Natalie Jane gets real with Atwood Magazine about her transformative sophomore album ‘the world i didn’t want,’ a dance-fueled manifesto for heartbreak, healing, and growing up online.

Stream: ‘the world i didn’t want’ – Natalie Jane

For Natalie Jane, vulnerability isn’t a weakness – it’s a weapon.

The 22-year-old singer/songwriter has always known how to turn heartbreak into a chorus, but on her sophomore album the world i didn’t want, she’s wielding that honesty with more intention, power, and artistry than ever before. Released October 24 via Capitol Records / 10K Projects, the album captures the electric chaos of young adulthood with the emotional precision of a diary entry and the sonic punch of a dance floor confession.

the world i didn't want - Natalie Jane — the world i didn’t want – Natalie Jane

Known for her powerhouse vocals and piercing lyrics, Natalie Jane first exploded onto the scene through viral TikTok covers and original songs that hit like lightning. But as she tells Atwood Magazine, this is the first time she’s ever built a full album from the ground up – treating each track not as an isolated story, but as a crucial part of a bigger, bolder narrative. “It’s almost like everything I’ve done until this album has been a rehearsal,” she says. “Now, I finally feel like I have something to say.”

And say it she does. From the emotionally raw “any1 but myself” to the euphoric heartbreak of “fallin” and the vulnerable finale “black & white,” Jane doesn’t just sing about pain and growth – she feels it, lives it, and hands it back to listeners as a mirror. Her music pulses with the anxiety of growing up in the digital age, navigating relationships, identity, and the looming pressure of dreams that might burn out before they ever reach the sky. “What if I get halfway to the moon and then it all just stops?” she wonders on one track, distilling the existential dread of a generation into a single haunting line.

But this isn’t a sad record – it’s a resilient one. Inspired by the intensity of ’90s Eurodance, artists like Loreen, and her own desire for sonic catharsis, the world i didn’t want is full of massive drops, emotional release, and deep sub-bass that rattles the soul. It’s music meant to scream, cry, and dance to – sometimes all at once.

Now, fresh off an international tour and riding the wave of over 2 billion global streams, Natalie Jane is no longer just a viral sensation. She’s a fully-formed artist, pushing the boundaries of pop while staying rooted in the emotional truth that made fans fall in love with her in the first place. This album, she says, is for the fans – and with every lyric and beat, she’s making sure they never feel alone in the world they didn’t ask for.

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:: stream/purchase the world i didn’t want here ::

:: connect with Natalie Jane here ::

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A CONVERSATION WITH NATALIE JANE

Atwood Magazine: “the world i didn’t want” feels like a bold, deeply personal step forward. What’s something you learned about yourself in the process of making this album?

Natalie Jane: This album is all about freeing yourself from the chains you lock yourself in mentally. I started this album with the idea of escapism and freedom. I learned that if this is something I’m singing about and want people to feel, I have to do the same. This album taught me to let go and get outside of my comfort zone – after all I’m not gonna tell my audience to do something that I’m not going to do myself.

You mentioned this is the first time you’ve looked at a project as a full body of work. What made you feel ready to create an album, not just individual songs?

Natalie Jane: For the past few years, I’ve only been putting out snippets of creations I’ve made. It’s almost like everything I’ve done until this album has been a rehearsal, preparing me for this big performance. I have tested out different sounds I was interested in, I have written with so many different people and feel like I finally found my group that I love, but most importantly, I finally feel like I had something to say. It’s as if I’m an artist with a massive, detailed painting, not just sketches.

Was there a track that scared you to write or release because it felt too vulnerable? If so, how did you push through that fear?

Natalie Jane: “any1 but myself” was one of the hardest songs I’ve ever written. It’s the first time I really opened up about my own insecurities, and I think I avoided writing it for a long time because I knew how heavy it would feel. But now that it’s here, I’m genuinely grateful I pushed myself to make it.

How did the ‘90s Eurodance-inspired production come into play? Was there a song that kicked off that sonic direction?

Natalie Jane: There’s something about that kind of energy that just hits. It’s big, emotional, and honest. I love a huge vocal over a deep sub-bass that finally drops and feels like a release from everything I’m singing about and feeling. Loreen’s “Tattoo” was a big inspiration for me too. The way her song carries so much emotion and power really pushed me while working on this.

