Jamm Rea learns to be her own muse for new music

Consistently getting an open-ended comment about how young, singer-songwriter Jamm Rea looked back then, was always upsetting, if not heartbreaking for somebody who grew up plump, like her.

“There has not been a day when I wasn’t told, ‘Maganda ka sana, kaso…’ or ‘Ang galing mo kumanta, kaso…’,” Jamm reveals. “For many years, I’ve been trying numerous diets and workouts. However, nothing really took effect.”

By 2019, Jamm somewhat lost hope that she would still shed off those extra pounds. “By then, I kind of realized why all my efforts didn’t work out,” she admits. “That’s because I kept doing it for other people. In a sense, I think that’s why I never had that change early on. I never really loved myself throughout the whole process.”

Realization hit Jamm by the time 2020 happened. “Along with the pandemic feels, I wanted to create videos again,” shares the 22-year-old Jamm. “And personally, I’ve never been my own muse. Maybe it was due to all those insecurities and standards of society I couldn’t meet. That kind of scared me.”

However, Jamm was also determined to be the “model” of her creations. “In a way, that pushed me,” she asserts. “I want to represent myself as a person with a balanced body, mind and soul. Still, it all goes back to ‘loving myself’ speech.

“Let’s just say that my lifestyle changed from the fact that I wanted to love myself even more. To immerse myself in a journey that I thought was extraordinary.”

This only child of a dentist was inspired to follow in her mom’s footsteps and take up dentistry, too. Jamm penned How Do You Do It?, which she gave to her mom last year as a birthday present.

“Out of the songs I wrote, that was the easiest to do,” Jamm allows. “My mother is my hero. I’ve always felt overwhelming love from my mother. Having a single mom that is also an entrepreneur, a dentist and even more all the same time, made me wonder, How Do You Do It?”

In the local entertainment industry, Jamm feels it’s about time the norms are broken and artists should freely be on their own. “As for me, I try my best to meet my own standards,” she says. “Not necessarily what other people want to see on media.

“What’s important is that I am comfortable in my own skin and feel good about myself. If you feel good, you look good. That’s what matters.”

For two years, in these pandemic-laced days, Jamm has been eating only 1,000 calories a day and working out three to four times a week. “Consistency” in her diet and workout program is how she keeps motivated.

“Since I’ve been doing this for a long time now, maintaining my health has become customary,” Jamm insists. “What helps me become consistent is mindset.”

Although she’s far from seeing herself as a “gym junkie,” Jamm has inevitably fallen in love with fitness. “It’s all about having goals and believing that the grind never stops. It’s kind of weird because I used to hate working out. Now, it’s something I can’t live without.”

Not surprisingly, keeping fit affects Jamm’s music. “When I write songs, it’s always about feeling,” she maintains. “The feeling of joy, sadness and all other things I’ve experienced. And so, it affects my singing and songwriting. In a way, my fitness journey opened a lot of opportunities and an improved environment.”

Jamm remembers performing at the 34th Awit Awards last November 2021, seeing herself and being proud of her own progress. “That also led to my personal growth and learnings, as well,” she says.

All her recent personal accomplishments contributed to Jamm’s latest musical track, Kalma Lang, released by Curve Entertainment. The song is a follow-up to her debut single, Parang ‘Di Mo Alam, released in 2020.

“For years, I’ve been pressuring myself over beauty standards and society,” Jamm admits. “With my gradual transition to self-love, it led me to writing a song about patience — Kalma Lang — a right timing.”

It was in one of those days when she was reeling from the pressures and demands of her studies and Jamm was compelled to churn out c Lang.

“We hustle everyday to be the best version of ourselves and sometimes, we get lost in the process,” Jamm grants. “That’s the message I was trying to convey with my song. It is to take calm and to wait. Waiting for the best things to happen, for that tamang panahon.”

The pop-rock song, Kalma Lang, will eventually be included in Jamm’s EP (extended play) that will carry a total of five songs, including her debut single and Paano Na ang Pag-ibig?

“My songs will tell stories about love, youth and searching,” Jamm says. “I’ll be taking you guys on a journey to my EP. It’s going to be a long ride.”