Jacqueline Fernandez: ‘This Transition Into Music Just Felt Right For Me’

Sri Lankan-origin actor Jacqueline Fernandez’s first song as a singer “Stormrider” is her response to the tumultuous times she’s survived in the public spotlight.

Fernandez assembles a team of producers and songwriters with help from Los Angeles-based company Myst Music, including singer and visual artist Amrita Sen (who provides additional vocals, songwriting and production inputs), songwriter Robin Grubert and producers Frison, Feenom, Serban Cazan and Alex Winter.

The result is a slick, power-packed song that focuses on a few hooks and keeps things punchy when it comes to buildups and drops. In “Stormrider,” Fernandez tells the world that she can weather any storm, alongside Hindi lyrics of self-acceptance like “Main kaafi hu mere liye. (I’m enough for myself)” She says in a statement, “It [the song] is about embracing change, finding strength in the storm, and riding the waves of life with courage and grace. I’ve poured my heart into this track, and I can’t wait for everyone to experience this chapter with me.”

The video directed by Sandeep & Chadrick with cinematography by Anatol Trofimov sees Fernandez in her peak dancer avatar, complete with glittering outfits and rainy weather. With over 8.5 million views on YouTube and nearly 50,000 streams on Spotify, it’s safe to say that Fernandez’s big debut has found an audience, including fans of her work in Bollywood movie franchises such as Housefull.

Fernandez says about the response to the song so far, “Music doesn’t need a language, anyone can feel it and that’s what has stuck with me after the overwhelming response I have received globally for my first song.” She reveals that the song is the title track off her upcoming album, which means more songs are in the works. “I love music and the creative process, As for the sound, it’s truly a blend. We incorporate a lot of EDM and dance-pop elements with South Asian riffs, so I think we managed to get the best of both worlds and come up with a new way of doing things,” she adds.

Showbiz – in India and everywhere – has had plenty of actors who become singers after launching vanity projects and Fernandez is aware of this. But she credits her deeper interest in music to understanding of “other facets of live performance, like dance.” The actor says, “Every time I was performing live [as a dancer] I would always think I just wished I was holding the mic. This transition into music just felt right for me.”

Fernandez points to how her personal music journey started largely because of her dad, who was a “part-time DJ.” She adds, “I grew up with every sound you can imagine, he had stacks of records from the Fifties, Sixties, Seventies and Eighties music. [It] has also helped me through some of my hardest times, and this album is an ode to that journey. I don’t see it as separate from my work as an actor; it’s just another outlet for creativity and self-expression.”

To that end, Fernandez has said in a statement that music is her way of expressing her story, taking fans into confidence and going beyond tabloid headlines. “[Music] is about connection, resilience and empowerment […] I’ve spent almost a year on this single, conceptualizing and looking into every look of mine in the video, and each one is powerful, with deep meaning behind it.”

Watch the video for “Stormrider” below.