Jackie June - Chasing Nightmares



Am I dreaming? Nope! I’m just in a state of euphoria after listening to new up and coming pop artist, singer/songwriter Jackie June’s new single “Chasing Nightmares.” This pop powerhouse is packed to the punch with marching drums, a melodramatic piano, and we can’t forget Jackie’s upfront, strong vocal presence. This tune’s got all the elements of a pop hit packed into one 3:27 song. Grab your tube top and sunblock, because “Chasing Nightmares” is hot like summer. 

The song starts out with this cool, telephone effect sounding piano melody which pulls in the emotion we’re about to hear almost instantly. And then we’re cut short by a record scratch and here comes Jackie! The piano bangs away, and the story unfolds as the vocal ties it together. 

An important mention for those of you who aren’t hip to the June, is her instantly recognizable vocal style. Smooth where it needs to be, emotional in the most complimentary places, and loudly present when that decibel level starts creeping up. A true pop voice, fresh and undiscovered.

At the close of the intro, we’re met with some cool ambient drum sounds, and a held back, emotional vocal. You can feel the energy building up in the tune, about to POP open. (Get it? Pop?...) 

And then the chorus hits, ever so sweetly, and everything makes sense. The drum kicks, the guitars shine, and like a flame out of a torch, everything Jackie’s been holding back floods out and she tells it like it is. She’s done chasing her nightmares and she don’t care who knows it anymore!

You may notice that in “Chasing Nightmares,” the piano doesn’t change much in dynamics or melody, and most of the changes actually occur in the drums. Throughout the tune we’re met with an array of different drum styles and samples. These percussive variations really help to distinguish different parts of the song from one another. I find that interesting, being that pop music is typically contingent on changes in either the melody or chord progression, but in this song it’s the rhythm. The rhythm is what keeps people moving, and when you change the rhythm it keeps the listener engaged. Bravo! 👏🏻 

But don’t think the piano is completely monotonous, because the bridge features a beautifully soft piano breakdown (aside from various other little fills and riffs throughout the song), and a hip hoppy drum sample. 

And then we have the last chorus. Here we go. This is the boom to the bap. The bees knees. The part you wait ...... for in the song every time you listen to it. And when it hits, it slams like a brick wall of awesomeness. I guess I’m saying the last chorus is a brick wall of awesomeness. So get hype dude!! 

To cool the energy down, “Chasing Nightmares” closes with an outro that takes us into pop outer space for a quick minute, just before fading out rather sweetly. 

A really fun listen and emotional roller coaster, “Chasing Nightmares” is the pop staple we’ve been missing since the early millennium.


To hear “Chasing Nightmares” and more from Jackie June:




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-Mike Oregano 🌿 
Oregano Entertainment Network, Oregano Records

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