The Next Adele, Ella Fitzgerald & Billie Eilish?! | Emma Nissen | The Glenn Beck Podcast | Ep 278

What this episode is about

The discussion centers around Emma Nissen, an emerging musical artist whose unique vocal style blends elements reminiscent of iconic musicians like Adele, Billie Eilish, and Ella Fitzgerald. The conversation explores the transformative power of music, the nature of thoughts versus facts, and personal anecdotes about musical influences and memorable encounters within the industry.

Key takeaways

• Thoughts are like bad reviews: subjective and often not based on the real experience.
• Music transcends boundaries; it’s the universal language that speaks straight to our souls.
• Beauty and pain are illusions—choose the narrative that lifts you up instead of weighing you down.
• Meeting heroes is a gamble; sometimes they’re just human, like BB King hitting on your wife.
• True talent is a musical bouquet: diverse influences blending into a unique, unforgettable sound.

Who speaks in this episode?

• Glenn Beck (Guest) · 53 min speaking
• Emma Nissen (Guest) · 36 min speaking

What is discussed, and when

1. 0:00 – 10:00: Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Adele, BB King
2. 10:00 – 20:00: COVID-19 pandemic, Michael Bublé, Taylor Swift, Billy Joel
3. 20:00 – 30:00: Home Title Lock, Michael Bublé, Burna
4. 30:00 – 40:00: Adele, Stevie Wonder
5. 40:00 – 50:00: Taylor Swift
6. 1:00:00 – 1:10:00: Jesus, Angels, Taylor Swift
7. 1:10:00 – 1:20:00: Angels, Stevie Wonder
8. 1:20:00 – 1:28:50: Angels, Ella Fitzgerald

Notable quotes from "The Next Adele, Ella Fitzgerald & Billie Eilish?! | Emma Nissen | The Glenn Beck Podcast | Ep 278"

• I have done I've done interviews and met people that are like my biggest heroes in music. Elton John, Billy Joel, BB King. and I swore I'm not going to meet people I really like anymore because sometime.

  about Billy Joel · at 0:54

• Roses. I like lots of wild flowers. So I appreciate it and I feel like you know people music has kind of changed in that it can be more than one thing and that's kind of where…

  about Jesus · at 3:29

• I heard that. I don't think I've ever I've heard people try to sound like Ella Fitzgerald, but I don't think I've ever heard anybody naturally sound like Ella Fitzgerald. There's parts of that.

  about Ella Fitzgerald · at 7:35

• Have anything to write about that's going to be like there was no I never dated anyone so I had no love stories or like breakups to write about and I wasn't probably that deep or meta that like I wasn't writing anything.

  about Taylor Swift · at 16:08

• A gun. But it's also important to be ready for everything else. And that's why I want to tell you about Burna. They are the leader in less lethal self-defense. A BurnA launcher…

  about Burna · at 24:42

• Stand together with Berna, where safety meets responsibility and preparation meets peace of mind. The FBI has been warning about a type of real estate fraud on the rise called title theft.

  about Home Title Lock · at 25:27

• Him and you know that was the song I heard and I thought she's Adele. Oh, that's such a high compliment. I thank you. You're so gracious with your compliments.

  about Adele · at 39:34

• But sometimes it is you know and it can be but so this is angels there for the other the weary angels rescue and holding on to angels with glory light and grace.

  about Angels · at 1:18:00

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

• Ella Fitzgerald — Person · Referenced musical influence / comparison point · 5 mentions · first at 2:20
  Used as a benchmark for the guest’s natural jazz tone and scat ability; the guest is preparing an Ella tribute and describes Ella as a central muse shaping her musicianship.
• Taylor Swift — Person · Referenced songwriter archetype / industry comparison · 3 mentions · first at 16:01
  Mentioned as an example of a dominant modern songwriter and as a contrast to older lyrical styles; also referenced regarding “eras” as a model for artistic phases.
• Michael Bublé — Person · Referenced performer / case study of “joy” in music · 3 mentions · first at 16:32
  Used as an example of an artist whose appeal transcends genre via stage presence and joy; the host recounts knowing him early and seeing him at Radio City Music Hall.
  And but I grew up listening to the greats like Stevie Wonder and Billy Joel and there's a lot of storytelling in that. And my dad's a storyteller and so I felt like your dad did a famous animation movie, Swan Princess.
• Frank Sinatra — Person · Referenced influence and lyrical allusion · 2 mentions · first at 4:26
  Appears both as a formative listening influence for the guest (alongside Ella Fitzgerald) and as a lyrical reference (“hang my tears out to dry”).
  It is like almost this closeted part of me that I don't get to do as often as I would like. But I went through a really heavy phase in high school of just listening to Elephitz…
• Billy Joel — Person · Referenced hero and songwriting influence · 2 mentions · first at 1:02
  Mentioned as one of the host’s heroes and as part of the guest’s “greats” upbringing tied to storytelling in songwriting.
• Adele — Person · Referenced artist for vocal comparison · 2 mentions · first at 2:07
  The host initially identifies the guest’s voice as sounding like Adele, using Adele as a contemporary pop/soul reference point for timbre and emotional delivery.
• BB King — Person · Referenced hero / anecdote subject · 1 mention · first at 1:02
  Cited as one of the host’s biggest music heroes; used in a humorous story about meeting idols and “ruining the magic.”
  I've done interviews and met people that are like my biggest heroes in music. Elton John, Billy Joel, BB King. and I swore I'm not going to meet people I really like anymore because sometime like BB King.
• Stevie Wonder — Person · Referenced influence / “greats” example · 3 mentions · first at 16:27
  Cited as part of the guest’s formative listening (“the greats”) and as an exemplar of storytelling and musicianship.
  And but I grew up listening to the greats like Stevie Wonder and Billy Joel and there's a lot of storytelling in that. And my dad's a storyteller and so I felt like.
• Elton John — Person · Referenced hero (host’s) · 1 mention · first at 0:59
  Listed among the host’s “biggest heroes in music,” establishing the host’s musical taste and credibility in discussing artists.
  I have done I've done interviews and met people that are like my biggest heroes in music. Elton John, Billy Joel, BB King. and I swore I'm not going to meet people I really like anymore because sometime.

Companies & orgs

• Northern Arizona University — Company · Affiliation · 1 mention · first at 12:43
  Mentioned as the institution where the guest received a scholarship for their vocal program, highlighting their educational background.
  Definitely play by ear and then just relying on chords. But so I was fortunate enough to get a scholarship to Northern Arizona University, their vocal program. And I don't know…

Concepts & topics

• Jesus — Concept · Core topic · 1 mention · first at 1:09:25
  Central theme in the discussion about spirituality and music, particularly in the context of Christian jazz.
• Angels — Concept · Key argument · 11 mentions · first at 1:07:32
  Discussed in the context of spiritual beliefs and personal experiences, highlighting the role of angels in providing comfort and guidance.

Places & events

• COVID-19 pandemic — Event · Setting · 2 mentions · first at 14:54
  Mentioned as a significant event that influenced the guest's personal and professional journey, particularly their time in Sweden.
  Pandemic starts and I'm like I felt I had been led there by God and I was like this is my thing that I'm going to do.

Sponsors

• Home Title Lock — Product · Sponsor · 2 mentions · first at 26:06
  Advertised as a solution to protect against title theft, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding home equity.
• Burna — Product · Sponsor · 1 mention · first at 24:49
  Promoted as a less lethal self-defense option, emphasizing safety and responsibility.

Full transcript with timestamps

0:00 Thoughts are just thoughts. They're never true unless they're a fact. Facts are true. But thoughts, they're made up.

0:07 Music is different than the spoken word or painting or anything else. It's just different. It speaks right directly to the soul.

0:17 Amazing. So, if you're making up that you're ugly and you're making up that you're beautiful, choose the one that moves you forward then hinders you.

0:24 This is the best gym encounter of all time. I know. Well, I was seriously spiritually swole after that.

0:38 Ready? All right. Roll it when you're ready. I have done I've done interviews and met people that are like my biggest heroes in music. Uh Elton John, Billy Joel, BB King. Um and I swore I'm not going to meet people I really really like anymore because sometime like BB King

1:13 does it ruin the magic. Yeah. BB King hit on my wife and I was like and I was like no BB no. Um didn't really pay attention to me. He was just like come on over and sit on BB's lap. Um uh and we've spent a couple of hours together and you are you're wonderful. You're really wonderful.

