When Jill Sobule said she isn’t interested in following ‘trends’ and what truly means as a success |
Jill Sobule, the ‘I Kissed A Girl’ singer, passed away in an unfortunate house fire in Minneapolis. The ground-breaking artist opened the doors for the LGBTQ+ voices in the 1990s, and normalized the fluidity in human attraction. Sobule might’ve had different perceptions of success or the musical artform, but surely she made an impact by charting the lists.
Why will Jill Sobule always be an icon?
In a throwback interview, Sobule was asked about the reason for the nostalgic songs from the ’90s ageing like a fine wine. She stated, “I didn’t follow any trends. Just whatever came out, I wanted to have that,” according to Double J.
While her eponymous album (debut) was a success, Jill did not adhere to the formula; instead, she dived deep into the dark and created a diverse follow-up, ‘Happy Town.’ “I just wanted to make a reaction to the last record. I wanted to make a strange, darker record. I really love that record, but I don’t think the label saw it as something that they could sell,” she said.
The diverse songs by Jill Sobule
It is highly likely that you could listen to her songs and not determine the year of the release. She continued, “But, in the long run, I listen to those records and I’m still really like ‘Yeah! These do not sound dated. This sounds really fresh!”
Jill, the icon, did not care about album sales; she only cared about ART. “There was always a conflict between art and commerce for me. And art always seemed to win. I didn’t have that kind of naked raw ambition, I just wanted to make good music. I just wanted to be an artist,” according to Double J.
What is success according to Jill Sobule?
Jill Sobule used to get a fan letter or comment almost everyday stating, “Thank you for that song. That meant a lot to me when I was a kid,” she said to Ohio newspaper, Toledo Blade. In her perception of ‘what is success?’, being on top felt meaningless.
“Like, if LeBron James is the greatest of all time, that somehow means Michael Jordan is now a loser. Like, what are you talking about? Does it mean that I’m a loser if I’m not playing Madison Square Garden or if I’m not even selling out the Bowery?” she stated, according to The Creative Independent.
“I always get people coming up to me and saying things like, “Oh, I loved you! Why aren’t you bigger? Why aren’t you more famous?” I know they mean well and that they mean that as a compliment, but damn. It’s hard to hear things like that over and over. Like, yeah, why aren’t I? I don’t know.” Jill added.
However, Sobule reminded herself of what truly meant for success. “I played a show at someone’s house and I was singing, “I Kissed A Girl” in between Lily Tomlin and Jane Wagner, who were singing along with me at a party that I was hired to play. In that moment I’m like, you know what? I’m a f**king success,” she affirmed.
The iconic singer is survived her brother and sister-in-law, James and Mary Ellen Sobule, and her nephews, Ian Matthew and Robert and Robert’s wife Irina, according to Y! Entertainment.
