Exclusive Interview with Janey Jacké
This interview is available to listen to on Spotify, click below to take a listen or keep scrolling to read.
Janey Jacké, welcome my love to Spill the Tea magazine, how are you doing?
Thank you so much for having me, I'm doing great how are you?
Yeah very well thanking you, sadly this week we saw you be eliminated from Drag Race UK Vs the World, how was the experience for you?
It was an amazing experience I really had the best of times going there, I think I was really hungry after my first season to do another one because if you come second, you're so close to winning, so you're like let's go and dive into another one and I had a great time meeting everybody and being there and learning and experiencing everything. In the end you don't get eliminated for being the weakest or because you did really horrible, I felt very grateful in the end.
Did you feel any added pressure seems you were the only queen representing Holland?
I mean there's definitely pressure representing a whole country because your country is going to be watching you but I think I made them very proud.
When I was doing it I wasn't really thinking about my whole country's watching me because that would drive me crazy. I was just very like let's just do this and let's do the best I can do. Even with the stupid moments that you're not at your best, it's just good television.
How did Holland fare up to UK Vs the World?
Holland was the very first time they ever produced that season so they were still kind of really looking for things and in the UK you notice that they've done this, that this is like their home, this is what they do. Efficiency wise there was a little difference there and I think the judges are different, the way they judge is different the game between the girls is different. There's a lot of differences but in the end it's the same werkroom, it's the same vibe, it's the same sort of energy and that energy felt very much like home for me, which I loved.
I'm actually obsessed with Drag Race Holland and I mean I shouldn't say it, but I will, I was 100% team Janey, even though I'm in the UK. I was so excited to see you cast.
I also realized that I was the only queen who eliminated a UK queen in this season which is a little like…oh, I’m in this country but okay here we go, I'm going to send them home. I mean every girl that was there is different and special in in their own way and it doesn't really matter who you vote for, it's just a good TV show girl.
Yeah exactly, what was one of your favourite moments from the show?
I mean I definitely have to say that when I came in the first day for the first challenge obviously it wasn't my best week. I think a lot of the girls were kind of like Janey was supposed to be the first one to go home, she didn't really have a lot to offer this time around and then having my redemption the second week by winning showing everybody that I was a threat and that I was on the same level, that was really one of my favourite moments. In general I really love it when there's all these queens coming from all over the place and we’ve all come together with this universal language, we all understand each other in a different way with different stories, that is just really inspiring and really beautiful. It creates this amazing sisterhood, there wasn't… you know there's shady moments but that wasn't true rivalry or true anger or jealousy towards each other, it was just really beautiful.
I must admit that actually there wasn't really any like fights, there wasn't a fight or anyone going off which you usually see, there wasn't that much drama, of course there was the lipstick drama but there wasn't drama between you queens which was actually really nice to see.
I mean it was there, like when Mo told me it looked like it was my first time in drag, at a drag brunch, there's those moments but that's just peers telling each other their opinions. It wasn't really a fight which was lovely. There's also not a hundred thousand dollars to be won.
Just a little badge and a song with Ru which you all did in the last episode, so you all technically kind of won.
We kind of did, available on iTunes.
If it comes back for a second season (Drag Race Vs the World) who do you think should represent Holland?
I would love to see this season be bigger so that they take multiple girls from all countries, and obviously ever since we filmed the show they aired other countries of Drag Race like Spain and Down Under etc.
From Holland, Mama Queen, Chelsea Boy and Sederginne are really great competitors, from season two I mean obviously Keta Minaj has been wrongfully eliminated, so she should definitely get a shot at this, she was very strong, My Li’l Puny because coming second, I think that leaves her hungry for more. Throw more girls in, throw all these countries together and see how the language barriers play out at that point because I think seeing Spain and Italy is going to be very interesting in a competition like this.
You'd need a translator per queen!
For me, my English is almost my first language, I notice at times there's words obviously that i'm like what does that mean, especially in the UK, I have a very American way of talking.
Chelsea boy I would love to see come back, they were amazing on your season and I of course would love Keta and Puny, I was talking to them last week they were saying lovely things about you which was nice.
Awww, that’s so sweet, they just released their single together, they're really making that moment happen which I think is super lovely. (You can read our interview with Keta and Puny here).
And a killer music video I loved.
It's also kind of weird because they were ex-boyfriends and now they're like super close friends and now they're drag Sisters and it's so much of everything, I'm here for it! They’re just continuing working together but I guess it works for them. I don't want to work with my ex-boyfriend I can tell you that!
