Trans Artist Jakk Fynn's Top Songs on Soundcloud

Though trans artist and pop singer-songwriter Jakk Fynn has zig-zagged from lyrical jokes to hardcore with different bands and iterations of his musical career as the frontman for BoiGirl, he is secure and himself now as Jakk Fynn. His name? As Jakk says, “I found out that Jack was once used as an informal way to refer to a generic man or fellow, which serves as an affirmation to myself that I’m just another man. Fynn is inspired by the character Finn from Adventure Time, whose kind, brave, and morally sound traits match that of Jakk’s own unassuming nature.

Here are some of his top songs on Soundcloud.

5. Jakk Fynn - Future Lover

Jakk Fynn · Future Lover

4. Jakk Fynn - Heal

Jakk Fynn · Heal

3. Jakk Fynn - Fire

Jakk Fynn · Fire

2. Jakk Fynn - If There’s A God

Jakk Fynn · If There's A God

1. Jakk Fynn - Special

Jakk Fynn · Special

This Latinx Trans Artist Wants to Forge A New Path to Pop Stardom

For trans artist and pop singer Jakk Fynn, music has become both a “coping mechanism” and a way to reflect artistically on an extended period of personal grief.

Until recently, the Los Angeles-based singer was caught between a romantic partner and a friend he’d developed feelings for. In the end, both relationships went south, which left him feeling “buried beneath an avalanche of emotion.”

The losses inspired Fynn’s five-song EP “Cancelled,” which features the reggaeton-infused single “Special.”

“Rejection can really wreck one’s sense of self and self-worth. The obvious point is I’m waiting for someone that never shows up.”

That feeling of abandonment is heightened by the video’s desert location, he said. “I was really trying to inject a bit of surrealism as best I could.”

If Fynn has his way, his musical career will eventually have a deeper and diversifying impact on pop culture. The singer, who is of Mexican descent and is a trans artist, said he is “elated” by the mainstream success of openly trans performers like Kim Petras and the cast of FX’s “Pose.” A pop artist who identifies as transmasculine, however, has yet to be embraced in any major way.

“That’s a crucial part of the spectrum that’s missing,” he explained. “Mainstream representation isn’t just important, it’s lifesaving.”

So far, Fynn appears to be off to a gradual, but encouraging, start. Billboard debuted the video for his first single, “Fire”  and it has since received buzz in a number of LGBTQ outlets, including the Washington Blade.

Though “Cancelled” and “Special” are out in the world, Fynn said he’ll nonetheless be clocking in more studio time. Naming Post Malone and Ariana Grande among his influences, he’s primarily focused on establishing a fan base and “making a positive impact” on both listeners and other aspiring trans artists.

Read the full article on Huffington Post here.

Meet Trans Artist Jakk Fynn Who Is Dismantling Gender Constructs in His Video 'Fire'

Trans artist Jakk Fynn, society's constructs surrounding gender, masculinity, sexuality and identity only serve to restrain acceptance. So, he's tearing those constructs down. 

Fynn unveiled "Fire", a pulsing electro-pop anthem where the trans artist singer takes on the limitations of binary thinking. In the video trans artist Fynn and an army of young people dressed in all-white jumpsuits are each labeled by unseen figures with either a circle or a triangle on their backs, and robotically placed with another person with the opposite symbol. But as the video continues, Fynn and his compatriots refuse their given labels by shedding their suits and start a dance party.

Fynn wanted to keep the video vague enough that his viewers could project their own experience onto it, while also adding some specificity to make it real to his own experiences. "The world is better off when we promote individuality versus persecuting each other for our differences," he says. "Much like the inhabitants in 'Fire', we can all employ daily acts of rebellion to advocate for ourselves and each other to help shape a better tomorrow."

The singer, who identifies as transmasculine, says that he wants to create music that can help his listeners while also questioning the way our society functions, because that's the voice he wish he had growing up — he says his experience being raised in a Mexican, evangelical Christian household made it nearly impossible to explore his identity. "If my music, my story, or my ability to thrive can inspire courage, authenticity, or challenge beliefs, then we can start to really mitigate the trauma being passed around irrespective of medium."

Check out the full article and video on Billboard here

Meet Trans Artist Singer-Songwriter Jakk Fynn

ShoutOut LA had the good fortune of connecting with Jakk Fynn. Here is that interview…

Hi Jakk, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Like most artists, I pursue my career as a musician because my desire to create cannot be quelled. When I was younger, music saved my life. This statement may seem trite, but for a trans artist, there’s a certain heaviness to it. The percentage of trans people in the United States is less than 1%, and the attempted suicide rate hovers around 50%. With that in mind, you can start to imagine the level of loneliness and invalidation one internalizes at a very young age. I personally grew up in a conservative environment, so I couldn’t embrace my identity. This caused me a tremendous amount of guilt and shame, but music gave me a place to process these emotions. Unfortunately, representation was nil then, and as I grew older, I became more and more resolute to create visibility. I want to be what little me sought to see. So what better way to achieve this than in pop music? Its universality truly has the power to bridge the gap between everyone’s sense of “otherness”, anchoring us in a shared human experience. 

Please tell us more about your art. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?

My infatuation with music started young, but my journey as a trans artist and singer / songwriter began when I was a teen. The warped tour scene really resonated with me and I dreamed of becoming a frontman. Unfortunately when I started auditioning I was serially rejected for being a “girl”. This hurt on many levels, but I eventually found some bands and was able to grow as an artist. Later on I signed to a random indie label, but it became clear they wanted me to present as hyper-femme. This made me super uncomfortable, but since I wasn’t out as trans, I felt powerless to speak. Needles to say, I was dropped. This left me depressed and defeated, so I tried to quit music. That was a dark year. Despite these difficult experiences, I created a focused foundation: pursue music wholly as myself. My mantra became “if I build it they will come”. Idk who “they” is, but I stay steadfast. I wish I could say I’m a trans pop artist who is making money, but I’m not. Unfortunately, this isn’t uncommon for musicians, especially within something as cut-throat as pop. Yet I think this struggle is integral to my story, I’m just this SoCal punk kid at heart who loves pop and refuses to stay in a box. If it means I have to work 50+ hours a week as a software engineer to self-fund my vision, so be it. But if I don’t believe in me, who will? And I think that’s what sets me apart, being so invested that I bleed to try to make this happen despite the risk.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d love to dedicate my shoutout to my best friends Mila and Danny; I wouldn’t be where I am today without them. I’ve known Mila since we were teens, and she has helped me through my darkest times. Whether it be identity issues, family turmoil, romantic woes, or failing mental health, she’s there without fail. As for Danny, I started collaborating with him musically many moons ago, and our friendship has steadily grown. Not only is he supportive in every regard, but he pushes me as a trans artist. No matter where life takes me, I know these two will have my back and for that I am truly blessed.

Check out the full article on ShoutOut LA here.