Interview: Prima J - Pop Music Duo - Page 2

Jessica: It was our unofficial single, but people loved it. It was our first real look into what this could be, or what this could be like. Just the fact that we made the video for “Rock Star” and had a song out was amazing to us. It still hasn’t really hit us.

During one of the dance sequences in the "Rock Star" video, both of you sport clothing with the word "chilosa" written across the front. What is the significance of this word? 

Jessica: Chilosa is a slang word in our culture that we made our own. It means a girl that’s independent, self-confident, not afraid to be who she is, very comfortable in her shoes. That’s chilosa. That’s what we want every girl to be.

Now that you’re in the spotlight, a lot of young ladies have their eyes on you. Do you feel any pressure in being labeled “role models”?

Janelle: I really think it’s a great thing. We’re really ourselves 24x7. We don’t look like the girls on the magazine. We’re still doing what we’re doing. We want all girls - everyone - to know that no matter where they come from, what they look like, if they really work hard and they want to do, they can do it. 

Having made your start with the kid-friendly Bratz audience, how hard is it to transition between audiences and showcase a more mature sound? 

Jessica: I think our real personalities shine through with both audiences – the older, more mature audience as well as the kids. It’s not really changing who we are that much. I think the style of “Rock Star” is a little bit younger, but it’s still part of us. I think all of our fans will like all of our music.

Your album was originally titled Inside Out? Prior to its release, however, the album was renamed. Why the change?

Janelle: We were thinking about calling it Inside Out, but we said, “You know what? We should just have it self-titled.”

Jessica: Yeah. We do not have any featured artists on this CD. It’s all Prima J! So the title fits. It’s our introduction to the world.

Few cover songs receive airplay while the original song is still in rotation, but “Nadie (No One)” became your second single. What led you to include this song on Prima J? 

Jessica: We love that song and we’re just like, “You know what? This song would be so beautiful in Spanish as well.” We taped it for fun - in Spanish - and it ended up bigger than what we thought it would be.