On Thursdays Del Osei-Owusu sits down with an artist on the FOTN radar and gets them to tell their origin story over.a cup of tea and biscuits. Today it’s the turn of Jacqui and she brought Tesco’s Belgian chocolate cookies!

Hello Jacqui, how are you?

Nice to talk to you. I am doing good.

Congratulations on the release of ‘fries, bb’, how does it feel?

Thank you. It’s my first single in a while after the release of my first studio album [Dirty Mirror Selfie] at the end of last year. It feels nice to release some pressure off me after dropping such a big project of mine.

What’s the story behind the song?

‘fries, bb’ takes place in a late-night burger shop, ordering things when I am not even hungry, just because I want to spend more time with this person next to me. Still, no moves are made, and then it’s me saying, “Just so you know, I am into you.”

You’re a singer, songwriter and producer. How did it all begin for you?

I was born a singer. I’ve always liked singing, and I felt this urge to sing a song with my own melodies and lyrics. And then I realised I want to have my own arrangements of it. Nothing complicated, it just all happened like that.

What did you listen to growing up?

I grew up listening to a lot of things from Four Seasons by Vivaldi to Toxic by Britney Spears. Still, nowadays, one of my go-tos when riding the train during rush hour is Nocturne’s by Chopin, but at the same time, let’s not forget that my love for pop music has always existed.

It’s been three years since your debut with your EP “Birthday”, what’s been a big pinch me moment for you?

It’s my first time in UK for The Great Escape Festival and that alone is so exciting. The big pinch me moment I had was me seeing the music video for ‘Bloom’, a song from my recent album [Dirty Mirror Selfie], on a truck that is driving around Brighton during the festival. I have never seen my face and my name being displayed on such a big screen!

You played SXSW in Sydney, what was that like?

It was my first time in Australia. It was a beautiful city full of beautiful people. Playing in such a big festival outside of my country was sort of “testing the water” for me because it was my first show abroad, and I had no idea what kind of energy I would encounter. The crowd was warm and welcoming, just like the weather there. It was a great experience.

You’ve got live dates coming up, how are preparations going for that?

It’s my first time ever in the UK and I am excited to play shows here. I am planning to show up with a different set list for my tour in the UK, and there are songs that I have never performed before. I like what I have, and all I can do is hope the British people like it as much as I do.

“Fries, bb” is inspired by a burger and wanting to spend more time with someone, what’s your favourite burger and how do you like it?

I was never a big fan of burgers. I like fries, and that’s why the song is called ‘fries, bb’. I can’t decide on which style of fries I like, though. I like everything from wedge cut to crinkle cut fries.

What are you listening to at the moment?

Currently, I am listening to TKOL RMX 1234567 by Radiohead.

What are you looking forward to doing next?

After my tour in UK ends, which will be in a week, I am excited to go back to Korea and work on my craft, merging these new musical and life experiences I’ve had in the UK with what I already have from back home. I am looking forward to evolving into the next version of Jacqui.