1:33 I appreciate it. Likewise. I discovered you eight months ago. That long ago really?

1:39 Yeah. Maybe. Yeah. Six months. I don't know. Whatever. Time goes by fast. Yeah. And uh I saw you because you were someplace and you were just uh riffing on the Hammond B3 and you were singing Got to Have Faith.

1:53 Oh yeah. And uh you didn't sing the whole song. And I saw that and I was like, "Oh my gosh, who is this person?" and I listened to you and when I got there and started going through music, the first thing I heard, I don't remember what it was, but I thought, "Oh, she sounds like Adele." Then I listened to the next song and I went, "No, she sounds like Billy Isish." And then I heard the next song and I thought, "She's positively Ella Fitzgerald." And I have found that whenever you can't put somebody in a box, that's when you have real unique talent.

2:33 Well, thanks. Um, tell me your story. First of all, can play um, uh, play Breathe,

2:42 the whole song if you want to. I mean, I've got the time. Of course. We'll start with a banger. Yeah. Uh that's I mean first of all thank you for saying that because you know it was interesting when I was putting together the album I uh was listening to all of them trying to come up with the order and I was like I had written them pretty much in the within one year of it. But when I was producing them I produced them with about three different producers and I felt like it all just kind of sounded different. like one was very

3:14 um much gospel inspired and one was more poppy, one was clearly more jazzy and but I think I settled more on like oh it's okay for it to be diverse. It's more like a bouquet, you know, cuz you don't want just something me personally I don't care for a bouquet of just roses. I like lots of wild flowers. So I appreciate it and I feel like you know people music has kind of changed in that it can be more than one thing and that's kind of where we landed with Jesus and jazz that it's not just one thing. So this is prayer request. Breathe. I breathe.

3:51 Fill up my lungs. I breathe the warmth of the sun. I breathe be. And I see so many holding on. I believe that when kingom comes, I become really overcome and breathe. Feels like I'm drowning when it's me. My thoughts and I just like Sinatra said. I guess I hang my tears out to dry. Gaz kind of to say by my side. Just like the queen of soul, I say a little prayer and now comes a sorry. I brea brea brea brea there's some sort of peace that comes when no one got I look into a face filled with familiarity I let the good air f my lungs there's some sort of peace that comes I guess when you watch over me is my Lord, my God, my Savior, my King and my reme and I brea brea brea Brea.

5:31 Say hello. Feels like I'm just like I guess I hate my guess. I never dug into a hand by just like the queen of soul. I'll say a little prayer and a night comes aside and die. Brea, brea, brea, brea, brea, brea.

6:44 I brea feel my lungs. I breathe the warmth of the sun. I breathe. Oh, they got you one. I high I I

7:15 Where does that come from? It's a conglomeration of a lot of things. Uh I mean, you look like you could be in ABBA, you know what I mean? And then that comes out of you. It's It's amazing.

7:28 Well, thanks. Ironically, I don't breathe at all during that song. I find myself gasping. I'm like, but um No,

7:35 I heard that. I don't think I've ever I've heard people try to sound like Ella Fitzgerald, but I don't think I've ever heard anybody naturally sound like Ella Fitzgerald. There's parts of that.

7:44 Yeah. That sound positively. How much of a role did she play in your life? Extremely central to so much of uh my musicality now. Even if I you what I do isn't strictly jazz, though. It's it's it is like almost this closeted part of me that I don't get to do as often as I would like. But um I went through a really heavy phase in high school of just listening to Elephitz Gerald and Frank Sinatra like every day. And that it was kind of just my Yeah, she's my muse. So

8:17 And can I can I ask you I heard that you are doing a tribute to Ella at the Ella Fitzgerald Theater.

8:25 Yes. Yes. What was what is that like to be asked? I don't know if I fully digested it. I It's like some girls, they wait and they plan and they've got Pinterest boards for their wedding and that is just like the peak of their existence. But this, when Tom, my manager, told me about it, I was like, Tom, whoa, you're being way too nonchalant about this. This is like the peak of this is this is the best thing I'm ever going to be asked to do because Ella Fitzgerald's everything to me. So, um I'm just so excited and she like to give some background of my my ear training and and it's Ella Fitzgerald largely but before that it was Gershwin and Debutc and Shopan and all of these classical not that I played but I have four older brothers and um the one that's just older than me he was probably the one that I was listening to practice the most. And he would get up at 5:00 a.m. and practice every single He was just very, very

9:29 dedicated. And he would practice these passages for these very long and difficult, complicated songs over and over and over again. And it would annoy him so bad, but I knew what came next. So I could sing these like complicated

9:44 uh Rap City and Blue note forotee. obviously not every note cuz there's a lot of fingers going on. But

9:50 um I would sing them and he would he would hate it because I would sing what was coming next, but he just needed to practice slowly. And I realized when I I I was thinking back on this just the other week that when he was doing that, we were all at home together and I was like, Adam, I think that that is why I am like I why I attached myself to jazz and learning scat because the what makes me so excited about the elephants thing is I'm so obsessed and love her so much that I learned note fornotee a seven minute scat solo that she did live in 1960 from How High the Moon. Like I just I knew it note for note and sometimes I'm like how did I do that? And I'm like oh it's because I've been doing that since I was little doing you know and so that's like I'm very you know no pressure on myself to do you know 7 minutes note fornotee but

10:43 I I'm like that's what you're going to do that's my time to shine. That's Yeah, I'm really excited about it cuz I'm like this is you know some people work for I' you know I'm only 25 but I'm excited for that one for sure.

10:56 You sound like you are 50 musically. I really do. Thank you. I mean I you know and it's interesting you say your brothers played classical because I don't remember what song I was listening to that day

11:07 and it was on your I heard it on your um uh your acoustic album. Mhm. But I I felt that like there was hints of classical and I thought, "No, she's Nina Simone."

11:22 Yeah. Um because the chords and some of the ways you play the piano, it's it's just not typical.

11:32 Oh, well, part of that could be because I quit piano very early on, so I kind of have to fudge the rest of it, but

11:39 Wow. It's uh yeah, it definitely How much how much classical training do you have

11:43 vocally? Nine weeks. And I'll tell you the story there. Nine weeks. Yeah, there wasn't much to learn there. But I mean, no, no, no, not meaning that I there wasn't much for me to learn, but there wasn't much that I could learn in those nine weeks before. Um,

11:58 so my vocal cord I know it's a big story. Okay, can just why only nine weeks? Well, I'll tell you. So, and this kind of goes into me writing music for the first time. So, grew up in a very musical family. Obviously, my brother, who's the second oldest, taught me how to read chords, and I think once I read chords, I kind of quit on piano, but I did take piano growing up. Um, and I could read music, but I've I've since very my skills are lacking in that department. So, I read chords and I started to find songs that I really loved and uh learn them and then kind of put my own. Yeah. Yeah.

12:36 Definitely play by ear and then just relying on chords. But so I was fortunate enough to get a uh scholarship to Northern Arizona University, their vocal program. And I don't know that I quite comprehended how opera that would be. And so it wasn't like my jam necessarily, but I was like I was in it and I was excited for it, but it meant that I was singing like six hours a day between practices and choirs and ear training classes and diction classes. They all had some element of vocalization and singing and or just talking or in my extracurriculars. So what ended up happening was nine weeks into that first semester, I hemorrhaged my right vocal cord.

13:17 Holy cow. Yes. Wait, did you did you feel it? No. Did you know this is what you were to do yet?

