This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at City London chapter.
Beyoncé once said “Power’s not given to you. You have to take it” and Jakie Uzoigwe is most definitely a powerful woman trying to make her way to the top of the music industry. I spoke with Jakie about her X Factor audition, the competitions and her obsession with Queen B.
Name: Jacqueline Uzoigwe
Major & Year of Study: BA Journalism, 3rd year
Country of origin: Nigeria
Relationship status: Single
Jakie, I hear you are an extremely talented singer. When did you start singing? I only discovered I could sing when I was about 12 and I first started listening to Beyoncé. I had ‘Dangerously in Love’ on repeat. I would listen and try to sing just like her! Obviously I wasn’t mini Beyoncé, but I realised I could sing. Ever since, I’ve been singing and improving over the years. Sometimes I doubt my singing abilities, so I sought out a vocal coach to give me a professional opinion, and she confirmed my talent! My confidence has grown since.
What do you like most about singing? When I sing, I feel free, like nothing else matters. It’s just me and the song I’m singing. That’s how I feel when I sing for people too. Once I start, I zone out!
Have you taken part in some competitions? What was it like? I did one last summer and made it to the semifinal. Taking part in competitions can be very scary, because there’s the danger of comparing yourself to another singer. Don’t do it! It’ll break you. However it can be exciting too! Being on stage, performing for people, everyone’s attention is on you. There’s always going to be stage fright, but once you get into the whole thing and let yourself go in the song, you don’t have anything else to worry about. Then there’s losing. It’s sad when you lose, especially when it’s something that you’re really passionate about. Use it as a learning experience to improve your skills and your talent. Everything happens for a reason, so don’t dwell on it.
Would you ever consider taking part in a talent competition such as X Factor? I actually auditioned when I just turned 16, but sadly got turned down because they thought I still
needed some improvement – which I completely agreed with. However, now I would like to make my own way to the top, no matter how difficult it gets! There’s a joy in knowing you worked extra hard to get recognition for what you do. But I guess if everything else fails, then off to X Factor I go!
Who’s your musical inspiration and why? EASY! Beyoncé!!! Queen B! Bey! I’m convinced she’s not 100% human! She’s immensely talented and, as far as I’m concerned, the greatest performer of our time! Her work ethic is one to admire, she put a lot of thought and hard work in everything she does and never fails to surprise her fans. I’ve seen her in concert a couple of times, and she’s truly amazing! She’s has a good understanding of how the music industry works, and that’s why after 18 years of being in the game, she’s still at the top! BOW DOWN!
What song has been on repeat for you lately? Justin Timberlake’s ‘TKO’ and ‘Tunnel Vision’. I’m totally obsessed with these songs, I have been listening to them every given hour of the day.
What’s your life motto? Do things that make you happy, because at the end of the day if you don’t that’s a memory or an experience you would have missed out on. You’ll never know what it would have been like and you’ll probably always regret it.