The album dives into heartbreak, identity, and resilience. Which lyric means the most to you right now – and why?

Natalie Jane: “What if I get halfway to the moon and then it all just stops?” This line sums up how I feel about the music industry and one sentence. You can work so hard and push as much as you can but one day it can all just stop and disappear. That is a really big fear I have. What if I work so hard towards a goal that I can never reach? This line is just an intrusive thought that hits hard for me.

There's something really raw about the way you write about young womanhood in the digital age. How do you stay grounded when your life is so online?

Natalie Jane: My family has always kept me extremely grounded. Going home for the holidays or even just seeing my sister on the weekends truly does so much for me.

What’s the story behind “black & white”? It closes the album with such a punch – why did you choose that as the final note?

Natalie Jane: This album is a lot more upbeat than my projects in the past. Closing the album with “black & white” is almost like a reminder to the fans that I will always make them a slow heartbreak ballad. I will always give them what they came for. It was the same thing with the last track on my first EP, “where am I?” I ended it with intrusive thoughts – a classic Natalie Jane heart-wrenching piano ballad.

With songs like “fallin” and “how u been?” fans are really seeing their own heartbreaks in yours. What’s the most surprising message you’ve received from a listener?

Natalie Jane: My favorite response from fans are when they tell me they are in a super happy relationship, but still scream my heartbreak songs at the top of their lungs. Like slay I love that.

The shift from TikTok breakout to full-blown pop star has been fast. What’s one thing people misunderstand about that rise?

Natalie Jane: I feel like I found virality before I truly found myself as an artist, and that was tough because I wanted to give the fans so much, but I don’t feel like I was able to just yet. I feel like I’m finally finding myself as an artist with this project.

You’ve called this album “for the fans.” How do you want them to feel when they hear it start to finish?

Natalie Jane: I want people to feel understood. Whatever they’re dealing with, they shouldn’t feel like they’re facing it by themselves. This is my way of reminding them that they’re not alone in what they’re going through. Whether it’s me or the other fans that listen to my music, there is a community out there that understands you.

You’re hitting the road for the “the world i didn’t want” tour soon. What song are you most excited to perform live for the first time?

Natalie Jane: I’m most excited to perform any1 but myself. I am dancing for the first time on this tour and we actually choreographed that song yesterday. I’m so excited.

Do you have any pre-show rituals or superstitions before you go on stage?

Natalie Jane: I always drink earl grey tea before a show. I hate coffee. I take my earl grey tea with almond milk and 5-8 packets of sugar. It’s insane I know but I love it!

You’ve done surprise shows in Europe, a dance anthem with Loud Luxury, and now this tour. Is live performance becoming your happy place?

Natalie Jane: Live performance is and always has been my happy place. I create music and promote it on the Internet so that I am able to do more and more shows. It is when I am truly the happiest. Being with my fans in person is the most rewarding part of this job.

What’s a lyric you wish you’d written?

Natalie Jane: “how can you miss someone you’ve never met? Cause I need you now, but I don’t know you yet” by alexander 23. I heard that line and I was instantly hooked. There is something so raw and real about that one line alone, I don’t care if the rest of the song was absolutely horrible. I would still love it because of that one singular line. Luckily the rest of the song is also incredible.

What’s something in your Notes app right now that could be the start of your next song?

Natalie Jane: I have a lyric I’ve been wanting to use for a while: I just wanna go home, but Home is a person, and that person is gone. I’m waiting for the right time to use it.

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Natalie Jane isn’t here to play it safe.

With the world i didn’t want, she’s delivered a genre-blurring, heart-crushing, dancefloor-ready album that refuses to flinch. It’s bold, it’s beautifully chaotic, and it’s a clear signal that Natalie is no longer rehearsing – she’s here, fully in command of her voice and vision. Whether she’s whispering intrusive thoughts over a piano ballad or unleashing a wall of sound with ‘90s-inspired synths, Jane creates music that reminds us: it’s okay to be messy, scared, loud, soft, and entirely human.

If you’ve ever felt like the world wasn’t made for you – this album is. And Natalie Jane’s not just surviving in it. She’s rewriting the rules.

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