No I'd be like yeah blocked!
Yeah no let's not do that, ex on the beach, no no!
Yes I’ll go to the beach but you're not invited.
Definitely not invited.
On the last episode we saw you record a verse with the lovely Jade from Little Mix, how was that experience having her stood in front of you?
Well, well, well, we saw her face, so I mean the thing for me is I never really recorded anything, I've played around with my voice here and there to find out if there's anything happening, which obviously there wasn't, so it was hard to write and really be like, oh this is strong or this represents me, it was the same thing with Snatch Game, I was really trying to find innuendos, funny or smart things to say. I think some people got my lyrics, not everybody but I’m such a Little Mix fan, I’m up to the concerts like this 15-year-old little girl who's just like dancing their heart out and it was a little intimidating. People forget there's nine cameras and crew and your sisters behind you, there's this silence and then you just have to do it. There was a big panic in my head but I just thought let's go for it, let's do it. There's only one way to learn and that's by doing it, you're not going to be great at it the first time. With every craft it takes time to develop, here it was a little intimidating especially because Jade came for me, she was very much like okay interesting but she was also very lovely and now she's connected to me on Instagram and she's been super sweet and it inspired me to do more and to find the key that I could actually sing in. I dropped my single a couple days ago for people to see that and I learned from it and now I have another redemption there.
That's the thing, you only have a short amount of time on the episode whereas of course out of the show you'll be collaborating with other people. You have more time to explore so on the show it’s very there you go, in the deep end.
Right, these environments are great because you push yourself to new levels and you get this sort of pressure cooker but sometimes we forget that creativity doesn't come when you click a button, it's not like oh and I’m in it, especially when you are not a writer and it's not your talent. It's much easier to do it outside of production where you have time, you get inspired by seeing, hearing and feeling things and then the flow just happens. It's hard you know it's not it's not easy to write lyrics, I applaud people who are great at it.
You just mentioned your single which brings me on to my next question, your single is out ‘Turned Heads’ which I’m loving, how would you describe the track.
I really wanted to do something with my voice, especially because of the experience on the show I sat down with Lady Bee, a fabulous Dutch DJ, a well-renowned DJ in the dance scene in Netherlands but also worldwide, she's someone I listened to when I grew up so it was a beautiful full circle moment for us to come together and I wanted to create something that was a house vibe like a classic house vibe that was very dancey, something I could use for my shows and my songs. By the way the show I have turned some heads, I've made people look and I've made people gag, it felt very correct to put it out there. It’s really nice to see people are using it for the gym, driving around, just at home and I'm very happy with the response so far.
Oh good, the fans response has been good for you then?
We hit our first 10,000 streams which is lovely, we've been added in a lot of playlists because I'm a drag queen and then Lady Bee being this well-renowned lesbian girl DJ Spotify is really pushing us because they see this beautiful collab coming up and it's very inclusive and it's very now so we're getting a lot playlist pushes.
I definitely think the sound is interesting because of course when a lot of drag queens say oh they're going to drop music and I've spoken to a lot of queens who are releasing music and some saying of course they're trying to avoid the sort of ‘drag sound’ but yours definitely has elements of that, which I loved and of course why people love drag music but it also was something you could hear on the radio you could hear it playing in a nightclub and you wouldn't be like oh it's a drag song, you'd be like it's an artists song.
Thank you very much, I mean I'm not delusional at the fact that I'm not a commercial vocalist, I'm not going to be an Adele or a Charlie Puth, let's put it out there. It's fine but creating what I felt comfortable with, I think that really shows in the song. That’s what makes it really powerful because it’s a really good dance track and it's a really fun song to feel yourself to and it's great but thanks for your compliment I really appreciate it.
That's okay, fully honesty, you said it is a track to dance to and you did drop the music video as well, where you got to show off some of your dancing skills, did you come up with the routine?
Me together with the two dancers, they're really close friends and I've been working with them for many many years, I've done a lot of shows and they are generally there when I do big shows and I hire dancers, they are in it so we went into the studio together and we had a great time. Terrance is a set choreographer for me that really gets me and he understands what I can do and he can also really push me to new levels. We just had fun with it and especially on the shoot day itself because we created it all together we could really switch things up a little bit and change it around as we were going. It’s a fun dance, let's see if Tik Tok is going to pick it up.
Yeah that'd be awesome! From the success of the single already in such as your space time do you think you'll release more music in the future?
