Jewel.Photo: Chris Haston/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty
Jewelis getting real about her experiences as a woman in the music industry.
On Friday, the Alaska-born musician gave a career-spanning interview toStereogumabout her unconventional rise to fame, signing her first record deal while experiencing homelessness, and enduring sexism from several music industry figures — all of which influenced the lyrics of her new album,Freewheelin' Woman.
The four-time Grammy winner, born Jewel Kilcher, notably lived in her car upon signing her first major label deal with Atlantic Records in the mid-’90s, though she claims her story has been told over the years through a “patriarchal lens.”
“The whole world knows I lived in my car. They think because I was fighting for my dream of music. That is an absolute misrepresentation of what happened,” the 47-year-old performer told the publication. “I was living in my car because I wouldn’t have sex with my boss. I refused to be leveraged and he wouldn’t give me my paycheck and I couldn’t pay my rent and I started living in my car and then my car got stolen and I was homeless because of that, because I wouldn’t bang a boss.”
“I couldn’t psychologically handle the adjustment… Nobody cared if you were doing well, they would offer you drugs and just want to keep you touring because that’s how you made money,” she alleged. “So it was again very funny to have that portrayed in the media as if it was a disempowered thing, when it was an empowered thing, it was a difficult choice.”
Jewel’s currently gearing up for the April 15 release of her new albumFreewheelin' Woman, and she told Stereogum about drawing from her turbulent past for inspiration. “I feel proud that I’ve gotten to live life on my terms. I’ve gotten to have my career on my terms,” she explained. “The reason I called the albumFreewheelin' Womanis because that’s how I feel.”
“I’ve fought for my autonomy, I’ve fought for my liberty as a woman, and been able to make a living, and even support my child on my thoughts and my ideas and my feelings,” continued the “Stronger Woman” singer. “I’m proud and I wanted the record to encapsulate that whole feeling.”
source: people.com