13:27 No. Okay. So, it wasn't like, "Oh my gosh, my whole life is over." Well, yes, but it's it was a perfect segue. So, at that time in my life, I felt pretty connected spiritually to like what God wants me to do, I will do. and what God's plan for me is, I want to I want to uh, you know, chase after that. And so, I kind of had this like if there's a perfect window of opportunity for me to do something that God wants, like I want to follow that. And so, I had that kind of in the back of my head. And it was I mean, we you could call it by chance that my vocal coach was like, "Oh, the ENTs, they need mock patients to learn scoping throats. Will you go be a mock patient?" And it just so happened that it was like just a few days prior to that that I had lost my voice and I didn't realize that that was the hemorrhage. And so I go in and they're like, "Oh, it looks like you've hemorrhaged your vocal cords, but

14:19 because we're just students, you should go get another opinion, but stop talking. Stop singing. You'll probably need to drop out of college." So my immediate reaction was like, "Oh my gosh, this is horrible." I thought that God was leading me to college. And like I got this scholarship. I was the first freshman to ever get into the jazz program there. And I felt like I was, you know, crushing it. But then immediately I get this like this is this is my window of opportunity to do something better that I don't yet understand. I just got to have faith.

14:48 Good for you. So that was like I was like is that where that song comes from? So a year later I'm living in Sweden. Pandemic starts and I'm like I felt I had been led there by God and I was like this is my thing that I'm going to do.

14:59 Because you're serving you're you're serving God and you're Yeah. Right. And I Yeah. I was on a I was doing a church mission at that time cuz I just kind of changed course. I was like, "Okay, I won't do college." So, I decided to do a church mission. And nine weeks into that, pandemic starts. And oh my god, I was like, "Well, I thought that God wanted me to do this." And I get that same like,

15:19 "Well, this is this is the window of opportunity to do something better. I, you know, I just got to have faith." And for the first time in my life, I'd never written a song, but I went over the piano just a second. I just I need to say this again cuz I heard this the other day after listening to you and really listening to you over and over again

15:40 and then I find out you had never written a song until 5 years ago. Yeah. Isn't that crazy?

15:47 That's nuts. It is nuts. That's nuts. I kind of still don't believe it sometimes.

15:51 And you like didn't have a desire. You didn't want to, right? No. I you know I don't think that I had anything to write about up until that point. And you know, when I was in even now obviously like Taylor Swift is huge and like Taylor Swift was the writer and like I was just like h I don't really have anything to write about that's going to be

16:11 like there was no I never dated anyone so I had no love stories or like breakups to write about and I wasn't probably that deep or meta that like I wasn't writing anything

16:20 and I just kind of thought like it was cheesy and it was every girl's pipe dream to just like be a writer with their guitar. So I was like h whatever. And um but you know, I grew up listening to the greats like Stevie Wonder and Billy Joel and and there's a lot of storytelling in that. And my my dad's a storyteller and so I felt like

16:38 your dad did a famous animation movie, Swan Princess. Yeah, Swan Princess. Yeah, he did. He's got all of the the

16:45 you know the like Yeah. the what they use to work on the animation. Yeah. In his in his room. It's just so cool.

16:52 Um and he was the voice of Derek in the third one. Wow. Yeah. Wow. So that's always fun. But he Yeah, my dad's a storyteller. And so I I feel like I grew up, you know, telling lots of stories uh through different facets of my life. But

17:09 you're in So you're in Sweden. I'm in Sweden. And now it's co down and I'm like, well, what story do I have to tell? And it and it really just kind of came from my I was like, well, we got to have faith. And so I felt like, oh, the way cuz at that point, I didn't really know if I was going to be a singer. it still felt a little out of reach and maybe unrealistic. And I also just, you know, wanted at my core to be somebody that was there for other people, someone that people could relate to, someone like an angel to other people, like how can I help? And I felt like those two things

17:43 slipped together in writing that first song. And I remember I was like, you know, I've always just kind of had a little like gospel choir in the back of my head, but I was like, got to have faith. And I walk over the piano fighting the Lord and I was like and I I just remember just being filled with so much joy at that point and it just wrote itself. Oh, sorry.

18:04 That I'll tell you that is when I saw you playing the Hammond B3. That's what I felt. I felt this pure joy coming out of you. It was amazing.

18:13 No, for sure. Will you play it? I will. Um, let's see. So, this is a song really kind of to you.

18:20 Oh, for sure. This was this was my anthem that I think carried me through a lot of anything that came my way. I was like, "Well, we got to have faith." And that just kind of became my thing. And it it's it's applicable to just about anything. So, I look around and begin to count my It's not the right lyrics. What is it? First one. I should know it.

18:48 No, it is. I look around. I'm reaching. Oh, it's reaching out. is reaching out, counting my blessings. I'm reaching out yet the sun keeps on setting pain, but bringing in the blue. As I look to the stars, I can feel the tears start swelling and I cry, "Help me, Lord. did what I'm meant to do. I got to have faith. Faith in the Lord that the sun will rise tomorrow and I'll be stronger than before. I got to have faith. Faith in the Lord that these trying times will help me and I can reap my reward. I look around and begin to count my blessings.

19:50 Oh, one point and I see what God has done. My heart is full and I don't need to keep on guessing. I am a child of God even after all is said and done. But I got to have faith. Faith in the Lord that the sun will rise tomorrow and I'll be stronger than before. I got to have faith. Faith in the Lord that these trying times will help me. And I can reap my reward. Oh, and I know that my Savior's walking with me by my side, in my heart, and in my mind. He's the light of my life that I need to. And I know that I am because of it.

20:52 And I'm going to have faith. Faith in the Lord that the sun will rise tomorrow and I'll be stronger than before. Faith, faith in the Lord that this giant dow me and I can reap my reward. I got to have I got to got to got to got to have faith in the Lord. The sun will rise tomorrow and I'll be stronger than before. He's a light of my life that I need to and I'm all that I am because of him.

21:56 So when you write that and you sing it and you you you've got it nailed, you think?

22:01 Yeah. What what did you think when you when you finished what? Honestly, I so on my mission, I just had Facebook and it was like my mom and probably some other fan accounts that she had created that like I didn't have anybody following me. And I kind of I had to get over this fear that people were going to judge me for being a girl that was singing cuz I never wanted to be the type of person that was like, "Hey guys, here's a song that I wrote and I really like it and I hope you like it, too." You know what I'm saying?

22:27 So, I just didn't want to be that person that like was self-centered and thought that I was a great singer and that everyone would benefit from listening to me.

22:33 Yeah. But then I realized like once I started writing about my spiritual journey and like my imperfections in that journey, I realized, oh, it's not about me. It's about the collective, you know, bringing people together and the the experiences that we share. And

22:49 you and I talked before we started recording about we're all so much alike and we all hide so much because we think we're flawed and nobody else is. We're all flawed. And we're all flawed in many times exactly the same way.

23:06 I could tell you probably a lot of stories of me embarrassing myself with the the few celebrities that I've met and you will see how flawed I truly show up as. I met John Legend uh last December. I was opening for him with Adam Blackstone. Straight up just I had a runny nose. Didn't think it through. My body took over and I wiped my nose right before shaking his hand. And everybody, we all just like it was like time stopped and I was like, "There's not on my head and like brought attention to it. It was horrible. It was awkward. Everybody hated it." My dad was like, "No, you ruined this." And I was like, "Well, whatever." And so now at my shows, I'm like, "I just got to tell you,

23:47 I'm not any cooler than you just cuz I'm up here. I have snot on my hand when I see John Legend." So it's like I I don't know. I just think being authentic is so much more relatable than what what you think people want you to be or what you think people want to be. You know,

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26:52 in some ways Christian music there's praise and worship music. But you don't fit in that box. And um I don't know why it has to be called Christian because you know I I listen to some popular music and it's not I don't call it pornography.

27:10 Yeah. But any you know uh just because the lyrics are are one way or another. It's

27:17 Yeah. I think genres really come down to like identifiable community. But uh so like when it when my music gets lobbed into the Christian genre, which technically it is because we do we talk about spirituality, we talk about, you know, Christ and a lot of themes in Christianity. Um but I have a lot of listeners and a lot of, you know, people that have discovered my music that either aren't religious at all.

