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.
White Lies
Jennifer Chung Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And all the plans that we had made
Wanted so bad to talk to you
But I knew what I had to do.
I put down the phone and let it go
'Cause I knew that my voice would reveal my soul.
I tossed & turned 'till I fell asleep
You bruised my heart
Nothing's broken it's just done
Of having careless complications,
Teaching itself to become numb
It's afraid to feel
'Cause what it once thought was real
Was a false note prettied with designs.
They were all just white lies.
What came so fast left as easily
Though we tried to work things carefully.
Intentions were good we had our fun
But for the best said that we were done
No one even knew what we were up to
But how could they understand what was me and you?
When I don't even know for sure myself.
This song is my cry for help.
You bruised my heart
Nothing's broken it's just done
Of having careless complications,
Teaching itself to become numb
It's afraid to feel
'Cause what it once thought was real
Was a false note prettied with designs.
They were all just white lies.
I was never yours,
You were never mine.
When we met it wasn't right.
The stars never aligned.
It was time for you to go.
It was the middle of May
We both knew it was coming,
You were never meant to stay.
You bruised my heart
Nothing's broken it's just done
Of having careless complications
Teaching itself to become numb
It's afraid to feel
'Cause what it once thought was real
Was a false note prettied with designs.
They were all just white lies.
In Jennifer Chung's song "White Lies," she explores the aftermath of a failed relationship, reflecting on the lies and illusions that were created in order to keep things together. The opening lines of the song suggest a longing to reconnect with her former partner and to regain what has been lost. Despite this longing, Chung ultimately decides to let things go, realizing that to continue holding on would only reveal her own emotional turmoil.
The chorus of the song serves as a sort of mantra, repeating the idea that what once seemed real was nothing more than a series of white lies. The words "prettied with designs" suggest a sort of deliberate deception, a desire to make things look and feel different from what they really were. Chung's lyrics acknowledge the pain and vulnerability that arise from a failed relationship, but also highlight the importance of acknowledging the truth and moving forward.
The final lines of the song reveal the foundational falsehood that underpinned the relationship: "I was never yours, you were never mine." This realization serves as a sort of catharsis for Chung, allowing her to let go of the illusions she had created and to move forward with clarity and a new sense of purpose.
Line by Line Meaning
I started thinking about yesterday,
Reflecting upon the past and reminiscing the plans for the future.
And all the plans that we had made
Thinking over the plans that both parties had made.
Wanted so bad to talk to you
Craving conversation with the other person, yearning to communicate.
But I knew what I had to do.
Realizing what the right decision was and deciding to stick to it.
I put down the phone and let it go
Stopping the communication as it was the best decision.
'Cause I knew that my voice would reveal my soul.
Not wanting to communicate anymore since she thought her voice would give away her feelings.
I tossed & turned 'till I fell asleep
Having difficulty sleeping - her mind preoccupied with thoughts of the other person.
Hoping you would meet me in my dreams.
Wishing to see the other person in her dreams which would provide the chance to be together.
You bruised my heart
The other person had hurt her emotions deeply.
Nothing's broken it's just done
Though she feels hurt, nothing is permanently damaged; it's just the end of the relationship.
Of having careless complications,
The problem of having unnecessary complications in the relationship.
Teaching itself to become numb
Becoming emotionally numb to protect herself from any more future emotional distress.
It's afraid to feel
The heart, afraid and experiencing a lack of trust.
'Cause what it once thought was real
Realizing that what was once thought to be real was nothing more than a false reality.
Was a false note prettied with designs.
The idea that the relationship was a façade or a manufactured lie.
They were all just white lies.
The relationship was nothing more than a series of white lies.
What came so fast left as easily
Being together went as quickly as it had started.
Though we tried to work things carefully.
The effort put into trying to make the relationship work.
Intentions were good we had our fun
They had good intentions for the relationship, enjoying themselves while the relationship lasted.
But for the best said that we were done
Coming to an agreement that it was best to end the relationship.
No one even knew what we were up to
No one knew the complexities of their relationship and the difficulties they had been facing.
But how could they understand what was me and you?
Only the two people involved in the relationship would truly understand what was happening.
When I don't even know for sure myself.
The singer herself didn't even know the answers or emotions that were taking place.
This song is my cry for help.
The song is a cry of wanting help to deal with the emotions associated with the relationship.
I was never yours,
Thinking that the other person owned her and that she always had to answer to them.
You were never mine.
Realizing that the other person was not equally committed to the relationship.
When we met it wasn't right.
Realizing that the relationship wasn't right when it had started.
The stars never aligned.
Believing that they weren't meant to be together.
It was time for you to go.
Realizing that it was time for the other person to leave.
It was the middle of May
Describing the time frame when the breakup took place.
We both knew it was coming,
Both parties anticipated the end of the relationship.
You were never meant to stay.
Believing it was never feasible for the other person to stay.
Contributed by Zachary V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
patpatepat
this version is just amazing! loved it :)
Jennifer Chung
+patpatepat woot woot!!!
Helena Lee
you are a true inspiration, your voice and you as a whole seem so authentic. :)
Jennifer Chung
+Helena Lee Helena Thank you so much. I hope I continue to stay myself in this industry that can eat people alive lol <3 You're awesome for the love.
CHEDDA:Cheese
Wonderful!!
Jennifer Chung
Thanks!
Indio 808
BEAUTY VOICE
an.o.maly
ahh i just heard your song (this one) in the drama "secret affair."
an.o.maly
ep 11 around the 23:25 mark in the cafe scene. netflix has the drama in case you're wondering!
Jennifer Chung
Anny Dinh how fun! Which episode?