Q&A: UC Irvine Student Jennifer Chung on How Millions Of YouTube Users Jump Started Her Career

After reaching more than 23,000,000 cumulative clicks on her YouTube channel alone, independently releasing her first EP, and garnering a huge international following, Jennifer Chung says that all it takes is a little luck, faith, and persistence. In three years, her lighthearted Colbie Callat delivery mixed with a touch of Natasha Bedingfield-style soul has connected with people worldwide.

Melly Lee

Despite her busy schedule as a University of California, Irvine student working two jobs on her campus and video recording sessions, Chung squeezes in a coffee shop sit down with Heard Mentality. Chung looks surprisingly well-rested for someone so busy, and happily talks about her move from Korea to Irvine, how YouTube kicked off her musical endeavors, her EP album, and how important it is to be as business savvy as you are passionate about the artistry of it all.

OC Weekly (Kris Cardenas): Are you an Orange County Native?

Jennifer Chung: No, I was born in Korea but I came here when I was about 15 months old. I grew up in the Bay Area, in Millbrae--between San Francisco and San Jose. I'm in the OC now as a UC Irvine student

From Korea to San Francisco to Irvine--that's a pretty big change, how do you feel about the OC?

I think Irvine in general is very comfortable. In Millbrae, it's relaxed and it is here, too. It's safe in Millbrae and it's safe here too. It's definitely my home away from home! Even if I were to live in LA it'd be a vast difference. I had to choose between UC Irvine, UC San Diego, and Berklee College of Music in Boston. Boston would've definitely been colder and San Diego's near the beach like Orange County but it just felt too big! I love it here, it's an hour away from everything!

How do you react to the fact that your music has gotten immense attention on YouTube?

It's weird, after a while you kinda get numb to it. I look at numbers of subscribers but when I really think about the number of views, then I get really humbled. It's not like I'm doing anything special! There are so many musicians out there and if anything it makes me feel more blessed. For me to be able to say that I do entertain people--even if it's just from my computer, it's really a blessing.