27:44 You just did a tour in Europe if I'm not mistaken. Yeah. That's not a big, you know,

27:49 I know. Well, it's interesting because I thought I grew up thinking that that Europe was more secular and kind of agnostic atheist, especially Sweden, um, where my, you know, heritage is from. And, and I got there and I was because I was connected to, uh, the Christian scene through a friend. I went and did a Christian festival. I was like, "Oh, there's a lot of Christians here." But, so I think you find your people. But it's been really cool that um me finding my people there has not been a single like uniform fan, you know? It's just been a lot of different walks of life because you know, we talked about this a little bit earlier that

28:29 you can write a song for one purpose or from one piece of inspiration or one moment in your life, but it's up to the listener. It's like art and I know you collect a lot of art that like they may have intended to convey this message but you may feel something deeply that is based on your version of reality and what you've experienced up to that point. So that's why I'm like

28:48 I think I got over that fear of being that girl that was like hey guys here's a song because I was like this is something that came from me. Do with it what you will and what you do with it is going to be beautiful and we're allowed to be together in that. So there's a, you know, um, Michael Bubé and I became friends before he was Michael Bubé and, uh, and I remember going to see him in concert early on. It was the first time he was at Radio City Music Hall.

29:17 And he walks out on stage and before he walks out, I'm talking to people and they're from all over the world. All over the world.

29:23 And they had traveled all over the world and and seen him several times. And uh I had known his music, but I had never seen him live.

29:33 Mhm. And you don't have to like standards to like Michael Bubé. The key to Michael Bubé is joy.

29:42 He is so joyful. Yeah. The whole time. And I think that cuts across all Yeah. genres.

29:53 I think especially about like jazz standards. The way I the reason I gravitate towards those is because there is a feeling that is almost intangible from those and it's like the nostalgia, the joy, the and I know that you're saying Michael Boué radiates that joy and not necessarily the music, but I think

30:12 Yeah. It's he's so happy to be there and to do it. You know what I mean? He just it just is like that is just

30:22 he loves it and you can feel that. Yeah. your music, you still feel that from you, but also the lyrics and everything else.

30:30 Yeah. Yeah. I think I've I've received that from several people that despite maybe, you know, especially some international fans that maybe when I'm singing really fast or I don't enunciate very much,

30:42 the the the inspiration coming from those jazz, the nostalgia, the the way they paint pictures with those beautiful, you know, poetry and words,

30:51 I'm like, well, that's what I want to convey in my music. And I feel like I've done a successful job to this point because of the reactions that I've got like I didn't even know this was talking about this or I didn't even know what this was talking about and I felt this and I'm like music speaks for itself, you know, and it's like

31:06 that's up to them. When did you hit when when did this when did it explode? When did it explode? Cuz it exploded with that song, right?

31:15 Mhm. Uh no, with Breathe. The first one that I breathe was the first one I think cuz it was so niche. It was I posted a video two November ago. So, November of 23. I was like, "Have you heard of Christian jazz?" And um it just kind of exploded. I was not expecting it. And I Yeah, I was just posted on Instagram and I thought, "Oh, this is fun. People might like it." And they did. And then it it brought us to uh I I started getting lots of DMs for the first time. I was like, "Oh, this is crazy." And uh one of those people was Adam Blackstone who is the musical director. He's been involved with you know the Super Bowl, Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, Beyonce, Stevie Wonder. He works with everybody. Uh just an incred and an incredible person to to know in the industry. But he texted or he DM'd me on Instagram and was like, "Who are you? Come to New York and sing at Blue Note Jazz Club."

32:11 Blueote. Yes. So, I didn't know I live under a rock somewhat because I kind of live in the 1940s and I don't know anything current. So, I um looked up Adam Blackstone and I was like, "Oh, he's a big deal."

32:26 And then um I like cuz I don't know anything. Then I looked up Blue No Jazz Club and I was like, "Oh, it's a big deal." Oh, you didn't know?

32:34 No, I don't know anything. Well, that's not true. But like about the industry, I was very I've been very slow to learn like, "Oh, this is important. You should know this." cuz I'm just flying by the seat of my pants on a lot of on a lot of stuff, going by the vibes, you know, jazz. But I um and I think maybe because I was a singer, he thought I was based in New York, but he was like, "Come and sing with me next week and in or next month in jazz at Blueo." And I was like, "Okay." And he was like, "You're based in New York." And I was like, "Yes." I was like, "I'll be there." Like anywhere that you want me to be. I was like, "I'll be there."

33:08 And we had such a good time. We uh he asked me if there was anything I had written and I was like is this how this goes? Like he was so incredible. So we ended up singing Love Like You and then a Christmas song that he had written with for on his LP that was for Andre Day and um we just had a great time. I met Queen Latifah there. Wasn't as awkward, no snot involved, but uh yeah, I just Yeah, I had a great time. It was the energy was palpable and we we just grooved and I was like, "Uh, do you want to I don't know the rules to to a lot of this game." So, I was like, "Do you want to record this?" Cuz I was like, "I don't know. You just ask. Maybe it's not maybe you shouldn't ask people that are that high up if they can do you that favor." But I was like, "Do you want to produce this?" And he was like,

33:56 "Yeah, that would be awesome. My studio's in Philly." And I was like, "Great. I can live in Philly." I'm like, I cannot be there.

34:04 I'm located in Philly. So, and so yeah, he ended up producing that song and it was just like I think that was kind of my introduction into um kind of his sphere cuz he really took me into he really took me under his wing and he's been a really good contact cuz he's just so kind and he just wants people to succeed. So, I've just I feel like oh yeah, this isn't this isn't hard. This isn't scary. It's just about having fun and so yeah. So what came what came next?

34:34 So when I moved back to the states after Sweden, I started I knew that I wanted to record the music I had been writing and I thought it's still kind of a big dream.

34:43 What had you had written? I So I had written just about every I've written probably about 26 Christian songs

34:52 and I'll end up releasing 24ish. Um, I've got two albums worth and I wrote the majority of those minus maybe three or four it from March of 2020 until like August of 21 in that year and a half. I just like that was how I spent my time. And so I came home and like Septemberish I I picked one song and that was Hear Him. I did a Kickstarter, people donated, I was able to go to Nashville and record three more songs. met some great people and then uh got picked up by a label then was able to do the rest of

35:32 play here and tell me tell me a story. the serious the story of hear him was truly just that uh I don't know I think we talk about uh like I grew up the culture of speaking about the spirit was still small voice and uh you know it was a phrase hear him the voice is soft and low that was kind of like ruminating in my mind just

36:03 it's not always loud it's not always obvious and that was what I felt was there right after I was walking out of the hospital. I felt like it was a it was a small just like kind of like just got to have faith, you know? It's just kind of like in the back of my head and I was like, "Yeah, you're so right." And

36:17 I think that's why people miss it. Yeah, maybe they miss it cuz they think it's just them.

36:22 It's going to be so obvious. But I think to a lot of things is like it's it's up to you. my beliefs now as I've just kind of grown and changed and reconstructed, deconstructed, all of the above. I think too that the spirit and how you see God and Jesus or something greater is up to you. You you choose to open your eyes to answers, to blessings, to goodness. And so that's kind of, you know, it's like you will hear what you're looking for. And if you're only looking for something to be a grand gesture and for God to just rain down fire and these big miracles, it's like, well, you might you might be missing all these these small open doors just because the one that you want is closed.

37:05 Um, so that was kind of the the thought behind this one. out of the water. I fill up my lungs and I say to the father, "What have I done to deserve all this loving? I can't understand." But I know that he hears me cuz I get this answer. Hear him. Though the voice may be soft and low, hear him and you'll know. Hear him stry with all your heart and soul. Hear out of the darkness and into the light. This weight on my shoulders begins to take flight. I can feel my heart growing. Yes, I feel it inside. And I know that'll carry me through the darkest night.

38:23 Hear him though. The voice may be soft and low. Hear him and you know love. Hear him st with all your heart and soul. Hear him and you'll know. Oh no lies before me. But all I know is I trust in the Lord completely. Completely. Hear him. Though the voice may be soft and low here, Angel with all your heart and soul. Hear him and you know hear him star with all your mighty mind and sorrow. Hear him and you know you know

39:46 that was the song I heard and I thought she's Adele. Oh, that's such a high compliment. I thank you. You're so gracious with your compliments.

39:56 No, I I'm I don't say what I don't believe. It's it's remarkable. You know, I'm listening to and this may be an odd question that maybe nobody can relate to.

40:06 You have and I don't even know if this is the right language tonality. you the way you form your words, the way you use your your mouth. It's did you just learn that from listening to people? Cuz it's it's it's almost as if and and maybe

40:27 it comes from scat. Maybe I've heard you do your, you know, mouth trumpet. Yeah. and you absolutely sound like a trumpet, but there are times where

40:38 the way you form your words in your mouth, it sounds almost like different instruments and it just it gives you this unique sound.

