Mila Jam

Jahmila Adderley, known professionally as Mila Jam,[1] is an American transgender singer,[2][3] songwriter, dancer, actress[4] and LGBTQ activist.[5][6][7][8]

Mila Jam
Background information
Born (1989-02-22) February 22, 1989
Aurora, Illinois

Early life and education

Jam was born in the Chicago suburb of Aurora, Illinois on February 22, 1989. She was raised in Columbus, Georgia, by her mother, Stephanie Adderley, an IT technician, and Phillip Adderley, a lab technician at Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. She attended Columbus High School. Before continuing her career in New York City at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, she performed in several national stage productions and television commercials.[9]

Career

YouTube, stage, and television

Mila Jam performed as the popular YouTube impersonator Britney Houston.[10][11][12][13][14] She was known for creating parodies of popular videos and posting them on YouTube within days of the original videos' releases. She began creating her parodies while in the national touring company of Rent.[15]

Several of her parodies have over a million hits, with her parody of Rihanna's song "Umbrella" having over two million.[16] For her parody of the Pussycat Dolls' song "When I Grow Up", Jam recruited four drag queens to serve as the "Britney Cat Dolls".[17] She choreographed and starred in the 2008 MTV original television pilot Newsical, which was not picked up.[18]

Jam has appeared on BBC Three's Lily Allen and Friends, MTV, and MTV News. She has also hosted episodes of the YouTube talk show I’m From Driftwood.[12]

Music

Jam recorded the song "And the Crowd Goes", which was written and produced by Jonny McGovern and released on his compilation, The East Village Mixtape 2: The Legends Ball.[15] The song also features New York rapper Jipsta.[19] Jam has performed alongside James Brown, Mark Ronson, Laverne Cox, Travis Wall, Jody Watley, Lady Kier of Deee-Lite, and Natasha Bedingfield.

The music video for Jam's song "Faces" was released to coincide with International Transgender Day of Visibility and featured appearances by Laverne Cox, Tituss Burgess, Candis Cayne, Geena Rocero, Peppermint, Zackary Drucker, Trace Lysette, and Nathan Lee Graham. The song has been called an anthem for the LGBTQ movement and focuses on self-acceptance, inner beauty, and sense of belonging.[20][21][22][23] Jam described the song as being "about looking in that mirror and hearing, 'Do I belong, am I enough, will someone love me for who I really am?' We wear smiles all the time but hide in fear and loathing because we feel different. The journey is universal no matter who you are."[24]

Awards

Mila was awarded Best Video and Dance Artist at the 2013 GLAM Nightlife Awards[25] and she was named Odyssey Nightlife Awards Breakthrough Artist in 2015 .[26]

Discography

EPs
  • Bruised (2018)
  • Pretty One (2021)
  • A Mila Jam Christmas (2022)

Singles
  • "Walk" (2010)
  • "This is Love" (2011)
  • "Warrior" (2011)
  • "Masters of the Universe" (2013)
  • "Faces" (2017)
  • "Cheesecake" (2018)
  • "Like the Last Time" (2019)
  • "Twilight Zone" (2019)
  • "Masquerade (2019)
  • "Eye on You" (2019)
  • "Call It Love" (2019)
  • "Number One" (2020)
  • "Timewaster" (Evangeline Wong and Mila Jam, 2021)
  • "Too High" (2021)
  • "Just Sayin'" (2021)
  • "It's Raining Them" (2021)
  • "The Holidays Are Cancelled" (2021)
  • "Catch This Love" (2022)
  • "Over & Over" (2022)
  • "God & Guns" (2022)
  • "Be My Heartbreak" (2022)
  • "DMTA" (2022)
  • "Popstar" (2022)
  • "SXGME" (2022)
  • "Magic" (2023)
  • "Inside/Somebody" (2023)
  • "Fierce" (Ultra Naté, Angelica Ross, and Mila Jam feat. A2, 2023)
  • "Pretty One Rock" (2023)
  • "Say Your Name" (2023)
  • "LMNTL" (2023)
  • "Running Up That Hill" (2023)[27]
  • "Better Days" (Kayu feat. Mila Jam, 2018)
  • "Summer Sex Magic (Hot NYC Mix)" (Keo Nozari feat. Mila Jam, 2022)

