Meet Chelsea Jordan, the Soulful Singer Who's About To Be Everywhere
Ahead of her sophomore EP, the singer-songwriter reflects on heartbreak, social media stardom and heading on her debut tour.
Armed with undeniable style and raw songwriting talent, Chelsea Jordan is gearing up to release her second EP, alongside her first-ever tour. If her name isn’t already on your radar, consider this your introduction.
The American singer-songwriter first turned heads in 2024 with “Toronto,” a single that gained serious traction on TikTok thanks to its unfiltered, emotionally candid lyricism. Since then, she’s only deepened her connection with listeners. The track “halfwaythru,” released in 2025, took on a life of its own, soundtracking thousands of videos and amassing over 2.5 million Spotify streams. The single clearly resonated with an audience who see themselves in lines like, “I love a cheeky glass of wine and a cigarette.” Honest and self-aware, Jordan’s songwriting feels less like performance and more like a diary entry set to soulful melody.
Beyond the music, her aesthetic is just as recognizable. Think baggy silhouettes, vintage finds and expertly layered looks, a signature style that feels effortless, much like her sound. Long before she was sharing her songs, Jordan was building a following through her outfit videos, cultivating a visual identity that resonated just as strongly as her lyrics do now. When she finally found the confidence to release her music, it felt less like a debut and more like a natural evolution, and we’re all the better for it.
Ahead of her upcoming EP release, we caught up with Jordan to talk all things songwriting, getting over heartbreak and her current fashion obsession. Read on for the full interview and mark your calendars for March 20, when the record better late than not at all is set to drop.
How did you first get into music? What has your journey looked like so far?
Growing up, I was always musically inclined. I loved to sing and dance, as you do when you’re a kid. But when I got older, I got really into sports and spent all my time playing lacrosse. I committed and went to USC for lacrosse, but then when I got there, I realised it was not at all what I actually wanted to do. I ended up taking a songwriting class while I was a business major, and that one class changed everything. All the students I met said to me, “You clearly need to be making music.” So I thought I’d give it a shot. I didn’t know anything about it or the industry, but I transferred into the music program from there.
I’ve been making music ever since, and it’s been about seven years now. The people I started making music with in college are the ones I continue to collaborate with today. Even though it’s been so long, I’ve only been releasing for just under two years now. I’ve only put out an EP and two singles. And now I’m here, so it’s definitely been a slow progression with a lot of learning, a lot of time getting comfortable in the studio and learning my voice.
Can you tell us a bit about how social media has played a role in the progression of your music?
I started posting on the internet about three years ago, just fit checks. That’s how it all started. My manager ended up finding me and said she’d love to represent me. At first, I thought it was kind of cringy. I didn’t really want to be on social media. But if I could make some money and not have to work the three jobs I was working, I thought I’d give it a shot. I became full-time in social media, and that’s what gave me the freedom to make music. I’m now signed to Arista, so I’m a full-time musician thanks to them. Even though I was making music way before, I wasn’t sharing it because I was really scared to. I was scared it wasn’t going to resonate. I tried to integrate it naturally, but I wasn’t consistent with that either. When “Toronto” did kind of well, it gave me the confidence to post a bit more and to really invest in it. Then, when I started teasing “halfwaythru,” it did super well, and gave me the confidence to be an artist on the internet.
Can you tell us a bit about your latest EP?
My latest EP is called better late than not at all, which is a line from “Picky Choosey,” the song that I’m putting out next. This EP is me coming back to myself. I was in a relationship previously that was really nice, but it ended because it wasn’t serving me anymore in the ways that I would have wanted a relationship to serve me. It’s a little bit heartbreaking, but it’s also confident and hopeful. I think there are a lot of moments where you see a vulnerable side to me and my relationship, but also a side where I’m protecting myself and my energy. There are playful moments in the project, too, when I’m starting to flirt with other people and have a crush on someone new. I have a song called “If I’m Lucky,” and it’s about crushing on someone who you know is just not your person at all. I don’t know if I can curse here, so I’m not going to, but just someone who’s a red flag, and you’re not looking for anything serious. I feel like the project shows the progression of me getting through my breakup in a six-song packaged EP.
“Picky Choosy” is such an uplifting (and catchy) track. Can you tell us the story behind it?
When I wrote this track, I was at a point where I thought I’d been spending time with people who didn’t deserve to be around me, feeling that they were taking from me energetically. I’m very picky with who I give my time to now and who I surround myself with. That’s what this song is about: it’s about protecting my own energy and knowing that the people I have in my life are serving me in the best way possible. I have amazing friends, and it’s very fulfilling. “Picky Choosy” is like the single girl anthem; it’s about having confidence in yourself and knowing that not everyone deserves to be around you. I think it’s a confident, self-protecting, self-loving song for the girlies and the gays for sure.
Your lyrics are very vulnerable. Does the project have a message you want listeners to take away?
I think the overall EP title of better late than not at all came from me wanting to bring people comfort. I left my relationship maybe a little later than I should have, but at least I still left it and did what was right for myself. With my relationship, nothing bad happened, and I think that made it even harder to leave, but there were a lot of things missing that I really needed. I wanted to give people the strength and confidence to realize they have everything they need inside of them.
