Jazlyn Martin has been a force to reckon with in the entertainment industry, and her star continues to rise as she is set to reprise her role as Jackie in Peacock’s hit series Bel-Air. With Season 3 premiering on August 15, Martin’s return is highly anticipated by fans eager to see what new layers she’ll bring to her dynamic character. Her performance last season has captivated audiences, making her one of the standout stars of the series. In reflecting on her journey, Jazlyn shares how her life and career have transformed since joining the show, and what viewers can come to expect.
“Jackie is longing for some community this season, and sometimes people don’t go about that the best and the healthiest ways—but she has been alone for most of her life,” Martin explains. “So I feel like this season she’s bringing a lot of spiciness and a lot of messiness. But I think at the core of it, she’s longing to be loved and longing for community. And I think Will just happens to make her feel safe. So she’s battling how to be his friend while still wanting to be around his aura.”
Beyond her acting prowess, Jazlyn is also making waves in the music industry. Her debut EP, Identity Crisis, set to release on August 30 in partnership with UnitedMasters, showcases her talent as a singer and songwriter. The lead single “Perfect” has already gained traction, earning rotation on iHeartRadio, followed by her second single “They Say.” For Jazlyn, her creative process with the album allowed her to explore new artistic territories and express herself in ways that acting doesn’t always permit.
“I wrote each song very intentionally about certain conflicts I’ve had in my life, and what I’ve battled with,” the 25-year-old says. “I wanted it to relate to any age, any gender, any type of person, because I do believe everyone has had an identity crisis and it just looks different on each person.”
Ahead of her new album, Martin sat down with ESSENCE to discuss the vision she has for her future as an entertainer, balancing her burgeoning music career with her established acting roles. With a background in classical dance and singing, she’s always been passionate about the arts, and now she’s taking those skills to new heights. As Bel-Air continues to gain popularity, Jazlyn is proving that she’s more than just an actress—she’s a multifaceted creative who’s just getting started.
ESSENCE: In what ways has your life and career changed since becoming a cast member on Bel-Air?
Jazlyn Martin: Oh, gosh. So substantially. I think just being recognized and people recognizing my work has been a big change. And it’s really beautiful when people can connect to me on the show, and approach me, and be like, “Your character has done this for me.” And I’m like, “Wow, I didn’t even know that that could do that for someone.” So that’s always a beautiful thing, to hear people connect with my character on the show. It’s such an honor.
In addition to Bel-Air, you’ll have a debut EP dropping on August 30th, that’s amazing.
Yay!
Can you talk to me about what was your creative process when you were recording this project?
Yes. At first I didn’t even know it was going to be called, Identity Crisis, or I didn’t know what type of project I wanted it to be, but I just started making music, and then I had a conversation with a good friend, and he was just like, “What do you want? What story do you want to tell? This is your debut.” And I want people to be able to connect with Jazlyn because they’ve been able to connect with Jackie. So I was like, “How can I authentically show myself?” And so I just asked myself, “What story do I want to tell? And what’s one thing that I’ve battled with?” And I came up with the concept of Identity Crisis, and trying to think of themes that have been reoccurring in my life that I’ve battled with.
So, the process was just very intentional, that I wanted it to showcase and highlight, no matter what stage you are in your life, you’re going to be battling with that your whole life. And my parents are on it, so it’s very, very dear to me, because I wanted to hear their perspective on whether they’ve had an identity crisis—and they have. And just everyone I’ve talked to, that’s been a part of this whole creative process has had some type of identity crisis. So I just wanted it to be very true. And each song’s very intentional, different conflict. And even the lyrics, the mix and mastering is very intentional. I wanted it to sound all completely different, because when you’re going through an identity crisis, it’s very confusing, and messy, and all over the place, and you’re figuring it out. So I wanted it to represent that.
Acting and music can be very tedious and time-consuming depending on your level of commitment. How have you been able to maintain a healthy balance between the two of those?
I’m not going to sit here, and lie, and say, “I have it all figured out and I’m well-balanced.” I think because the music industry is so new to me, and much more time-consuming, in my experience, than the acting industry, I’m slowly trying to find a healthy balance. And I have great people in my circle that keeps me grounded and reminds me to breathe and take a day, or, “You’re doing great.” Or, “One day at a time.” So right now I don’t have a great balance just because it’s a busy month, but this is what I’ve been praying for. So I’m okay with not having a balance for this month. And then hopefully, when things settle down, which you never know, if they do, I’ll find balance in the storm. Yeah, just trying to make sure I take care of myself through all the chaos.
So, you just said that you were new to the music industry. I wanted to ask, how long have you been doing music?
I’ve been doing music for a while, but I’ve just never put it out. And my dad was in the music industry, he was signed to Capitol Records. And he has been a light in this. He’s educated me on the industry, and how I should move, and warned me how evil the industry could be, to be honest. Yeah, so he’s definitely educated me on that. So yeah, this is all new to me and it’s very drastically different from the acting industry, so I’m learning to fall in love with the process.
What is the vision that you see for yourself as a musician in the future?
I’m going to be bold. I love, love, love Beyoncé, as everyone does. My dream is to be able to embody all the love I have for art, sing, dance, act, and do tours. I would love to do musical theater, whether it’s on Broadway, or I’ll do movies. I don’t know. I don’t have any set goals just because I think goals change. And also God is very funny and he’s like, “Ah, that’s what you want? Let me give you something better.”
So I mean, I have big dreams and high expectations of myself, but I would love whatever comes to me, whatever new interests, I would love to embark on that journey. And I don’t like telling myself that I can’t do something. So whatever I want to do, I’ll do it.
How about as an actress?
I want to be able to tell any story and be any human. And I think specifically acting pushes my empathy boundaries and challenges me to justify, and really be in the shoes of a human being that I might not relate to. So it helps me be more human, I think. And it helps me, even the unlovable characters or the irredeemable characters, I always gravitate to them, because I’m like, “Why are they unlovable? Don’t you see yourself in them?” So yeah, I long to play the crazy, weird out-of-pocket characters, because I’m like, “Let me find the God in them.”
Do you think music has helped your acting at all? And vice versa?
Yes, absolutely. Even with this project Identity Crisis, it’s like, “Am I a dancer, or am I an actress, or am I a singer? You have to choose one, you can’t be all three.” And I’ve felt that my whole life. Growing up, it’s like, “If you had to choose one, which one would it be?” And it’s like, “All of them, I’m all of them.” And I feel like each of them pour into each other so beautifully, because all of it’s storytelling. And yeah, I think acting encourages me to write songs that I don’t necessarily have gone through myself, or my own experiences. I think it allows me to pull from other people’s experiences and tell a true, authentic story. And I feel like music allows me to just completely pour out my soul. So they both do different things for me, but collectively, I feel like I have full access.