40:47 Yeah. I think I've spent a lot of my high school and listening to jazz imitating and trying to find I don't know that I was ever trying to like consciously find what does eminence sound like because I think I am just a conglomeration of the things that I've gr grown up on

41:08 but I've learned to kind of imitate different sounds and I truly have this thing that like if a truck goes by and honks its horn I will subconsciously Like if it's like I'll be like like I just have to I have to like Yeah. Or if like someone will like I'll hear that and I'll go I have to like get the right note. I have to like you know I have to it's like a

41:30 I don't know an auditori not not that but yeah but it's just like an I I don't even know. I just find myself and it it gets me into trouble because sometimes if somebody one time I was in in high school history class and my teacher said the word rhinoceros weird and I didn't mean to but I was like and it was dead quiet and I was like I am so sorry.

41:51 I was like I cannot believe I just said that but it was subconscious and I think I just spend a lot of my life repeating and trying to figure out oh can I do that you know and so um

42:01 did you did you listen to the instruments or did you listen to people can you do a little mouth trumpet?

42:07 Yeah, this was something I discovered in third grade. I was like I'm not even kidding. It was just like me probably just trying to be more annoying. But um let's see with lip gloss it'll be amazing.

42:39 It's just a thing. It's a party trick. It's just a party trick. Yeah, but that one's fun fun for sure to But yeah, I found myself kind of just repeating and I feel like I'm conscious of the emotion that it evokes when I hear something like uh we were talking about Samara Joy earlier and just some of the greats in jazz when they come into a song that's like

43:02 you just hear like for example uh At last by James that that first I want to like you hear that ah and it's kind of nasely But you know what's coming and it just evokes this like a Sunday kind of love and it just feels like falling in love. And so for me I've been like okay well if I'm going to sing a note then I'm going to and that's for me reminiscent of Eda and anyone else. Yeah. I think if I were to take my best guess at what I'm doing,

43:38 you're you wrote I think I um one of my favorite love songs is um till that day.

43:48 No, Ray Ray Charles um I can't remember the name of it now, but it you know I love you in a place where there is no space or time

43:56 and it's stuff like that. It's like we don't write like that anymore, honestly. You know, like no shade to Taylor Swift, but I don't hear that in her songs.

44:04 But you do. You know the uh what is the love song that I wrote it down here till that day.

44:11 I love that song because I love the lyrics in it. It's like I love you in a place where there's no space and time.

44:20 Yeah. Yeah. I don't even know. Well, I know where I was in that moment where I had written that. I was so hurt and I think I I think in that moment I had I would say that I I was in love in that like I I had fallen in love with somebody and it was not like reciprocated in the way maybe that my expectations had set up for myself but and it was you know all I had ever listened to was jazz and I had like fallen in love with this guy and I

44:51 and it got my heart broken and I was like well I'm going to write exactly how that feels. And so it's just like a very nostalgic um like I wanted to paint the picture of all the things that you feel when you're when you're in in love. And

45:07 who produced this on the album? Uh so I did this in Nashville with my producer Seth Mosley. He

45:12 it's really well produced. It won't sound the same doing it. No, it won't unfortunately because we don't have the vocoder and the vocoder is the secret ingredient.

45:20 Oh, it's really amazing. But the lyrics and the music are enough. Play, please.

45:27 I It's been a minute since I since I've reminisced about this song, so I'll have to just

45:34 um You'll have to look it up. I have to look it up because I So, do you think there's ever going to come a time where you're sick of the songs that you

45:42 Yes, I already am. I already are. You know, I know that's horrible to say, but I' i've got to be honest. Sometimes I I sing songs, but this is the beauty of showing it to new people is they get to reintroduce it to you.

45:54 I uh I did an interview just just like this with Tony Bennett and I know and uh and it's the last few minutes and he hasn't done I Left My Heart and I said I hate to ask you this because you know you must maybe you're sick of it but I can't. and he jumped ugly on me real quick. He was like, "Why would I be sick of that song?" And I'm like, "No, I didn't mean it that."

46:22 But he sang it. It was unbelievable. Oh, I'm sure. Yeah. But no, I think and it's just maybe because I I've kind of gotten into the rhythm of doing them. But that's why I like doing stuff live is because especially with jazz

46:35 or jazzy elements to things is because they never really sound the same. Yeah. Um, but yeah, this this one goes kind of high, so we will do our best here. Everybody's talking about the magic it is to be loved, but I don't know it. No, I don't know. Everybody's showing off their life with a lens rose around. But I won't show it. No, I won't show it. Till the day you looked at me with such delirious love in your eyes. Till you talk to me like it's the last day, last day of our lives. Till you walk with me forever like we been hypnotized to be the one that I love. It will never make me want to say goodbye.

47:52 Everybody's running around with their fingers laced and adorned. But I don't buy it. No, I don't buy it. And every smile I ever seen seems to be set free by this fall in love. But I wouldn't show it. No, I wouldn't show it. Till the day you looked at me with such delirious love in your eyes. Till you walked with me like it's the last day, last day of our lives. Do you walk with me forever? Like we've been hypnotized to be the way that love will never make me want to say goodbye. Oh, I feel myself falling into a picture perfect life.

48:55 I feel I've waited twice as long just to get the double prize. I don't hurt lied to. I've been deeply traumatized. So don't love me in the ways that I despise. Till the day you looked at me with such delirious love in your eyes. Till you talk to me forever like we've been hypnotized. Till you walk with me forever like we've been hypnotized. To be the one that I love will never make me want to say goodbye. To be the one that I love who will never make me want to say goodbye.

49:57 What's it like to be able to move people emotionally like that? I don't know. I don't know that I consciously have an expectation of the emotion that's to be moved but or even if I like sometimes when I'm saying

50:12 you must feel it like I am so emotional after that and you must feel that it must be a really could be a very dangerous thing if you will let it go to your ego but it must be a really cool thing to be able to

50:28 sing music is different than the spoken word or painting or anything else. It's just different. It speaks right directly to the soul.

50:37 Yeah. There's a couple things I would say to that. One, I I don't know, this isn't me feigning humility, but I truly don't know that I um have any expectation of like affecting people's lives, but in retrospect when I get to hear because you like a lot of a lot of li like I don't do it to and I know that's not what you're saying, but like I I don't do it to go out there and be like, I'm going to go bless lives right now and like go to a concert, you know,

51:07 but I just like I do it cuz um it's it's blessed mine and I want to share that.

51:13 And one of the things that's cool about this position and you know I run into people sometimes

51:21 uh out and about and they you know they'll stop me and just tell me like really quick, oh you know I've loved this or this or I've I found this song when this and this happened. It's very very kind of them to like go deep and share something with me. But a lot of people don't really get to see the effect of what they do and how that ripples out. But in moments like that, I'm like, "Oh my gosh, I can't believe I get to I get to see pretty immediately what that

51:46 what that was to somebody." And that I think um you never know what it's going to be. And so I don't ever want to try like with my writing music, I've never thought I want to make somebody feel loved, so I'm gonna write a song that is like that. It purely is inspiration.

52:05 That would be AI. Well, yeah. It's just like it's just not me, you know? As I and some people, this is why as I've gotten more and more into the industry, people are like, "Oh, do you want to have writing sessions? Do you want to write with me?" And I'm like, "No, I don't." Like I I don't know how to do that. I don't know how to go off of not inspiration. Um, and so

52:23 that's why But that's why you're different. That's why you're authentic. Possibly.

52:26 That's why I think Yeah. You're different. I Yeah. Go ahead. Yeah. I I was watching one of your uh Instagram posts and you had I think you had just gotten off stage and you were talking about a dress.

52:42 Oh, yeah. Do you know what I'm talking about? I know what I'm Yeah. Or I know what you're talking about. Yes.

52:46 Tell the story. So, this goes back um probably longer than just the last five years. But I've always been somewhat I would say like I've been confident. I've been confident to show up places and I don't know that I struggle so much with the like I don't feel like I should be here because I'm just like well it's not even just me. Like I have to give credit to a higher power. So I feel like I'm

53:15 like it's me and you know. Um, so but I uh like and trigger warning to anyone that struggles with eating disorders or body dysmorphia, but I struggled deeply uh the beginning of 2020. I had this really weird bout of anxiety and it was so bad that it made me nauseous and I would throw up like seven times a day.

