Q&A: jame minogue Invites Us to Fall in Love With New Single, “Hate Being In Love”
WHAT DOES LOVE FEEL LIKE TO YOU? — For jame minogue, it's a dualistic mixture of dreamy and destructive. Intertwining traditional Dominican culture with pop culture, jame minogue’s music is a vibrant portrait of his evolution from an anti-arts background to thriving as a musician.
Drawing on feelings of uncertainty that envelope newfound infatuation, Minogue paints a realistic picture of contemporary love in “Hate Being In Love.” The lead single for his sophomore EP, Prince Azul, the song transcends language barriers, blending Spanish and English vocals with an upbeat melody. Accompanied by a lusciously sun-kissed music video, Minogue indulges in the dreamlike delusion that comes with falling in love with someone new. Directed by Camila Noriega, the video depicts Minogue on a picnic blanket in a colorful field, impatiently awaiting the arrival of his lover.
Growing up in a Hispanic/Latinx community that viewed a career in music as unrealistic, Minogue found the greatest support in his music teachers and — most importantly —himself. After dropping out of school, the singer-songwriter moved to Los Angeles to pursue music full time. Through his music, Minogue hopes to encourage listeners to never give up on their dreams.
Infusing myriad genres such as pop, indie, and R&B, Minogue’s sound is eccentric, energetic, and fresh. Though initially keen to shy away from his Dominican upbringing, Minogue now allows his background shine through in his music. The LA-based singer-songwriter has spent his music career developing a style that mixes a bilingual sound with emotive lyrics, producing songs that are universal both in language and sentiment. His latest single, “Hate Being In Love” creatively incorporates all the genres touched on in his upcoming EP into one song.
Read below to learn more about jame minogue, his latest single, “Hate Being In Love,” and how his relationship with music has evolved over the years.
LUNA: Congrats on your new single “Hate Being In Love”! What inspired you to write a song about two juxtaposing experiences in new love?
MINOGUE: Thank you so much! I had really been wanting to play with the duality of romantic relationships for quite some time. I’m a sucker for fairy tales, but I’m equally a sucker for deconstructing them (laughs). There’s always two sides to everything.
LUNA: The music video for “Hate Being In Love'' is quite summery and almost dreamlike. Would you say this is what new love feels like to you?
MINOGUE: Most definitely — new love feels like such a dream. Usually overwhelmingly perfect. Eventually, all of the little flaws start to unravel. Even as I’m sitting in this beautiful field looking all majestic, I’m lowkey anxious and hurt that my date hasn’t shown up yet. Camila Noriega directs all of my videos, and we tend to read each other's minds. She always does an amazing job.
LUNA: As the lead single for your upcoming EP, how would you compare the vibe of “Hate Being In Love” to the rest of the album?
MINOGUE: I would say that it sets the tone for a lot of the EP. The EP is a huge blend of pop, Latin, Caribbean, alternative, and a little bit of hip-hop. I wanted to sneak in as many elements from all of those as possible into one song. Pure chaos, I know.
LUNA: It's quite interesting that your name is stylized entirely in lowercase. Where did the idea for this come from?
MINOGUE: I think I always felt like all caps would’ve been too macho. I also just love a nice lowercase j — comes with its own little dot on the top.
LUNA: Coming from a community that places little value on the arts as a career, do you feel this made it more difficult for you to begin working in the music industry? What pushed you to continue pursuing music?
MINOGUE: Although I got an early start to music, it definitely was a slow start to the industry side of things. Because of the people in charge of the city education board and their lack of support, I had to teach myself a lot. I had some awesome and passionate music teachers at school, though, who really believed in me. They were definitely pissed with the lack of budget too, though (laughs). I also had zero industry connections and have forced myself through every door I could. Music for me is like having a heart and lungs: I need it to survive. There is nothing else I’d rather do. And the effect it has on the lives of others is unmatched. The idea of helping others is huge for me.
LUNA: How has your music evolved since you first began creating?
MINOGUE: I’d say that my music has evolved more with my overall personality. Growing up, I sort of felt shy about my Dominican culture, because I wanted to fit in with pop culture. But one day I just stopped caring and [now] have begun to fully embrace my culture and love every part of it. I think it shows in the music. Omar Tavarez and Mark Pelli have been a huge help with that. I hope to inspire at least one kid who’s at home wondering if they’ll be accepted as an artist.
LUNA: What’s been your favorite song to perform live?
MINOGUE: Maybe “Fiya” or “Santiago.”
LUNA: How would you describe the overall vibe of your music?
MINOGUE: Crispy but soft on the inside.
LUNA: Lastly, what are your creative goals for the rest of 2022?
MINOGUE: I’d love to get my EP out to the world and be a soundtrack for everyone’s summer vacation, as well as [put out] some sick music videos. I hope to bridge many cultural gaps.
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