Having your song go viral these days is something that all artists hope for, especially if that means having your song be the hottest new trend on TikTok. Well, for R&B newcomers JNA, that aspiration quickly became a reality.
Originally hailing from Harlem, NY, JNA consists of twins Jonny and Aaron who have brought their talents and love of music together to create a melodic harmonization that is pushing the soundscape of R&B forward. Their last single “You Got It,” featuring Maddie the Baddie, recently went viral on TikTok when the smooth dance challenge caught the attention of some popular creators.
It’s one thing to go viral on TikTok, it’s another to keep that momentum. JNA are demonstrating their staying power by recently their follow-up single titled #1 and fans are loving it just as much. With early support from sites like The Source and Billboard HipHop, JNA are the newest artists you should be adding to your radar.
We caught up with the viral twins to hear all about their start in music, the success they are seeing, and what is next. You’ve got to check out the Q&A below!
Let us know what you think about JNA and their latest releases by either leaving a reaction at the bottom of the post or by sending us a tweet at @celebsecrets. You can follow the guys on Instagram at @jonnynaaron.
CS: Can you introduce yourselves and tell us a little bit about yourselves?
Jonny: “Hi, my name is Jonny. I’m half Armenian and half Black. Raised in Harlem and now live in LA. I love to read comics, play video games and play basketball.”
Aaron: “Hey! I’m Aaron, I’m a serious basketball player and I enjoy fitness. I also enjoy gaming.”
CS: Who are some artists that you remember listening to growing up that got you into music?
J: “Growing up I listened to all types of music from Paramore to Lil Wayne. What really got me into music was artists like Linkin Park who show great emotion and power in music. I hope to do the same with my music, to be that artist that someone can listen to and feel my message.”
A: “I always enjoy a variety of music. My tastes range from rock, pop, hip-hop to R&B. Artists like Chris Brown, Eminem, Lil Wayne, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and bands like Linkin Park and Skillet really intrigued me.”
CS: Congratulations on the success of your single “You Got it!” What was it like seeing the song blow up on TikTok? Did you feel pressured to try and top that?
J: “It felt great to see something I created being acknowledged by so many people, so many happy faces just doing a fun challenge and enjoying the music. I really didn’t feel pressured because I know my capabilities when it comes to writing music and I feel that the work we put into making songs will pay off always.”
A: “I was very excited to see something I created get such attention. Watching thousands of people do a dance to your song is definitely a fulfilling feeling. It’s still a shock at times. No pressure was felt for a follow up song. I think the world still has so much to see from what my brother and I can create. So I only feel more motivated to work on new songs.”
CS: We love #1 It feels like the perfect track to follow up “You Got It.” What was the process like working on the song, and what made you choose this as your next release?
J: “#1 was a fun process, we made this song with the intent to give people a just as warm but even more exciting feeling than ‘You Got It.’ It seemed like the perfect choice for our next release because ‘You Got It’ is about telling someone about their amazing qualities and #1 is about actually getting that someone.”
A: “Making #1 was a bunch of fun, for us and for our whole team watching and listening to the process. My brother and I felt we needed to make something more on the pop side. Something that people can listen to and feel refreshed. A song that would be perfect for the summer time. This song seemed most appropriate for our next release because it seemed stronger and more tuned than our past tracks.”
CS: If you could collaborate with any other artist who would you pick and why?
J: “I would like to collaborate with pop artists like Justin Bieber and Billie Eilish and also R&B artists like drake and Chris Brown. But I feel we can match a lot of different flows that come at us.”
A: “It would be pretty cool to collaborate with artists like Justin Bieber, Drake, Eminem, Rhiana, and plenty of others. I feel that my brother and I are pretty versatile. I think we can fit in too or boost any artist’s sound.”
CS: What else can we expect from JNA IN 2021?
J: “You can expect a lot of R&B tracks and a lot of us playing basketball.”
A: “There is a bunch you can expect from us! We can’t wait to release more songs and build our platform to something exponential. Singing isn’t the only skill that we have. I think we are gonna surprise the world.”
CS: Lastly, we are Celeb Secrets, can you share a secret talent that you each have?
J: “One secret is that Aaron and I were actually going to play ball overseas in Norway before COVID hit.”
A: “We both are pretty outstanding cooks… and bakers. :)”
