Jordan Anthony
How the Australian pop artist transitioned from the American Idol stage to Nashville, turning private heartbreak into a massive new single.
Jordan Anthony is entering a defining new chapter. After first capturing audiences on The Voice Australia, representing Australia at Junior Eurovision, and earning a Top 14 finish on American Idol, the Australian-born singer-songwriter has steadily built a reputation for emotionally charged pop that pairs vulnerable storytelling with arena-ready hooks. Now based in the U.S., Anthony is channeling the highs, heartbreaks, and homesickness of chasing a dream far from home into a forthcoming debut EP that promises what he calls “ballads that bang.”
Leading that next era is “Missing Me,” a soaring pop anthem inspired by an unexpected encounter with an ex nearly a year after their breakup. What began as a deeply personal moment—watching someone appear completely unaffected, only to later learn they had been privately heartbroken—became the emotional backbone of a song about the gap between what people show and what they truly feel. Written in Nashville alongside Todd Tran, Joe Tounge, and Chase Cimala, “Missing Me” transforms heartbreak into catharsis, pairing cinematic production with a chorus built to be screamed from the driver’s seat. We caught up with Jordan Anthony to talk about the story behind the single, finding his signature sound, and why this new chapter feels like the most honest music he’s made yet.
“Missing Me” comes from a very specific, relatable moment—seeing an ex at a bar and getting the cold shoulder, only to find out later they were secretly heartbroken. What was it like turning that specific, raw realization into a massive pop anthem? Did writing the song feel like a form of closure?
Absolutely in a way it kind of felt like a celebration of that chapter of my life closing, and in a sense being able to move on to new things in my future, not even in a negative way more as just acknowledging that chapter in my life and everything I learned from that relationship and feeling like I’m now able to move on as the person I am now.
Your music is often described as “cinematic pop.” When you are writing a song, do you visualize it like a movie scene or a music video before the production is even finished? How does that visual element guide your writing?
To be honest, not really a lot of my songwriting and vision for the final product is very instinctual and kind of spontaneous in a way I remember in this specific session – It took about two hours for us to land on the hook of missing me and I’ll never forget that moment of us, realizing that this was the one sometimes you really have to throw a lot of things at the wall and feel like you’re ripping your hair out to find something that finally sticks.
You wrote this track in Nashville with Todd Tran, Joe Tounge, and Chase Cimala. Nashville is famous for its storytelling, while you bring that massive pop energy. How did that room influence the sound, and how quickly did that “driver’s seat” hook come together?
It’s honestly pretty insane how it happened it was my very first session with Joe and Chase who I love and respect so much as writers and it took us a little while to really land on that hook we wrote about 2 to 3 courses and felt very uninspired for probably two hours before missing me basically wrote itself. The only thing we really had that we knew we wanted to write about was the situation of seeing my ex for the first time since we broke up I’ll never forget the moment where I popped out with that “missing me” chorus melody, and we all knew that we had finally landed on something special and then Chase literally left the room for 10 minutes and pretty much spat out that entire first verse when he came back. It was definitely one of “those” sessions that I will never forget. But once we finally landed on it, the rest of the song truly came together so fast. And of course, Todd going absolutely crazy on production. I feel so proud of this song sonic and I’m so grateful for him and his vision and belief in me and my project.
The song captures the tension between acting unaffected on the outside and falling apart on the inside. How did you and your producers reflect that emotional contrast in the music production itself?
I think approaching the lyrics in a very cheeky and honest matter of fact way is how the song became what it is today and acknowledging both sides of the break up too in this song was really important. I feel like in a lot of music, It’s either one or the other side, but I really wanted this song to acknowledge all aspects of it.
“Missing Me” is leading the way into your forthcoming debut EP. How does this track set the tone for the rest of the project, both sonically and theme-wise?
This song is truly the first brick and look into my new sound and foundation for the rest of this project the brief for this EP and what everyone is going to hear is very emotional, anthemic and “ballads that bang” sort of feel. I don’t wanna say too much yet, but I’m so excited and proud of this debut project that is coming.
