jxdn, jaden hossler
[Photo by: Katarina Benzova]

jxdn aims to show off classic pop punk with a charming twist in his music

Jaden Hossler, aka jxdn, found himself in the midst of the TikTok boom as he quickly amassed a huge following. After seeing Juice WRLD (Jarad Anthony Higgins) in concert in 2019, the creator was inspired to share art that touched people’s souls the way Higgins did for him. In fact, the singer made it his mission for his fans to know that they can always look to his music for peace of mind. 

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When did you decide you wanted to become an artist? What makes Jaden, jxdn?

When I was 5 years old, I graduated from pre-K, and they asked the kids to write down the things they want to be when they grow up. I wrote down a preacher, rock star and artist. Nineteen years later, I’m standing where I am right now being a rock star and an artist. I guess I’ve foreshadowed it since I was a kid.

Genres are constantly being redefined. Where do you feel like you fit in with it all? What do you use to inspire your sound?

Travis [Barker] and I were just talking about this in the studio. We were trying to identify what wave of punk this is: “Is it the second or third?” You can take it all the way back four generations, but we say this is just another wave of punk. My music is punk music. Whether it may be pop punk, whether it may be a little bit alternative rock, however we go about it, [it’s] still punk music.

As an artist, what do you stand for?

I just want to stand for what’s right. To say what that is is really hard—to define that line of what’s right and wrong. It’s a battle that every human searches for their entire life. What I know is right, without a doubt in my mind, is loving people. I think there’s just so much room for error that people are quick to judge, quick to get angry really fast but not quick to forgive, which saddens me because I feel like in this time in this world, we really just need to understand that we’re all going through it. I need people to understand that music is so much more than just words on paper or words that you hear. It’s real life. I’m not making music hoping that I get [a] No. 1 hit. I’m making music so I can grind and be dedicated endlessly [and] to go on tour to show people around the world that they’re not alone.

You’ve shared a string of singles over the past year, with your most recent being a cover of Olivia Rodrigo’s “drivers license.” Can you share any details about what you have planned next?

I’ve been working on [my album] for the past five months. There’s a bunch of amazing debut tracks on there that are going to be world-shocking. Me and Travis really just wanted to take our time [for] each of the songs and listen to it and ask ourselves if the world was ready to hear it. And we’ve come to the answer that yes, they are ready to hear it. So, we’re pumped. It’s like a throwback [to] 2003 to 2008 pop punk. It’s literally a mix of All Time Low [and] Taking Back Sunday. We’re getting [back] to the roots. We’re bringing it back and making it more charming than ever.

jxdn’s interview appeared in our 100 Artists You Need To Know issue, available here.