Hailing from New Jersey, Jessica Franklin aka HeyGorjess is a force to be reckoned with. The lifestyle blogger has made a name for herself on and off social media, sharing her love for helping those in need while embarking on numerous adventures across the globe. For this week’s Sounds in The Sky playlist, we speak to the Rutgers University alumni on what inspired her music selection and more. Check out our conversation with HeyGorjess and her curated playlist below.

What inspired this selection of songs? 

I chose these songs because they are some of my current favorites that I’ve been listening to. I’m the type of person where if I love a song, I’ll listen to it over and over again a bunch of times. “Love Galore” by SZA, “Still” by Mali Music, and “Therapy” by Khalid are examples of songs I’ve literally had on repeat in the past month or so. I really love both the melodies and lyrics. Then there are also some fun, upbeat songs on this list such as “Rollin” by Calvin Harris and Meditation by “GoldLink” that have fun, positive vibes that put me in a good mood.

In what ways does music influence your day-to-day work?

Music constantly helps me with my work. I listen to it a lot when I’m answering emails, editing videos and pictures, etc. It really helps me to stay focused and get in the zone. It also helps me even if I don’t feel like working sometimes by motivating and inspiring me.

If you can choose one musician to have dinner with, dead or alive, who would it be & why? 

That’s a hard question but I think it would be Aaliyah. She had such an influence on music growing up and she still does today. Her style and songs are still so impactful. Not only that, but she seemed like such a sweet and genuine person and I would love to talk to her just to get to know her as a person.

Can you walk us through a day in your life? How does music play into your routine?

As a blogger and influencer, my day-to-day activities are constantly changing. I travel a lot, have photoshoots, go to events, workout, and more! For all of these things I constantly listen to music! It makes long flights more enjoyable, gets me in the zone for photo shoots, and keeps me motivated while working out. I don’t go one day without listening to music, it is apart of my entire lifestyle!

What can we expect from you in the near future

I have a lot of fun collaborations coming up with some brands, more travel and I plan to be posting a lot more on YouTube! It is a big focus for me right now so be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss what I have next at www.youtube.com/heygorjess1. You can also check me out on my website at www.heygorjess.com and follow me on social @Heygorjess on all social platforms!