Can you tell us about your writing process?
I have a group of writers who are some of my closest friends. This EP was specifically written by me, Jamie Gelman, Tabi and Raquel Castro. It’s all girls, so I think my writing process is just to be in a room with women. We get into the studio, chords are being laid down and we just sit there talking through what’s going on in my life. For the track “I’ll Remember You” specifically, I texted Raquel [Castro] and said I have this concept, we have to write a song about it. A few days later, she had the hook written, and it was crazy because it was exactly what I wanted to say. She nailed it. It’s really refreshing to be surrounded by women who really understand me; it makes the process a lot less stressful, and it feels like therapy. I go in there with a bunch of emotions, and I come out with this tangible thing that I listen to on repeat, which carries all of that emotion for me.
Do you have any advice for people going through heartbreak or grief?
It’s so cliché because it’s what everyone says, but it literally just takes time. It takes getting up and doing all the things you wanted that person to do for you, and doing them for yourself. It will prove to you that you don’t need another person. I think having another person, whether it’s a friend or a lover, is supposed to be like a dessert. I don’t think it’s meant to be the most essential thing. Companionship is beautiful, and I’m so grateful that I have so many amazing friends in my life that I was able to lean on in my breakup. And I would recommend leaning on the people who love you unconditionally, because that’s what it all is. It’s just love. So if you can, fill the hole with love from another person or from yourself, you’re going to be okay.
You’ve been compared a lot to Olivia Dean. Who would you say your biggest inspirations are?
Amy Winehouse is my number one inspiration. Lyrically, I’ve always loved how raw she is. I love her vocals and how imperfect she was. I think I’m never really striving for perfection because she’s my biggest role model in music. I do get compared to Olivia Dean a lot, and I absolutely love her music. I’ve been a fan of hers for years, and would definitely say I’m inspired by her. I think sonically, she makes such beautiful, digestible, soulful music. But I feel like I get compared to her so much that when I’m writing, I sometimes think, “oh that sounds like Olivia Dean, we gotta change it.” I’ll probably always be put in that category, and I never want to step on anyone’s toes. It’s the same with Amy Winehouse. I tell people I love Amy, and then they’ll make me an Amy Winehouse track. That’s not what I’m trying to do. I’m also very inspired by Lola Young. I love her lyricism, I love how bold she is. I would say Lola is probably one of my biggest inspirations. The production in her music is always amazing; every song feels very different to me, and I love that. Her songwriting is so honest, raw and kind of gritty in a really beautiful way.
You’ve also got a dedicated fanbase on social media following you for fashion inspiration. How would you describe your style?
I’d describe my style as playful chic. It ebbs and flows a lot. I’ll have one day where I’m very feminine, and you can see my collarbones, which not a lot of people get to see, and then I’ll have a day where, like right now, I’m in a long-sleeve tee, and really baggy pants. It’s a perfect blend between my feminine and masculine energy. I definitely do carry a lot of masculine energy, and I have days where I like to lean into that. I used to dress very oversized, where literally everything was baggy. My T-shirts were so massive that you could not tell what my body looked like at all. But my current style icon is Lenny Kravitz, so I’m going for more flared jeans and a mini tee moment. I often get asked about my style, and it’s always changing, because I’m always changing. I just kind of wake up and think, what do I feel like wearing today? There’s not really much structure in it.
Do you have a current fashion obsession?
I have one pair of jeans and clogs that I wear together. They’re Acne Studios black denim, kind of distressed looking with some paint on them, they’re flared and they go with everything. The clogs perfectly fit with the pants. It’s a combination that I just can’t stop wearing!
You’re about to head off on your first tour. How does that feel?
I’m finally seeing how much goes into a tour. Even though it’s only two and a half weeks, there are a lot of moving parts, and this is my first time being on this side of it. I’m a bit nervous because this will be the first time performing these songs, so it’ll be interesting to see how they translate from the studio to the live set. But I’m also so excited. Whenever I perform, it’s so validating, and I really feel that this is what I’m supposed to do. When I release music, I’m kind of judging the numbers; it’s hard not to, but when I’m out there performing, I know this is what I’m meant to do. I’m excited to lean into that and keep going.
Who would be your dream artist to collaborate with?
Probably SZA or Doechii. I would maybe throw Tyler, the Creator in there, or Daniel Caesar. I would love to sing a hook on a Daniel Caesar song.
What can we expect from you in the future?
I’m about to put out my EP, and I’m already writing an album. Everything I work on is very honest and truthful to my life, so the fact that the album that I’m writing right now is about where I’m currently at right now, makes it super exciting for me. Expect to see me live. I want to come to Europe. I want to play festivals. I just want to play and be in the studio. You can also expect some intimate pop-ups and acoustic sets. I want to meet people and my fans. I absolutely love meeting my fans; they’re always so sweet. It blows my mind how kind everyone is. It’s very rewarding to meet everyone, so I hope to do a lot of that this year.
