Hannah Jadagu Hopes You Get All Her Time
- Josh Kitchen
- Oct 24
- 6 min read
By: Josh Kitchen / October 24, 2025
“When I give someone my time, that means everything.” On her new album Describe, Hannah Jadagu opens up about love, growth, and realizing her time is the most precious thing she can give.
“I love being around the people I care about, and when I give someone my time, that means everything. My friends know I’m an introvert, so when I say, ‘I hope you get all my time,’ I mean it.” This declaration from Hannah Jadagu on her new record, Describe, hits at the core of what the album is all about - "I’m exploring what it looks like to figure things out between myself and another person — themes of distance, guilt, second-guessing, but also a ton of gratitude."
Jadagu calls herself a “quality time girly,” and, as she says, she really does mean it. Reflecting on the two years since her soaringly original debut Aperture, Jadagu has experienced immeasurable change—falling in love, going to college, and embracing personal growth while realizing what truly brings her joy and makes her feel whole. She captures these emotions through wildly infectious tracks like the electric “Gimme Time,” which could easily sit alongside a Steve Lacy release; the breezy bedroom-pop groove of “Doing Now”; and the contemplative, ambient album closer “Bergamot.”
Jadagu’s vocals remain one of Describe’s standout instruments—beautifully sung, fully realized, and entirely her own. The record feels like a revelatory step forward from an artist who has completely hit her stride. Played front to back, Describe moves with intentionality, Jadagu telling me, "The A-side is full of yearning and separation, while the B-side leans into appreciation and falling in love — with someone else and with yourself."
I caught up with Jadagu to talk about her growth between Aperture and Describe, why two years can feel like a decade, the art of choosing a hit single, and the realization that her time is everything.
You're pretty busy right now - you have your sophomore album, Describe coming out, you're on tour with Gigi Perez, where are you right now?
I’m actually in Brooklyn right now. We had a little break while we’re opening up for Gigi Perez, so we got to fly back to Brooklyn for a few days. Tomorrow we kick off the tour again in Boston.
Talk to me about Describe — it’s been about two years since “Aperture.” I’m really interested in hearing you talk about the kind of growth and difference between these two records. Two years doesn't feel like a long time, but so much can happen in two years.
A lot happened in those two years. After I finished Aperture in summer 2022, we put it out in May 2023, then I went on tour. In the fall I did a U.S. tour, then in the spring of 2024 we went to Europe. I was back in school during that time, and then in summer 2024 I started working on Describe. There was a lot of growth that happened — I fell in love, went back to school, went on tours, and just felt like I was coming into my own. People described Aperture as a coming-of-age record, but I feel like I really came into my own while making Describe.
One big difference is that I made this album in California with my friend and producer Sora Lopez. When I went back to school in New York, the album wasn’t finished yet, so we worked remotely — me in New York, Sora in L.A., and my former producer Max in Paris helping with final touches. We were constantly passing notes back and forth, getting on calls early before class — that was very new for me. Lyrically, I’m not just talking about myself anymore. I’m exploring what it looks like to figure things out between myself and another person — themes of distance, guilt, second-guessing, but also a ton of gratitude. Especially once you hit the B-side, there’s a lot of “okay, life can actually be good.” The A-side is full of yearning and separation, while the B-side leans into appreciation and falling in love — with someone else and with yourself.
I’m glad you mentioned the A-side and B-side. A lot of the music industry lately feels like its giving up on the “album” as an art form, but you clearly haven't. I love that you’ve created two sides that feel distinct but connected — you can hear it from front to back.
I’m a big fan of listening to albums in full. Some of my favorites — Rihanna’s ANTI, Imogen Heap’s Speak for Yourself, SZA’s Ctrl, Rosalia’s Motomami — they all tell a story from start to finish. It doesn’t need to be a super tight concept like Kid A or something, but I love when an album feels like a journey. That’s my goal — I always set out to make albums, not singles. Even though we’re in such a single-forward era, I want to be an album artist.
And when you can be an album artist who also writes great singles, that’s the best of both worlds. When you’re writing, do you know which songs will be singles? Or does that come later from your team or label?
Such a good question — because I fight with them! My team hates to see me coming when it’s time to pick singles. Sometimes I know right away — like “Gimme Time” and “My Love.” I knew those were singles. “Doing Now” wasn’t supposed to be, but people I played it for loved it — my agent was even singing it to his baby the next day! That’s when I said, okay, maybe it is a single. So it’s a mix — instinct and a little market research. I listen to so much music, and I studied the business side in school, so I take singles seriously. Sometimes I clash with my team, but I usually know when something feels right.
There are so many stories of artists not wanting to release a certain song and their team pushing for it. Bruce Springsteen didn’t want to release “Dancing in the Dark,” and now it’s one of his biggest songs. I’m glad you trusted your instincts — “Gimme Time” feels like a song that'll stand the test of time.
Thank you! I actually wanted to be a music supervisor for the longest time, and one of my dreams is to score a film someday. I think a lot about context — which songs people will play in the car, in their headphones, or at a party. That kind of thinking helps me figure out how to finish a song or where to place it on an album. It’s not the driving force, but it definitely guides me.
And when you box yourself in, it risks making the music one-dimensional. You put your art out, and once it’s released, it’s out there— people will hear it in all kinds of moments. Your music feels like it works in so many different spaces.
Thank you so much. “Gimme Time” especially — that chorus just felt right from the beginning. Then my friends and my mom loved it, my roommates were singing it around the house… when that happens, you know it’s working.
You've mentioned that the album explores how we sacrifice time — how we think about what we do with what’s been given to us. You said you’re a “quality time girly.” Can you expand on that? Because, same.
You probably are! For me, love languages are real, and mine is definitely quality time. I can’t function without it. I don’t need gifts — I just want to be with the people I love. When I was making the record, I realized that’s what causes the most friction in my life — distance. When you’re touring or constantly moving, you can’t be a quality time girly. And to me, it’s not just being together — it’s being present when you are. Put the phone down. I’m such a quality time person — I love being around the people I care about, and when I give someone my time, that means everything. My friends know I’m an introvert, so when I say, “I hope you get all my time,” I mean it.
Listen to Describe below, and follow Hannah Jadagu here.
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