Janet Noh is a nationally awarded classical pianist and pop-R&B singer/songwriter/producer. She combines her eclectic influences – classical music’s timelessness, musical theater drama, and modern pop songwriting – to create her own unique sound and way of storytelling.
Her new single, “Love Me More” emerges as a powerful anthem of resilience and personal transformation. Noh embodies a universal journey from betrayal to self love within a melodic cocoon and crafts lyrics that radiate honesty and empowerment while she overcomes the experience of having someone else manipulate her own self worth.
In this interview spotlight, I catch up with Janet to discuss the new release, her writing process, how this song is different from other releases, and more.
Full Q&A along with links and music below.
Congrats on the new release! What was the writing process like?
Thank you! I wanted to name my EP “Love Me More” because “Love Me More” was the first song I wrote after I ended my journey with my dear friend/closest collaborator up until that now.
Like, sometimes it takes calamity to catalyze the greatest change.
In my case, I had to ask myself, why did I allow myself to believe all of his negative shit-talk about me? I knew I wasn’t a “mediocre” musician, but his gas-lighting words still stung. So I wrote the song to remind myself that other people only have as much power as you give them.
Also, losing a dear friend and collaborator made me feel the most alone I had ever been; but it forced me to find comfort within myself and face my loneliness.
So, all of this to say… I learned to “Love Me More”. And, since all the songs on my EP have to do with various forms of self-love, I thought it would be most appropriate as a title as well.
In terms of the writing… I wrote the full song at my piano (as I typically do). Then I played around with making beats for it, manipulated my piano sounds, put in some groove, recorded ad libs and backing vocals. Then I sent my demo to GEKKO who fleshed out the ideas some more and added his own swag to the beat. I played with the track some more, recorded new vocals, mixed it with the production. Then sent it to Kubla Kahn to add some more production elements. Then I took another pass at mixing it. Then sent it to my friend Brent Kolatalo for the final mix to really bring the track to life and give it that sparkle.
How is this song different from your previous songs?
The pandemic was a really tough time for me emotionally, because I had just ended a toxic professional and personal relationship. So I had not only just lost a dear friend but also my closest musical collaborator up until that time. He was starting to get really negative and vitriolic, telling me crazy things like “You will never be able to do music without me” or that I had “mediocre talent” whenever he got angry. I think he was starting to feel insecure as other things were happening in his life and in my life.
So even though we had a bunch of music we were working on together at the time, I ended my journey with him and decided to start everything from scratch. I felt very alone and vulnerable, and it catapulted me into a huge journey of self-discovery, forcing me to grapple with questions like “Can I do this music thing alone?” So during the pandemic, I decided I would learn to do everything myself. I wrote new songs from scratch, I learned how to record and produce myself… I mean, I was on a vengeance mission lol. But of course, music …. you can’t really do it alone. Only recently was I ready to collaborate again and open myself up to other people. It’s been a gentle and gradual process. But now we’re here. I’ve shared my first EP, with “Love Me More” being the title track, and I couldn’t have done it without all my collaborators.
Who do you want to listen to this song?
People who have been hurt or betrayed by others or even themselves… and want to start taking their power back.
What can we expect from your upcoming EP?
Each song is an anthem about a different aspect of self-love.
Who are your biggest inspirations?
Growing up I listened to a lot of Mariah Carey, Alicia Keys, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Beyonce, Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, KPOP boy bands, and all kinds of classical piano music. Oh and a load of Korean drama OST soundtracks.
What is the average day in the life of Janet Noh?
There is no average day! Lol. But I try to start every morning with a short meditation or journaling session. Key word is “try.”
Where can we follow you to keep up with your latest endeavors?
Instagram @janetnoh – I post on there a lot.
