Rising Stars

XXVI - Epilogue

June 24th, 2022

POPROX: On this week's edition of Star's Spotlight, we have a very special guest with us today. You already know their names, they're the biggest duet act to take over the world in the last decade, it's none other than: Rising Stars!

<cheering>

POPROX: So, you two were originally independent artists and signed to separate labels. How did you two end up connecting with each other?

JAE: Am I taking this one? Or are you?

Seraphine: I can take it. Jae and I actually met in college. We shared the same class, and ended up being partners for an EP project. You can find the project, and all of our other EPs online if you just search my name or his. We had a... disagreement, and separated for some time, but we managed to find ourselves again and reconnect. And the rest is history, I suppose.

POPROX: So you two have known each other for a long time now?

SERAPHINE: I wouldn't exactly call three years a long time, but we've gone through a lot. So it definitely feels like we've known each other for awhile.

POPROX: I see, I see. So, before the both of you united and became Rising Stars, you wrote and released your solo albums. Can you talk about your experience working alone and then working collaboratively with each other?

JAE: I'm not speaking for Ser when I say this, but I personally had a lot of trouble working alone. After making music with her for basically an entire year, and then switching to creating my solo album all on my own was pretty jarring. It was like I was missing something, and even though the songs I wrote during that time were good and catchy, they weren't genuine.

SERAPHINE: I'm in the same boat as Jae. There's a reason why my debut album was called ALONE, it wasn't too far from what I was feeling during the time that I worked on it.

POPROX: And how was it to work with each other again?

SERAPHINE: It was great.

JAE: Frustrating.

SERAPHINE: <laughs> I just give Jae a hard time. He's particular about the details and has a plan for every little thing, but I just go all out in the studio and do things by ear.

POPROX: But it's good to see that you two have good chemistry, especially in the studio. Did your labels give you any trouble for collaborating on something like this?

JAE: Mine didn't. SHINE is an artist-first company, and its safe to say that without them, I wouldn't be here today.

SERAPHINE: Same goes for me. ICONS is great. And having K/DA's support also really helped.

POPROX: Good! Having labels and people that support and foster your creativity is important to growing as an artist. So, Jae, you've released two solo projects since your debut album, do you mind talking about the inspiration behind those releases?

JAE: Oh. <clears throat> The Lost Tapes series acts as a sort of a time capsule of the music I created during my time looking for a label. The first edition features a lot of my normal style of music, and the squared edition is experimental stuff, sounds and styles of singing that I was trying out to see whether or not they suited me.

SERAPHINE: Brokenhearted; Sunset is probably one of your best songs, and it bothers me that you didn't save it for the album.

JAE: The same can be said for Better Than I Could, Ser.

SERAPHINE: <grumbling> Still doesn't change anything.

POPROX: Speaking about your album, is there a reason that you two chose to release tracks over time instead of as a whole project?