you’re just like the others. I’m so scared I’ll turn you into the others in my hands.”), while “Some Serious Gravity” offers hope for a fresh start (“Never grieve, never mourn, my love. Never mind who you fought along the way. They all fall away.”). Other tracks, including “Who’s Gonna Tell the Wolf She’s Not a Dog,” represent a break from controlling forces that might have manipulated her in the past (“I used to do tricks. I used to play ball with all you pricks.”), and some, like “Beautiful You Are,” encourage separation from the haters (“Stop believing in the lies…Learn to read between the lines. Some people are rotting inside. Don’t you let them paralyze you.”).

Here, Janita, who is also active in Morgan’s #IRespectMusic campaign for musicians’ rights, chats with Red Typewriter about hitting it big as a teenager, how she feels in the recording studio, and finding her voice both personally and creatively.

RT: How is the new album a departure from the first three?

Janita: “It’s a huge departure for me. I’ve really come into my own in the last few years since Haunted, which was a step in the right direction, but I feel like this is a breakthrough album for me on some level. I feel that with this album I’m breaking through some of my own barriers as a human and as a musician. This [project] is also different from my past work because I’m playing several instruments on it. I play guitar—both acoustic and electric— as well as piano and percussion. I put myself forth more than ever before. I also wrote all the songs, except for “Clap Hands,” which is a cover of a Tom Waits song that I love.

RT: We love that you chose a Tom Waits song. Tell us about some of your other musical influences.

Janita: I grew up listening to hip hop and R&B, which is quite different from what I’m influenced by today. Within the last few years, I’ve certainly moved into having more alternative tastes. Radiohead has been a huge influence on my songwriting. I also listen to very folksy stuff, softer stuff, like Neil Young and Elliott Smith.

RT: Like many artists, you tend to write songs about relationships. How have yours inspired your work?

Janita: Relationships have always inspired me: My relationships to other people, my relationships to the world, and my relationships to everything in my life. Chekhov said, “If you wanna work on your art, work on your life.” I love that. I think one of the most important ways an artist can evolve is to face some of the deepest, hardest things you can face, and one reason I’ve been able to break through to another level as an artist is that I’ve been able to look at my life and work on it. I’ve worked on my relationships, and that’s been inspiring in terms of songwriting. I’ve faced a lot of change these last few years—change that has inspired my life and work.

RT: How does the recording experience compare to performing live?

Janita: Just like performing live, recording can be exhilarating. But it’s also about discovery. It’s about discovering what’s already there—like Michelangelo said, discovering the statue within the piece of rock. That’s the way you go about producing, which is something Blake taught me. All the decisions you make in producing already exist; it’s just about discovering what’s already there. [The same creative process] applies to making [music videos]. The first video off the album is “Traces Upon Your Face,” and it’s directed by Charlie Harjulin. It’s dreamy and poetic and features Czech/Hungarian-style animation with hand puppets and dolls. It’s very arty and beautiful.”

RT: It must have been overwhelming being a teenage pop star in your native country. How was that for you?

Janita: Having started my career so young, I never had a chance to figure out my identity before being thrust into the limelight. It’s hard because people are making decisions for you. But [in order to grow up], you need to learn how to harness your own power and get to know your strengths and embrace your womanhood. This new album is a breakthrough for me as I come to terms with things from the past and find myself happy and fulfilled both as a person and an artist. It shows that I’ve grown up.

Listen to sample tracks off Janita’s new album, Didn’t You, My Dear, here.