If someone hears “Missing Me” or your upcoming debut EP for the very first time, what is the exact feeling or realization you hope they walk away with?
It’s OK to miss someone. It’s OK to acknowledge your feelings and it’s also OK Acknowledging these things to celebrate it; celebrate the things you learn and what you took away from the relationship and be able to move forward in your life.
You knew music was your only choice—there was no “Plan B.” Where did that fierce certainty come from when you were still growing up?
It honestly came from delusional belief from not only myself, but mostly my family and my parents specifically. They truly believe in me more than I believe in myself and because of that it’s really taken me through some of the hardest points in my career and led me to where I am today and there’s just been something in me ever since I wrote my very first song when I was 7 that knew this was the only thing that I would be doing for the rest of my life.
Australia has produced some legendary pop vocalists and storytellers, from your Voice mentor Delta Goodrem to Guy Sebastian. Is there a specific “Aussie flavor” or musical mentality you consciously try to keep alive in your music, even while collaborating in American hubs like Los Angeles and Nashville?
I think for me that main Aussie feeling I want and inject into my music and also just my life in general is humility, belief and that fearlessness to keep chasing my dream no matter what I feel like keeping grounded in my roots of being Australian never forgetting where I came from and being so far from home is so important to my journey as I move through the music industry overseas.
Your upcoming EP is heavily inspired by your first two years living in the U.S. What has been the biggest “culture shock” or emotional adjustment moving from Australia to the U.S. music scene, and how has that influenced your songwriting?
I think the pace of life has really encouraged me to keep hustling here in the US. There is so many people chasing a dream pursuing something tirelessly and that feeling is so amazing for me to be able to keep going and keep grinding and never settle. I think also the ceiling being so high in the US is so encouraging for me too because there’s always this sense of what can I do better? how can I work hard harder, to get to where I wanna be.
From “Lost in LA” to “Wrong Impression,” your recent music blends classic, vulnerable ballads with polished modern pop. Who are some of your biggest current production influences that helped you find this sound?
My biggest influences are easily, Lewis Capaldi, Justin Bieber, and Adele. I kind of like to think of my music as a “Swaggy Lewis Capaldi” kind of vibe super big, anthemic but in its bones, it really is a ballad.
You’ve had an incredible run on major platforms—The Voice Australia, Junior Eurovision, and making the Top 14 on American Idol. Looking back, how did those high-pressure television environments shape the artist and live performer you are today?
I think it has allowed me to become less impacted by high-pressure situations and has really taught me to trust myself as an artist and as a vocalist, I remember being on American Idol and hearing so many incredible singers. Some of the best vocalist I had ever heard in my life, and there was an element of me being intimidated by them, but I really had to remind myself of who I was, and trust my artistry.
You’ve fostered an incredibly loyal community known as the Jam Fam. How important is that direct-to-fan relationship for you as an independent artist, especially when playing intimate venues like the Hotel Cafe?
It’s everything to me and my fans are everything to me. I genuinely would not be where I am without them. I think as an artist the main thing I want to feel to my fans is accessible and authentic. It’s almost like a friendship type of feeling that I want to achieve with my fans through my genuine personality, and my honest music if they feel connected to me and my music, that’s genuinely all I could ever want for my career.
Since “Missing Me” is described as a track “made to be shouted from the driver’s seat,” what are top three other songs on Jordan Anthony’s ultimate driving playlist right now?
I love this question:
Right now its –
- Heavenly Kind of State of Mind (Lewis Capaldi)
- Speed Demon (Justin Bieber)
- I Don’t Wanna Be (Blake Rose) who’s also an artist friend of mine from Perth KILLING IT in LA right now
With the single dropping on June 26th and the EP on the horizon, what is one major goal you hope to achieve by the end of the year?
A major goal for me would be to go on my own debut US headline tour. Performing makes everything worth it for me.
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