53:40 Oh my gosh. And then it just kind of stumbled into an eating disorder. And um and I lost a lot of weight really quickly. And it was and I've and I'd always struggled with my weight because we always kind of joke in third grade I started eating uh school lunches and I would eat people's mac and cheese and then I just got fat and I'd curse the school lunches. But I man that mac and cheese was just too good. And uh and you were allowed to eat people's food in elementary school. Like you had to eat your own. But I every time that aid turned its back, I shoving some mac and cheese in my mouth. But I anyway, so I always like struggled with my weight, feeling like I was way bigger than the other people in my grade and just like really like, oh man, their cardigan is an XS and mine is an a large. Like I just it was, you know, also just like girly things just growing up and being 13 and whatever. But um and

54:32 I thought I had a good handle on it, but going then uh once that like eating disorder and two on a mission, people feed you all the time.

54:41 Yeah. And I had like weird things that I didn't know if I was allergic to with dairy or whatever. So I just like would eat and then throw up and eat and throw up and it was horrible. Oh,

54:52 I fixed it uh and got I was able to overcome that part of um just struggling with food and and identity. But once I fixed that and stopped throwing up, then I gained a bunch of weight and then I like the body dysmorphia was just so it hit me like a truck. And I just was like it was so strange because I really felt like the most important thing you could do was learn how to love yourself. And I didn't understand why I didn't even think that I deserve to look in the mirror. And it was stuff like that that it was extreme where I was like, I people's lives are worse because they have to look at me. And it was like, no one thinks that. It's just like your brain cooks up the worst.

55:32 It's really bad. And I know exactly who you are and how to get you. It's amazing. And I, you know, this is probably stuff too that I will, I know we'll continue to work on, but it's like I sometimes then couldn't tell, well, am I lying to myself? Like, do I actually think that I'm pretty, but I'm making myself feel bad? Am I manipulating myself? And if people know, like, there's just a lot of layers there. But I was like, well, maybe I deserve to feel bad because then when I get better, I'll have felt the wor most worst that I could, so then I'll feel the most on top. It was so complicated.

56:13 Yeah. And I didn't know how to explain that to anybody cuz I didn't want to just be like, "Oh, I'm just feeling down in the dumps and I hate myself." Like, it's just like, "Gh, whatever. Get over it. Everyone hates themselves." Kind of.

56:23 You sound No, no offense. I'm a recovering alcoholic. That sounds like an alcoholism kind of thing cuz it's it

56:32 you're you're constantly playing all these different things out in your mind. Yeah. And when you want to reach out for help, it's just complicated there, too, because you don't want to feel sorry for yourself, but you don't know how much to ask for. Anyway, what I um uh what I know we're talking about here is the how I got over it was uh it was like in the thick of the height of just me not loving myself for who I was and I didn't know how to fix it. And I went to the gym one day, probably working out against the mirror so that I have didn't have to look at myself. and I ran into a friend's from high school's mom and she uh was like, "Oh, it's so good to see you. I teach these cognitive therapy or these cognitive thinking classes at night. You should we're doing one tonight. You should come." And I was like, "Okay." Like I didn't have anything better to do.

57:23 What's cognitive thinking? Um just I like it. Her class was mainly focusing on like your thoughts are powerful. It's just focusing on your thoughts

57:34 and like you I mean cognitive thinking is just thinking like you know just focused on your

57:41 the power of your thoughts. Um I've said this a million times and so anybody who's listened to me before and I've said this I apologize but my father used to say the two most powerful words in any language is I am. God says who who Moses who who who sent me I am that I am. And he said, "What you follow those two words with that blank,

58:06 yeah, that will create you. It is the creative force of God. Be careful." I agree wholeheartedly and I will I'm remember that because at the end of this story, I'm going to tell you my agreement story that ties it in with what you just said.

58:25 Okay. This is my unmedicated ADHD that has to physically put a pin on it. Um, but I went to that class and she starts thinking talking about how our thoughts make us feel a certain way and when we feel a certain way we act a certain way and when we act a certain way we define ourselves a certain way and when we define ourselves as something we think a certain way and it's just this cycle that keeps going and I was like okay this isn't so revolutionary but she was like so write in your in your notebook what's a thought that you have good or bad that makes you feel a certain way and so right away I go I'm ugly and And I'm like, "It makes me feel ugly." And it And she's like, "Then it's gonna make you act like you're ugly. Like you turn away from the mirror. You don't let people talk to you. You don't go out.

59:08 And then you're going to define yourself as that and you're just going to keep on thinking that." And I was like, "Yeah." And so she goes, "This is what it changed truly. It was for I know it's not as easy for some people, but for me it was night and day. It was a switch." She goes, "Emma, thoughts are just thoughts. They're never true unless they're a fact. Facts are true, but thoughts, they're made up. They are they are our thoughts that we make up. And you are the one that decides what your truth is. And

59:38 fabulous. It I was like, "Well, no, that's not true." Because I could look at a tree and say, "That's a tree and that's a true thought." And she goes, "No, that's a fact. You're looking at a tree and that's a fact."

59:47 Right? And I kind of, you know, I got vulnerable vulnerable a little bit in that class and I just told everybody what I was struggling with because again I've for you know my struggles I've also been very authentic and I was I knew like this is not a this is not something that I created. I know other people struggle with this. So I thought okay well I'll just talk about it. And she goes all right well we're going to we're going to talk about it. So your thought is that you're ugly and you feel this way. She goes, "But what if you thought a different thought, like what if you thought you were the most beautiful person in the world? How would you feel?" And I was like, "Well, I'd probably feel pretty great." And she was like, "Okay, and how would you act?" I was like, "I'd probably go out more. I'd probably talk to people. I'd probably smile more." And she's like, "And you would identify yourself as a beautiful

1:00:32 person." She goes, "So if you're making up that you're ugly and you're making up that you're beautiful, choose the one that moves you forward then hinders you." And I was like,

1:00:40 "This is like this is not a This is the best gym encounter of all time. I know. I was seriously spiritually swole after that. I was like, "What?" And I just was like, it it almost felt illegal how easy that was. I was like, "You're that's it." And she was like,

1:00:57 "That's it." She's like, "That's we almost don't give ourselves permission to to let cuz we were I think so conscious of like I was in the beginning of not wanting to come off as self-important. I didn't want to be like I'm beautiful. I'm the greatest. I'm wonderful. But it's like there's that there's a fine line between being prideful and and you're having your ego be through the roof and just believing in yourself and telling yourself, I can do hard things. I can I'm going to get over this and this is going to be wonderful. The sun is going to come up tomorrow. I'll be stronger than before.

1:01:29 And I realized I've been writing all this stuff the whole time. I just didn't apply it to myself. And somebody said, I saw this one time that if if someone were to ask you to list all the things that you love, how long would it take until you said yourself? And I was like, "Oh my gosh, it would probably take a minute."

1:01:45 And I was thinking it would take a day. Yeah. I'm Well, I don't know. I would probably start with cheese, get towards other foods. I would I would prioritize food. But yeah, no I and so to unpin the thought that I had pinned earlier was

1:02:03 I wanted to test something out because people, you know, they've done like if you've ever heard those uh like they put two apples in one in each room and one they speak mean to and one they encourage. Kind of feels silly, but like the theory was that the one that you spoke bad to would shrivel up and die quicker than the other one. and just like talking about how words are powerful. And so I was like, "Okay, I'm going to go on these walks or these runs." And I did cross country in high school. And so my brea like I I kind of had a specific breathing that with my legs I would go in in out out. And like that was kind of my rhythm. And when I was like, "Okay, I'm going to run and I'm going to go I am on the inhale and then just say something and then I'm going to do that for 10 minutes straight." It one it was to help me focus and two I was like, "What's going to happen? Am I going to bloom? Am I

1:02:50 going to blossom? And it was kind of changed your life, didn't you? Yeah. I I've I'm still in the middle of the experiment. But I I truly like it's it is something wonderful to just go through and um just go you're running running around town and you can say the same thing over and over just I am wonderful. I am beautiful. I am lovely. I'm a kind person. I you know and you just and you keep on telling yourself and eventually you start to feel it

1:03:16 cuz we tell oursel the opposite. It is human nature to tell yourself, "Oh, that was so stupid. I'm so stupid. I made this." You know, always that tape is running.

