Underground Artist Spotlight: Natalie Jinju

Natalie Jinju is an independent singer-songwriter based in Los Angeles, California. At only 18 years old, she has already released her first album titled “Last September.”

“Last September” is an 11-track album that features songs from various genres such as jazz, pop and R&B. It explores many topics from love to heartbreak that are engaging without being too stereotypical sounding or cheesy. Each track on the album shows off Natalie’s ability to combine emotion and creativity.

Natalie writes her own music and takes inspiration from many artists including Laufey, Beabadoobee and Clairo. While she admires these artists for their styles, there is no need to worry about her copying these artists in any way, she is simply influenced by them and still has a distinct “Natalie Jinju” touch to her songs.

Natalie has recently been gaining more and more traction, even surpassing 100 thousand monthly listeners on Spotify. This milestone speaks volumes about her growing popularity and what fans think of her. Taking into consideration that her album only released in October of 2024 makes this feat even more impressive!

“crush!” is an extremely fun song that cannot go without mention. As the title implies this upbeat song is about having a crush on someone. This tune is very playful and the way Natalie says “Am I too much?” is super catchy.

“all the time” sounds like a major hit. This track off of the album is certainly radio-worthy. Lyrically and sonically it is an impressive song. It is easy to imagine this song becoming a fan favorite.

“Last September,” which serves as the title track of the album, is a more mysterious-sounding song. It is an enticing listen and has even become a little TikTok trend, where people show how they looked “last September” compared to now.

This is a good time to mention how Natalie promotes her music. She is very interactive with her fans on social media which has cultivated a loving fanbase. Frequently posting short-form videos with her music seems to have proved successful for her so far.

Natalie has even gone as far as to release vinyls of “Last September” for her loyal fans. She has also teased the possibility of more merchandise to come soon.

Furthermore, she has posted some insight into the fact that she has been writing and recording new music, which has fans excited at the potential for new releases.

Natalie Jinju is a talented artist who clearly puts a lot of time and love into her music. Her work is most definitely worth checking out. It is safe to say that she has an extremely bright future ahead of her!

Her music can be found on all platforms at “Natalie Jinju.”

Noah Vickery is a second-year majoring in communications. To contact him, email nmv5292@psu.edu.