YouTube’s Undiscovered – Jordan Jansen

YouTube’s Undiscovered – Jordan Jansen

And now for something from across the pond…Jordan Jansen is a fourteen year old singer from Queensland, Australia who over the last few years has amassed a large fan base through his video uploads on YouTube. As his official website explains, he is currently regarded as one of Australia’s top online talents, being the 6th most subscribed Australian artist on the video-sharing website.

The first of his uploads shows a young Jordan aged 10 performing a rendition of ‘If I Were A Rich Man’ from Fiddler on the Roof and it’s clear to see why this teen has such an appeal to the thousands of screaming girls that now eagerly await for him to take to the stage. His voice is pure and light soprano which soars effortlessly through phrases with such clarity. Though this may not be the vocal style we expect of the character Tevye who, as only a poor Jewish milkman during the Russian Revolution of 1905, yearns to be able to provide for his family, we catch a glimpse of his talent and how it could develop further in other, more contemporary directions.

Since then, Jordan has shared covers of many different songs, ranging from Justin Bieber’s ‘One Time’ to Train’s ‘Hey Soul Sister’. What is most impressive in the early stages of both his YouTube and musical career are the news clips which have been uploaded, in which presenters have acknowledged that ‘thanks to a massive following on YouTube’, Jordan has the potential to become the ‘Aussie Bieber’. From a young boy who simply wanted his Nan to hear him sing in a more conventional manner than straining to hear him during a telephone call, Jordan has subsequently won contests in his local area and has recently recorded his first professional single after a trip to America with managers Toby Gad and David Sonenberg.

‘Undercover Baby’ takes a typical teen romance approach in its video narrative, starring Jordan as a shy, invisible nerd who is in love with the beautiful cheerleader, who eventually notices him after many failed meetings. It is an upbeat and purely ‘pop’ song which removes him somewhat from the RnB style of Justin Bieber’s records. Simple chordal progressions retain the emphasis on his voice which, ultimately, is the element of the music that created Jordan’s popular appeal. Whilst he may not be another Bieber vocally, however, the beanie, skinny jeans and trainers look has perhaps been cultivated for marketing purposes, which may give an indication of his future musical freedom (unless, of course, he simply enjoys that style of fashion!).

As an extra string to his bow (and before you ask, no he doesn’t play in a classical string quartet too), some of Jordan’s recent uploads show him working in collaboration with Connie Talbot, the now eleven year old who reached the final of the first series of Britain’s Got Talent. Their cover of Jessie J’s ‘Domino’ has over 400,000 views, crossing the fan bases of both artists and bringing together the exceptional voices of the two young singers. Regardless of the comparison between Bieber and Jansen, it is clear that where the former found international fame, so the latter hopes to achieve a similar success story. With new original songs and music videos in the pipeline, Jordan Jansen may indeed be another artist who goes from strength to strength by using YouTube as a gateway to a fantastic musical career.

James Rhodes