Jade LeMac, courtesy Zachary Vague.

For Vancouver, British Columbia artist Jade LeMac, releasing debut EP Constellations is the realization of a dream that took shape at a young age.

“As cliche as it is, I was singing with my cousins, making bands, doing karaoke with my family, and it’s always been: ‘I’m going to be a singer,'”the 18-year-old said a couple a week ahead of the release. “I didn’t know how I was going to do it; I couldn’t even write songs at that time, but I just knew that’s what I was going to do.”

By the time she was 13, LeMac was already lending her vocals to EDM songs. By 14, she was performing at nightclubs around Vancouver.

“[I was] thinking I was very, very cool for that because what 14-year-old plays at a nightclub?” LeMac said. “And my teachers came as well, so they were in the front row, drinks in hand. It was a crazy night.”

While LeMac is now signed to Arista, she built a fanbase long before signing a record deal. She’s got more than a million followers on TikTok, and other platforms. At first, she didn’t even go online for music.

“I was more being very open with being part of the LGBTQ community, and just comedic things and random content, but I always knew it was going to be a door into the industry,” she said. “Once I was posting my music, and it was actually connecting, that’s when I really realized, ‘Holy crap, people actually do like to hear my voice and enjoy my music.'”

At first Jade LeMac had a couple of viral covers. She said seeing her own songs resonating with such a wide audience built her confidence.

Her influences span the spectrum. When she was young, she started with artists like Shawn Mendes and Justin Bieber before moving on to Billie Eilish, The Weeknd and James Arthur.

About 30 million streams later, Constellations was born. LeMac delivers well-crafted pop ranging from darkly anthemic to earnest and introspective. Take the fiery “Meet You In Hell,” a moody and defiant battle cry. She came up with the title first and then worked backward.

“I wanted that empowering and edgy darker vibe with it,” she said. “I … envisioned a whole scenario in my head and wrote from that person’s perspective who was kind of hurt and wanted to get revenge on the other person.”

On other songs, the inspiration can take many forms. Sometimes, it’s personal experience. Others, it’s about what friends are going through or an entirely fictionalized account—like in the case of “Car Accident.”

“It’s about getting into a car accident and getting cheated on. Never happened,” she said. “When I imagine a story in my head, I get very invested in the characters and can write very easily from their perspective and feel their emotions like it’s my own.”

The days since completing the EP and having it see the light of day have been both exciting and stressful.

“I get excited; I get angsty, like, ‘Oh, my God; I just want it to be out already,” LeMac said. “But I do play it for my family and friends, so I get to see their reactions. It’s like a little taste before it goes out to supporters.”

Teen Vogue spotlighted LeMac’s inclusion onto GLAAD’s 20 under 20 LGBTQ Changemakers of 2022 list. She was taken by surprise by the honor, but was happy to see her music recognized as a vehicle to help others.

“People can watch me and know it’s OK to feel how they’re feeling,” she said. “When I was younger, I struggled. Everybody struggles coming to terms with who they are sometimes.”

LeMac has yet to perform her new songs live, but she’s excited to start. Her dream stage? Rogers Arena in her city. But she’s resolute to stay patient until she earns the opportunity. She said she’s taking each new milestone as it comes.

“I kind of like being busy, to be honest. Music is my passion,” she said. “Being in the studio every day and constantly writing, as much as it’s work and can be hard, I genuinely love what I do.”

Follow writer Mike DeWald at Twitter.com/mike_dewald.