1:03:26 Problem solving. We think that because our brain attaches to the negativity. So, cuz it's a survival mechanism. It's like if I learn the negative thing, then I won't do that again. So, a lot of times we provide negativity for ourselves cuz our brain latches on to it because it thinks we're problem solving. It thinks we're in survival mode. And it's like, but if you tell yourself you're ugly, then you'll avoid all of these things. But it's like whatever. If I tell myself I'm beautiful, then I'll live a great life. And like I it it seems, you know, like you don't want to just tell a depressed person, we'll just be happy. But for me, it was that easy to just be like, well, just think nice thoughts. And I was like, oh my gosh,

1:04:02 it was that easy all along. And I actually have a song that I wrote that is totally about this. And I didn't even

1:04:11 No, it's it's Well, there's that actually. A lot of my songs have the same theme, but they're just said in different ways. They're different hues, but um this is a new song off the new album.

1:04:21 Oh, okay. And uh it's it was just I you know I was thinking about that. I'm probably always subconsciously thinking about this that um you know God created all these beautiful things. We look at the mountains. We I mean you know here in Utah or in Idaho these mountains, the beautiful landscape, you're like this is lovely. This is beautiful. like but then that same notion of but how long does it take before we look at ourselves and go love it I love it it's beautiful so that was what this song this song is about and um there's not much more to say but it's called loving

1:04:58 look at the moon and the stars and the sun each shine is so bright yeah that's how God made them now look at yourself shining and tell me why it's I too long. Love and shook can be easy, but like most things, it's easier said than done. But like most things, you get into a rhythm. So let's be kind and let's smile at ourselves. We know we aren't perfect. That'll take a while. So let's start loving everything I gave us let's be loving everything I gave us be loving. Why does it take a lifetime to look at ourselves and be satisfied? Even then most of us are sad and tired. We got to pick ourselves up and realize. So let's be kind and let's smile at ourselves. We know we aren't perfect yet. That'll take a while.

1:06:11 So let's starting everything I give us as we loving everything I give us as we loving. Oh look at yourself lovely. Everybody else we're so lovely. Look at yourself we are lovely. Everybody else we are lovely. Everybody else we're still lovely. And look at yourself. We are lovely. Everybody else, we are lovely. And look at the moon and the stars and the sun. It's shining so bright. Yeah, that's how God made them. Look at yourself shining and tell me what's not to love. So let's be kind and let's smile at ourselves. We know we all get that. Take a while.

1:07:00 So let's everything I give us is beloveing. Love it. Everything you give us. Wow. When you started writing this new album?

1:07:16 Yeah. Did you have a moment of like, can I do this again? No, because it was all written at the same time.

1:07:23 So, you haven't run out of songs that you started to write back then? No, this was all I have not written a Christian song except for Am I Enough, Love Like You, and Angels. I think they're the only ones that I've written in the in the last two years.

1:07:39 Wow. Yeah. Everything was written then. And when I was putting together my first album with the label, I had to pick and choose. And so part of me felt like, oh, this is the scraps cuz in my mind, I was just going to do one Christian album and then I was going to move on to, you know, stuff like Till That Day and and the other stuff that I had.

1:07:56 But I hope you never don't stop mixing them. I know. But the the thing is is like it's just inspiration. So, I can't make myself sit down and be like, I'm

1:08:04 I know that. I know that. But I hope you don't ever listen to somebody who says, "No, that's got to go on a Christian album."

1:08:10 I know. And I think it will always continue to like music is changing. You don't have to have like with what we're talking about bouques. It doesn't have to be one thing.

1:08:20 And so I'm like, I can write a Christian song and stick it in a pop or R&B album. So, and I just think

1:08:27 people like to put me in boxes for better or for worse of like, oh, you're this type of person, this type of singer, so this is what you'll be. And I'm just like I not to mention Taylor Swift again, but like like Taylor Swift have my eras. So like right now it's going to be probably more on then nose Christian and then I'll write other I mean I've written I have have like two other albums that are just like locked and loaded but timing and so it's just like it will I don't know like I want to do so many things. I want to write scores for Broadway. I want to do these types of things. I want to be a double I want to be a Dell in 007 and do the end credit. I want, you know, it's like I have lots of visions and it's not just going to be the one thing and it never started as one thing. But um and that's the other thing too is I don't know that people realize that like this isn't me being sure and saying you need to

1:09:17 believe the same as me. This was me coming from a place when I didn't really know if I believed in God or what I believed in and having lots of questions like I just have to have faith because it's the only thing that I have. I don't have any knowledge and um or am I enough? I don't know, but I sure hope so. And I've prayed that prayer a thousand times and I keep on getting amazing.

1:09:38 Can you play a little of Yeah. Am I enough? I'll play the first half of that. The Am I enough for you, Lord? Am I enough with all the things I don't do? Lord, am I enough? Am I worth loving? It's not I don't trust your ever loving. But some say some say we might not make it into heaven. And what if it's me? Am I forgiven?

1:10:34 Open my eyes to amazing grace, how sweet the sound to hear you say. You are enough and you always have been. So don't lose your faith for you are mine.

1:11:07 So beautiful. Thank you. How many people need to hear that? Yeah, that's the only thing that I'm sure of honestly. Like my my life is full of,

1:11:19 you know, kind of I mentioned just reconstruction all the time. The more people I meet, the more I reconstruct because it's it it allows me to build more walls of love. Yeah.

1:11:31 You know, like not walls between us, but it allows me to knock down and rebuild of like, oh, I understand that better now. Let me love more. And

1:11:40 um that's kind of for me the only thing I'm sure of with my music is like I don't know. I don't know where I stand on a lot of stuff. I don't know like all the ins and the outs and when if you want to get into the semantics and all the theology,

1:11:55 but what I the thing I do cling to as my belief bordering on knowledge is like love is the most important thing. If we can't love people, then there's probably some walls up and

1:12:08 we don't have to like each other. Yeah, we should love each other. But there are some people there are some people that I think won't be your cup of tea and that's okay. I've also learned like and I'm not going to ever write songs about like you don't have to like them just go on cuz I feel like it's implied you know but what's not implied is like the people you hate you should love. Like it's just and um

1:12:36 yeah I don't know. I just I find so much more peace in promoting a more broad love and let people get to dissect that for themselves because I'm like, "Yeah, this resonates with me. No matter where I'm at on my journey, I I resonate with love and compassion."

1:12:53 Can I ask you to do one more song and tell me the story? Yeah. Of Angel. Yeah. I believe in angels.

1:12:59 This is a this is one of my favorite stories. So, and this is about um not knowing your direct impact on people, but I sometimes get the privilege of hearing exactly what that meant. Um I was doing I was singing at a a devotional and they had a speaker before me and uh she's now my good friend Heather Vanorum and she is a double amputee. couple years ago uh before Christmas, she was walking out of a Costco parking lot and got hit by a car that was coming out and pinned her between two cars and she lost her legs. And um when she talks about the story, she just talks about all of the miracles. She's such a good sport and she has so much um hope and love and just wonder looking back and being like, "Wow, how wonderful that was."

1:13:52 um she was on the phone with her husband when the accident happened and he was a surgeon at the hospital that shared the parking lot with the Costco and so he heard it and was able to be there almost you know within minutes. Um and then there was also people that there was someone who was able to turn the or tie the tourniquets on her legs therefore saving her life. Um even though you know her husband was there as soon as he could be you know when you lose your legs you're in danger there. And then other people like uh just a woman who sat there and held her hand and I'm like that is so traumatic to be with somebody who has just lost their legs and to be able to be calm and sit with them and hold their hand and um like that's just got to be a wave of just power of just like just sit there with that person, you know? and just other other experiences in her recovery. And um just that whole

1:14:50 journey was just filled with I think miracles for her and angels and people that she could um you know feel compassion for even the the per the person that hit her. And um I just love that story and it it it has I I feel it deeply cuz it's just like so powerful and we talk about it all the time. We'll go get our nails done and and I'll have I'll just ask her questions and what about this? And one time I was like, okay, I was I had missed church and I was like I was thinking about her story and I was like, well, instead of church, I will listen to her story on the podcast that she had done and telling it.

