At the age of six, Jennifer's parents divorced and she found herself taking on the responsibility of helping her mother raise her younger brother alone. Though times were tough both emotionally and financially, there wasn't anything music couldn't remedy. It wasn't until the age of 9 when Jennifer actually began to perform at talent shows.
That year Jennifer had purchased Britney Spears' very first album and began singing along by reading the lyrics. Channeling the likes of Whitney, Mariah, and Alicia, Jennifer's strong voice has allowed her to develop her own style. "My mom heard me sing the song 'Sometimes' and asked me to sing again. She noticed something different about my voice that day and encouraged me to start performing at events," she said. "Growing up I did a lot of Korean Traditional Dance so my singing voice was kind of my little secret for a while."
Since then, Jennifer has performed at numerous talent shows, weddings, rallies, basketball games, tournaments, and has played leading roles in musicals such as Lucky Stiff, The Fantasticks, and The Wiz. By her senior year of high school she was Co-Band President as well as Spring ASB President. "I took full advantage of my high school career. There's so much that is offered to us that we tend to look over. I don't want to miss any opportunities and make sure to live life to the fullest."
This past summer, Jennifer began recording videos on YouTube just for fun. Slowly the popularity of the videos grew as Jennifer watched the number of views rise each week. Casually performing contemporary hits in front of the camera, Jennifer garnered many fans and subscribers to her videos due to her down to earth persona and powerful pipes to match. Her rendition of Alicia Keys' "No One" has already soared above 3 million views and she is one of YouTube's Most Subscribed (All Time) Musicians. In December of 2007, Jennifer was the Grand Prize Winner for Broadwayworld.com's "GIVE US YOUR VOICE" contest which gave her the opportunity of a lifetime to travel to New York to watch Broadway's The Little Mermaid as well as meet the cast and composer, Alan Menken.
Debating over Berklee College of Music, UC Irvine and UC San Diego , Jennifer made the final decision of becoming an Anteater. She is currently studying Drama and has recently performed in her first UCI play, B.F.E., as Hae-Yoon.
Jennifer is currently unsigned but hopes to independently release a demo later this year.
Can We?
Jennifer Chung Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can we start again
To when we first met?
When our eyes set at each others gaze
And our hearts went ablaze
CHORUS
Painfully beautiful
Now, there's no beauty
No you, there's just me
Now it's just painful... painful
Now it's just painful... painful
CHORUS
Wasn't it painful?
Painfully beautiful
Now, there's no beauty
No you, just me
Now it's just painful... painful
Now it's just painful... painful
Can we start again?
Can we start again?
Jennifer Chung's song "Can We?" tells a story of lost love and the longing to go back to the beginning. The chorus emphasizes this desire to start again, to go back to the time when the couple first met and everything was perfect. The line "When our eyes set at each other's gaze, and our hearts went ablaze" signifies the powerful connection and chemistry between the two lovers, and the memories of that time continue to haunt the singer.
However, as the song progresses, it becomes clear that the love story did not have a happy ending. The line "Now, there's no beauty, no you, there's just me" suggests that the relationship ended badly, and the singer is now alone and in pain. The repetition of "painful" in the last part of the chorus emphasizes the intensity of the heartache that the singer feels.
The song captures the bittersweet feeling of wanting to go back to a time when everything was perfect, but also realizing that it's impossible to do so. It portrays the harsh reality that sometimes, even the most beautiful things can end in pain.
Line by Line Meaning
Can we start again
Asking for a reset in a relationship
To when we first met?
To the time when both were unknown and fresh to each other
When our eyes set at each others gaze
The moment when the eyes locked and exchanged love
And our hearts went ablaze
When the hearts felt on fire and ignited love
Wasn't it painful?
Recalling the past that once was painful
Painfully beautiful
Finding the beauty in the struggles and memories of the past
Now, there's no beauty
Acknowledging that there is no longer any beauty left
No you, there's just me
Realizing that only one person is left in the relationship
Now it's just painful... painful
Feeling the pain of being alone and separated
Can we start again?
Repeating the plea for a fresh start
Can we start again?
Asking for the same thing again, emphasizing its importance
Contributed by Lincoln P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
patdias_
one of my favorite songs in world, for sure. We need to try again in so many things in life, everyday. We should ask in every situation that we are not satisfied in life but we still believe: can we start again? I really love this music, thank you, Jen!
Jennifer Chung
+patpatepat Thank you for listening and commenting on every song!