Born in New York and raised in central New Jersey, Jackie Paladino is a singer-songwriter whose voice has been compared to the likes of Amy Winehouse, Billie Holiday, and Adele. She was introduced to the piano at the age of six, and developed her understanding of storytelling and performance through musical vocational school. It wasn't until Jackie returned to her birth state to attend the music theatre program at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts that she discovered her true calling.  

"When everyone else was memorizing lines to songs and stories, I was writing my own stories through song, belting out the tunes of Etta James, Duffy, and Regina Spektor along the way."  

Always an avid reader of poetry, she found herself delving deeply into the works of Leonard Cohen (one of my favs) and Fiona Apple, entranced by the precision and mystery of their word choice.  As an artist, Ms. Paladino seeks to combine this sense of lyric perfectionism and her urgency to "mold the ugly into something beautiful" along with the power and soul of her favorite songstresses.  

Jackie is a Bloomworld Music Artist and has recently worked with vocal coach Don Lawrence (Lady Gaga, Christina Aguilera), producers Chris Griffin (Madonna, John Legend), Grammy-nominated producer Ivan Corraliza (Timbaland, Christina Aguilera), and Grammy award-winning producer Tyrone Corbett on her latest studio EP release, Broken Hearted Soldier.  She also recently released a music video entitled “Daddy’s Money.”  Currently residing in Brooklyn, you can catch Jackie performing regularly in the tri-state area at venues such as BBKings, World Cafe Live, Rockwood Music Hall, The Bowery Electric, and The Bitter End, amongst others.  

Our Muse features are curated based on women and couples who inspire me and my team and who share a story of strength and determination. We are pitched daily from women and couples from all over the world and if we were a daily I could share with you people everyday. But, we are not a daily. We come to you weekly and for that we have to select our muses and I personally take hours learning about them (if I did not preselect them myself). Jackie contacted us and in her outreach provided such beautiful detailed information along with showing communication skills among her talent that I said we must make her a MUSE.  It is my pleasure to introduce you to Jackie and have you learn more about here below in my Q&A interview. Thank you for being this week's Muse. xx Stacy

1. Are you a Subway or Car (via, Uber, Lyft) girl?

I’m definitely more of a subway girl than anything else, though I participate in all modes of transportation on a regular basis. I’ll call a taxi if I’m running late to an important event or if it’s really late at night as it’s typically safer and quicker than a subway or bus. I grew up in the center of a town where everything I needed was within 20 minutes walking distance of each other and moved to New York at a young age, so I’m a relatively inexperienced driver and am always in awe of cab drivers’ abilities. I’m definitely grateful to live in an area where everything is so easily accessible by public transportation.  

2. Favorite spot to be creative?

I find stagnation suppresses my creativity, I’ve come to realize that I find creative essence in constant movement. In crowded streets in New York where lovers meet and leave, in the wind flapping against my face as I dash across the concrete, strolling in a park where a saxophonist plays all too wildly to avoid their fiery song, on the bus or train headed home after a long day of work. Often times I need isolation and quiet to perfect my works but find that the initial burst of inspiration stems from the movement and chaos of ordinary living.  

3. Causes you advocate for?

The issues that speak most to my heart are the ones that I fight for on a daily basis through the music I create.  As an eating disorder survivor and someone who has struggled with depression and anxiety, I am an advocate for mental health awareness and believe that once people learn that pathologies of the brain and body are one of the same, the mental health stigma will fade in due time.  I’m passionate about empowering women to be the heroines of their own stories, inspiring women and men to find beauty inside and out regardless of their size or shape, and inspiring others to pursue their passions. I believe in the power of the arts and music specifically, to overcome various struggles and propagate healing and change within our society. I've performed in fundraisers that support HIV/AIDS and homelessness as well.  I dream of a world where we can live in harmony with one another and treat everyone with equal respect regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic class, etc. and also of a world where we can live in harmony with ourselves, as self-love and inner peace are prerequisites for harmony with each other.  

4. Favorite quote?

“What if you’re a vessel and God gave you something special, and you throw it away because you don’t feel worthy? It ain’t yours to throw away.”

Actor Sam Palladio sings this to actress Clare Bowen in the TV show,

Nashville.  It’s a beautiful song, and resonates with me because it promotes the idea that we have a responsibility to share our God-given talents with the world.  With that lens, the life of an artist is less of a choice than it is a calling.  

5. Tell us about your last moment you shared with someone?

It’s hard to explain the satisfaction of having someone fight for your love. I recently entered a new relationship that resulted from an initial intention to friend-zone my now-boyfriend, Nik, due to the socially constructed concepts of what dating is supposed to look like. Nik said some really heartwarming things like “Jackie, I don’t want to not see your smile anymore…no not the way you’re smiling right now...your glow” and was there for me during a really vulnerable period that proved that it was a bit more than lust. We’re still very new, but it’s very refreshing to have a glimpse of someone who cares enough to fight for your partnership, regardless of your flaws and imperfections.  

All Photos by Spencer Kohn 

Jackie is wearing the Off Season Drawstring Romper (Tropical Dreams) and other items soon to join our lifestyle clothing collection.  

Get Jackie's look below! Get 10% off your order using code JACKIE10