References
  1. Wynters, Naomi (May 28, 2019). "Mila Jam is a small-town girl who is taking over a man's world".
  2. "Watch the Inspiring New Video For Mila Jam's LGBTQ Self-Love Anthem "Faces"". Papermag.
  3. "10 Fab People To Follow On Facebook". NewNowNext.
  4. "Harney Elves Are Preparing for the Holidays" – via YouTube.
  5. "#TransgenderDayOfVisibility: NYC Performer Mila Jam's Message of Acceptance in "Faces" feat. Laverne Cox, Titus Burgess, Jamie Clayton, Candis Cayne, Peppermint & More!". WorldofWonder.
  6. "Resistance". Romance-Journal.
  7. "Watch the Inspiring New Video For Mila Jam's LGBTQ Self-Love Anthem "Faces"". PAPERMAG. March 31, 2017. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  8. "Featuring Mila Jam". All The Women in My Family Sing. Archived from the original on April 1, 2018. Retrieved February 25, 2018.
  9. "Need to Know: Mila Jam". Out Magazine.
  10. "'I Literally Went Back to Zero': Woman Sacrificed Everything for This One Reason". HuffPost.
  11. "Mila Jam 'Masters of The Universe' Video Premier". Ticketfly. Archived from the original on February 21, 2018. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
  12. "Transgender Woman Sacrifices Everything To Finally Be Herself". I'm From Driftwood.
  13. "Haus of Mimosa: The Podcast Ep. 29 "Jammin' Out!"". Podomatic.
  14. "Transgender Superstar Mila Jam New Single 'Faces' Celebrates Acceptance". about-online. Archived from the original on July 23, 2018. Retrieved January 3, 2018.
  15. McGovern, Jonny, Linda James and Martine Beauchamp (September 8, 2008). "Gay Pimpin' With Jonny McGovern" (Podcast). Retrieved September 14, 2008.{{cite podcast}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  16. "Brtnydnc1's Videos". YouTube. Retrieved September 14, 2008.
  17. Cantielo, Jim (July 3, 2008). "Britney Houston Recruits 'Britney Cat Dolls' For Pussycat Dolls Parody". Retrieved September 14, 2008.
  18. Cantielo, Jim (July 3, 2008). "Britney Houston Stars in MTV's 'Newsical' Pilot". Archived from the original on February 11, 2012. Retrieved September 14, 2008.
  19. "Jipsta - Chart history | Billboard". www.billboard.com. Archived from the original on April 20, 2016.
  20. "Laverne Cox, Tituss Burgess & More Celebrate International Trans Day of Visibility in Mila Jam's 'Faces' Video". Billboard.
  21. "With "Faces" Official Video, Mila Jam Steps into The Sun". HuffPost.
  22. "Music Video: Mila Jam's International Trans Day of Visibility Anthem "Faces"". The Randy Report.
  23. "On Transgender Day of Visibility, Mila Jam's 'Faces' is the LGBTQ Power Ballad We Need". Unicorn Booty. Archived from the original on June 5, 2017. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  24. "Mila Jam's "Faces" is the anthem our world needs right now". HuffPost.
  25. "The 15th Annual GLAM AWARDS December 20 2013 at Providence Hosted by Bianca Del Rio, Thorgy Thor and Michael Musto". The Glam Awards.
  26. "Transgender Superstar Mila Jam New Single 'Faces' Celebrates Acceptance". ABOUT NEWS. Archived from the original on July 23, 2018. Retrieved January 3, 2018.
  27. Mila Jam on iTunes
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