Yeah, I'm already working on multiple projects next to it, I would love to do a full EP but no pressure, all depending on how things work out and how the creative flow is going, the next single that I'm working on is going to have a feature of JuJuBee on it, which is very lovely so we're in the process of that and then the full EP is probably going to be released around Drag-Con which is it's going to be in May. I would love to do a full show with that and give little bit of extras here and there. Also because it's really fun and I really could put a lot of emotions in there and have a great time with it, finally dance to my music and not listening to everybody else's songs. To do your own material, that's what you want to be doing it right?
You are currently on tour in the UK, how have you been finding it, have you been loving the UK fans?
It's amazing, it's good to finally start meeting people especially after the lockdowns and this crazy pandemic period, then filming the show and waiting, now it's finally happening, I’m finally meeting all these lovely fans and lovely people and they're being so sweet and bringing me the loveliest gifts and being so supportive. In general the love and appreciation in the UK has for drag is really phenomenal, the turnouts and the love and then how crazy you are on stage, just the humour and the jokes, getting to work with all of the other girls from Drag Race UK, it's really magical, really wonderful, I've been here I think for about two and a half weeks now and I'm here until the 12th, it's a long tour, it's a big tour and touring life is very tiring as people know but meeting all these people and having the support really kicks up the energy. It gives you that boost and I guess it's one thing getting love from socials but because it’s a person whose actually come out to support you, especially not in your home country! I mean social media is really fun and it's great that you can look stunning with all these filters, which I'm so here for but in real life it's just a different energy and it's a different experience. One of the reasons why I would always want to do this job was to create an atmosphere where all the troubles from the outside world, even if it's just for that short amount of time you're in the club or at a show, you're not focused on the outside world or social media, it’s really great to have that back again and really experience that.
It’s a lovely thing to have, good memories too being created.
Great memories and especially now you get to see the impact as well that you have on these people and how by me being myself can inspire them to do the same thing, to really love them themselves and just go out there.
For sure, now I'd like to play a little game with you thar we call it Piping Hot Tea, which is quick fire questions that need your gut reaction.
Let's do it!
Out of your UK Vs the World sisters who took the longest to get ready on set?
Oh that's a hard question because everybody has a limited amount of time, I think Jimbo but it's hard because production is just like go, go, go!
You're focused on yourself getting the job done.
Who did you connect with the most out of the cast?
JuJuBee.
Did you like the elimination process or did you prefer the traditional rules?
There's two sides to every story, it's good and bad. I think as a fan I like the original, I think as a contestant I didn't mind the lipstick game but that's looking back at it. I got through well so I didn’t hate it as much I guess.
Who was a better head judge Ru or Fred?
Ru, obviously I’m sorry, no discredit to Fred but Ru is the OG.
What's the first thing you do after getting out of drag?
Wow, oh my gosh, this is reflecting on my own behaviour. I’m definitely taking a shower, laying down, putting on YouTube, having a cup of tea. Sort of getting your brain to sleep and get the adrenaline out of your body for sure.
What's your favourite song to lip sync to?
Anything Alex Newell or a Lady Sovereign, if I really have to pick one song that sticks with me a lot is from Fuego from Eurovision.
What is the best thing about performing in drag?
The problems of the world just disappear and when I'm on stage I own it and I can really make people happy and entertain them and that's what I love so much about it. You can never touch me or my fantasy up there.
What is the worst thing though?
The pains. There’s a lot of pain involved or the process of getting into drag is really a lot and can be a little bit painstaking at times where you just want to get it done in a click of a button.
The final question did you love sitting down with me for this interview?
Oh I loved it thank you so much for having me, I really appreciate it. I did actually read your interview with Keta and Puny because they talked about me and I was like oh here we go. So yeah, thanks so much for having me, I love how you write your articles.
Thank you very much, it's a lot of effort. Before i let you go I just like to round off my interviews with a little shout out space where you get to give a shout out to another queer performer, they can be a drag king, queen or anything in-between or just a queer artist doing their thing.
I would like to give a shout out to a person that I love and adore and who I met a few years ago that I think should be on Drag Race and they're just not getting her on there, so justice for my beautiful friend and wifey Athena Dion who is the queen of Miami, she runs that town, she is the hardest working most creative and most lovable person, a Greek-American queen that I think everybody should check out.
To listen to ‘Turned Heads’ click here, or follow Janey on Instagram here.
Note: Some of this interview has been edited from the original transcript to help with readability.