Former model and local philanthropist Jennifer Pappas is known throughout Ridgefield for always giving back to her community - whether it's charity modeling or supporting the arts like The Ridgefield Playhouse and the soon to be open Prospector Theater.
What you may not know is that Jennifer is a multi-talented songwriter. Her latest written song Beauty Queen, sung by April Kry, has already generated a major buzz in the music industry with its catchy lyrics and rocking music. One critic has already named it number #21 in their top 50 songs of the year list.
I asked Jennifer about her musical journey and her future as a lyricist.
How did you first meet April Kry and why do you feel she was the perfect choice to sing your song?
Answer: I signed with Sony/Metric label as a songwriter last spring. They were looking to break a new female country singer and wanted me to write some songs for her. I didn’t have a say in who they finally chose, it was up to the Sony Nashville team. It was a frustrating process because it took them over a year to find her. But I will say, from the moment she belted her first note I knew they had chosen well. She had been worth the wait! She’s an adorable girl (all 5 feet of her) and has one of the most amazing voices I have ever heard. She is also very pretty and has an incredible work ethic. I remember when we were shooting the music video to Beauty Queen, it was a grueling 12 hour work day with very little down time in between the shots. We were on this beautiful farm out in Long Island but the weather was miserable, cold and windy with scattered showers, by the end of the day she was covered from head to toe in dirt from those farm fields but she never complained, never even rolled her eyes. If you haven’t had a chance to see the Beauty Queen video, please check it out on ITunes or on CMT. We were thrilled that Billboard decided to premier it last month.
Describe the process in having your song Beauty Queen recorded
Answer: I wasn’t really involved in the recording process. I did, however, get to go down to Nashville to watch the band record the songs to the album, which will be released early next year, and that was a real treat! The session players in Nashville are incredible, and there is undiscovered talent on every street corner and in every bar. Nashville is one of the coolest cities. I love it there.
When did you start writing songs?
Answer: I have been writing poetry pretty much my entire life, from the moment I could hold a pencil in my hand, writing has been the way that I express myself best. A few years ago I started posting my poems on Facebook. A friend of mine, who is a music producer, said that they would make great songs, so he took one of them [“Intangible"] and put it to music, then something magical happened. It was like my words were given wings to fly right off of the page, and from that moment on I was transformed from poet to songwriter, but in reality poetry and melody have always been one and the same. From the days of Homer and Sappho, poetry was sung to the masses; it was a way of passing along important information from one generation to the next. It was only with the advent of the printing press that the two were stripped from one another.
Answer: I am beyond excited that Beauty Queen has been so well received. It is an unusual sound for country. It walks a fine line between country and rock-n-roll. The sound we are going for on the album is a fusion between country, pop and rock. Most of the songs will have the ability to “cross over” into pop, but their roots will be solidly planted in country. As a songwriter I am drawn to the genre of country because of it’s rich heritage in storytelling, a tradition that was handed down to me by my grandmother. I am from the south and my songs will always be embued with her charms. You know what they say, “You can take the girl out of the South, but not the South out of the girl.”
Are there new songs on the horizon?
Answer: The second single by April Kry will be released just prior to the EP, which has yet to be named. I co-wrote all of the songs (there will be 6) on the album with April and producer JP Rende. Each of the songs are quite different from one another and I am equally proud of them all. This has been an extraordinary experience and I cannot wait to share my music with you all!
I'd also like to point out that the Remixes of Beauty Queen are also doing exceptionally well. There are three of them, each produced by top DJ’s from Germany (Sean Finn), the UK (Jose Nunez) and America (Starkillers), they hit the charts just last week at #16 in England and #12 in Germany, and are climbing steadily! We even beat out Pitbull’s Fireball:) Please give them a listen; they are called The Beauty Queen Remixes. These remixes will be arriving in the United States next week!
Check out Beauty Queen by April Kry on iTunes today!