1:15:30 So, I'm listening to it and just, you know, I've talked about it's inspiration. I just go and I walk over to the piano unbeknownsted to me sometimes. And um I'm listening to this podcast. I press pause and you want to know what's funny? It was about the same guy that I wrote till that day about. I was kind of like I had written so many songs and I was like, "All right, I just need to wrap this up, wrap up this chapter." And so I was trying to write a song about that and wrap it up. And I was using this chord progression and it just wasn't working. And you know, I feel like me me and Jesus, we got a good relationship. We're kind of sassy. And Jesus was like, "No, stop. Get up. Move.

1:16:07 That's not whatever. Put a pin in it." You know, he speaks my language. Put a pen in it. And I was like, "Okay." So the next day I'm listening to this podcast. I pause it. I go over and I go, "Angels, angels, angels, angels." And he was like, "Mhm. Yeah, that's what that was supposed to be for. You just were trying to rush it." And I was like, "Oh." And I I then I write this song and I send it to her. And I was like,

1:16:33 "Angels are a big part of my life. I have a grandpa that passed away in 2015. I feel very close to to him um more so now. um as he you know I lived in Sweden for a while and he his ashes we took them back to Sweden and

1:16:49 I was able to be there on his birthday slashdeath day um and speak Swedish to him for the first time since I had learned it and I just feel very close to angels and and even the ones that are alive. And so I I sent this to her and I was like I just love angels and I love you. You're my angel and this is this inspired listening to your story. And I sent it to her and she sent back she was like, "Emma, this is crazy. I am at my neighbor's house and her son had passed away the day before from suicide." And she was like, "You would never have known that." You know, and like but that was a and I was like I that's where I have to chalk it up to there's something bigger than me that that goes on in this process because you know the the it was inspired of one thing but it meant something completely different. So that's quite I you know I love telling that story to people because it's so moving and powerful to me that

1:17:56 we joke you know my age oh it's not that deep everyone says oh it's not that deep but sometimes it is you know

1:18:02 and it can be um but so this is angels Angels there for the other the weary angels rescue and holding on to angels with glory light and grace. Angels their arms open wide. Oh the angels singing out. I can hear the angels with glory, life and grace. Oh, I believe in what I can not see. Oh, but I can feel them. Oh, holding my head up to the clouds when I'm turned around. And I can feel them. Oh. Holding my hand, showing me the love I can feel myself. Yes, I believe in angels. I believe I I believe in angels. Therefore the other weary angels rescuing holding on to angels with glory light and grace.

1:19:50 Angels there for the other weary angels laugh with me from time to time when pain swells and I'm trying to hold on. Yes, I believe in what I cannot see. Oh, but I can feel them all holding my head to the clouds when I'm turned around. And I can feel them all holding my hand, showing me the love. I can see myself. Yes, I believe in angels. Angels. Angels. Angels.

1:21:03 Oh, but I can feel them all in my head up to the clouds when I'm turned around. And I can feel them holding my hand, showing me the love I can see myself. Yes, I believe in angels. I heard that song. And that's when I reached out to you and asked you to be on because I told you at the beginning, she's Adele. Uh, you know, she's, uh, Ella Fitzgerald, she's Billy Isish. And when I heard this song, I thought, "Oh, no. She's eminent." M

1:22:11 someday you will be a category that somebody will say, "Oh, so she's like eminising."

1:22:20 Well, thank you. You are really wonderful. I wish I wish you would come over to everybody's house and do this. It has been a delight to have you here.

1:22:29 People just have to ask and I'll do it. It's as easy as that. No, I I love this is one of my favorite things is connecting with people. So, it's been a treat for me to just listen and learn and open my heart to more love and talk about things that make me love. And I Yeah, I really appreciate you creating a place for that cuz it's it's the best things that people get to do. So, thanks.

1:22:57 Thanks, Emma. Yeah. this so just as like a this because I feel like this sums up a lot of how I feel currently and it's what I wish people knew about me and um I think people can also relate to this that sometimes we don't know and as a Christian artist gets slobbed into the Christian genre people kind of assume like oh you're Christian you know you have your values and you know them and you promote them

1:23:28 and so people sometimes get upset that I'm too broad or that I don't say things straight. You know,

1:23:33 you're 25. One day, one day over 25 and I just I'm like, I don't have it all figured out. And I I am okay. Like, I'm not terrified of that. I think the first time I kind of deconstructed my faith and had to figure out, okay, what is it that I believe? And I thought it was just gonna happen once, but you know, life is not just one go around. Yeah. So, I just I was like, "Oh, I thought it was really scary because I was like, "Oh my gosh, if I don't believe this, then I can't do this and I can't, you know, but then I realized I was like, there's so much life to live."

1:24:09 Laugh to laugh and love to love in the midst of all of that. And so, um, I was like, I, you know, maybe don't know everything and can't say to people what they should do. I don't even think that that's my position in life, but I was like, for me, I'm not scared that I don't know. And until I get to that place, I just need somebody to hold on to me, you know, whether that's God or whether that's the people I have around me. Just hold on until I can rely on my own heart. And sometimes it's a collaboration. So this is truly one of my favorite songs. And this is another one on the album that

1:24:47 the new album. And this is a new one that I wrote um because I think it just came at the pinnacle of hurt when people wanted me to be something that I wasn't. And I was like, I just we got to hold on. Hold on. And it's going to be fine everybody cuz I'm not stressed. So why are you stressed? And um it's just very raw cuz it talks about

1:25:08 me thinking that I'm going to, you know, end up somewhere else, but actually maybe it's all right. So hold on till all of my gone. Till I can rely on my own heart to brace me. Dear Lord, I hold on to the sinner who's too far gone. To the ones who never dreamed of heaven, dear. Lord, hold on. Thought I knew what to do. Thought I cruise through life and end up with the sinners. Thought it all was untouchable. Yeah, he was just for the winners. Not until the drags did I feel the dread of coping without you, God. I don't want to live another day feeling that same way. So hear me pray.

1:26:19 Hold on till all of my feels gone. Till I can rely on my own not to brace me. Dear Lord, hold on to the sinner who's too far gone. To the ones who never dreamed of heaven. Dear Lord, hold on. Thought I figured out what it's all about. Yeah, it was coming together. Then a little creeping doubt starts a sprout. And suddenly I'm a beginner now. I know it's just an flow and I don't need to let it all go just to find you God. I don't want to live another day feeling massive ways. So when we pray and I know I'm imperfect at the end of the day, but that's what has me holding on to everything that you say. Cuz I believe you love me. That's exactly why I pray to feel your grace on the heaven days.

1:27:44 Oh, till all of my fears gone, till I can't rely on my own heart to praise me. All I to the sinner who's too far gone to the ones who never dreamed of ever dear Lord the sinners too good for the ones who never dream of Oh no. Oh Lord. Oh,

Questions about this episode

Who speaks in "The Next Adele, Ella Fitzgerald & Billie Eilish?! | Emma Nissen | The Glenn Beck Podcast | Ep 278"?

Glenn Beck (Guest), Emma Nissen (Guest).

What is "The Next Adele, Ella Fitzgerald & Billie Eilish?! | Emma Nissen | The Glenn Beck Podcast | Ep 278" about?

The discussion centers around Emma Nissen, an emerging musical artist whose unique vocal style blends elements reminiscent of iconic musicians like Adele, Billie Eilish, and Ella Fitzgerald. The conversation explores the transformative power of music, the nature of thoughts versus facts, and personal anecdotes about musical influences and memorable encounters within the industry.

What is mentioned in this Glenn Beck episode?

15 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Ella Fitzgerald, Jesus, Angels, Taylor Swift, Michael Bublé, Frank Sinatra. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "The Next Adele, Ella Fitzgerald & Billie Eilish?! | Emma Nissen | The Glenn Beck Podcast | Ep 278"?

The episode runs 1 h 29 min; the transcript is about 14,678 words in 217 timestamped sections.

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