The year 2003 was very atypical for Jaci Velasquez, who had known nothing but success since her smashing 1996 debut, Heavenly Place. She's been a chart-topper on both Christian radio and Hispanic radio all along, but all that came to a halt in '03. Her latest CD, Unspoken, sold well but fell short of expectations, she had no Number 1 hits on radio, her Spanish album Milagro bombed, and her film debut, in Chasing Papi, was a box-office bust. Despite the setbacks, it was also a year of great joy for Jaci, who got married last August—to Darren Potuck of Goshen, Indiana. We recently talked to Velasquez about the ups and downs of 2003—starting with the downs.

After all your success career-wise, how'd you deal with a year like 2003?

Jaci Velasquez: I don't blame my fans. I don't blame the choices I've made. I don't really blame anyone. A lot of it has to do with the economy. Basically all the artists on our label (Word/Warner) have faced the same things, so I can't really take it too hard or be hard on myself or my fans. It's kinda where our country is at. My record label doesn't have the money that it had three years ago, when Crystal Clear came out. Unless you're doing worship music, there really is no place for you on Christian radio, which has taken quite a big turn.

Was there a moment of insecurity where you felt people didn't like you as much?

Velasquez: Definitely. There were a lot of moments when I thought, Maybe I should just hang it up and retire. Or, Maybe people really don't want me anymore. But then I'd look at the charts and see other artists come and go, but my album was still there. So in a way that reassured me that people still want me, that they still listen when I say something. That's something I shouldn't take lightly.

How about your Spanish album, Milagro?

Velasquez: That was totally a record label thing. My label [Sony Discos at the time] totally fell apart at the moment the record came out. The moment it released, my president got fired, so that fell through the cracks.

Despite the setbacks, you're working on new material.

Velasquez: Yeah. With this new album I'm making, it's been a little bit different. In a way, it's kind of liberating. Since I've adapted and conformed stylistically and lyrically for so many years, this time I'm going to make the record I've been wanting to make for a long time. I'm recording it in London with Martin Terefe, a producer who's worked with Coldplay, a-Ha, Ron Sexsmith, and a lot of indie, underground UK artists that nobody in the U.S. has really heard about. A lot of the music that I listen to is not the type of music I make, so for the first time in my life I'm making a record that, sonically, it's what I listen to. For the first time in my life I'm going, "Whoah, this might not sell, but it's cool!"

Now I'm definitely intrigued.

Velasquez: If I were to try to describe to my fans the new music I'm making, it would scare them away! But I'm not going to do that. I'm going to let it come out and let them decide for themselves. They're going to be surprised. Before, when I was asked what I listened to, I would say Coldplay, Radiohead, The Flaming Lips, stuff like that. But when I was asked who I sounded like, I'd say, "It's a cross between Celine Dion and Gloria Estefan." Now, what I listen to and my own style are going to be a little more consistent.

Last year you did score one Number 1 hit, and that's your husband. What was it about him that stole your heart?

Velasquez: Well, he didn't really know who I was—at least he didn't really care. In fact, he thought it was kinda goofy that I was an adult contemporary pop singer. Personally, I fell in love with his blue eyes. I was always a sucker for light eyes. If you look back at the pictures of all my boyfriends, they all have blue eyes. But Darren was funny, he knew how to make me laugh. He just was everything. There aren't really words to describe Darren. He's just the greatest, the funniest, and the coolest guy you'll ever meet.

What makes him a great husband?

Velasquez: He doesn't take things seriously. He takes the right things seriously, but he won't take the wrong things seriously. For example, when I'm being a dork and freaking out about dumb girl stuff, he'll say, "Jaci, you're crazy. You'll be fine." He takes my emotions seriously, but not the silly things I'm taking seriously. He makes light of the situation, which is what I need in my life. Does that make sense?

Yes, but tell me more.

Velasquez: He's just the kind of guy that would be the perfect guy for any girl.

Doesn't that make you a little uneasy?

Velasquez: No, because I got him, because he's so in love with me that I'm not worried. There isn't a single cheating bone in his body. Once he's yours, he's yours. That's why every girl would want him. Any girl wants a guy that will be hers forever, and that's how I feel with him.

You said he's funny. Give me an example.

Velasquez: He dances for me in the living room.

Is he any good?

Velasquez: Not at all (laughs)!

When you were single, you often talked about struggles with self-esteem. Now that you're married, is that all better now?

Velasquez: I'm a lot more secure with myself now, as a wife. When you get married, you gain more confidence and you don't feel like you have to impress anybody. It's a beautiful thing to feel beautiful.

So, has "The Real Me" you wrote about on your last album changed significantly?

Velasquez: I think "The Real Me" is still the same person. Those parts of me I sang about are still inside of me. But I feel I've matured. I've grown into more of a woman. I'm a lot less "giggly" and talkative than before. I'm more centered. And I have more of a "filter" on me, in a way. Some people think that's good, while others think it's bad. My family would say that it's a bad thing, because I never had a filter; I always kinda told it like it was. The good, the bad, and the ugly, that's who Jaci was.

What's the best thing about being married?

Velasquez: The part I like best is that you always have somebody to hang out with. And someone who can make your coffee.

And the hardest thing?

Velasquez: You're going to laugh at me, but the hardest thing is him never being able to find the sugar in the pantry. That frustrates me. I'd be like, "Baby, where's the sugar?" And he'd say, "Do you want me to get it for you?" And I'm like, "Yeah, go get me the sugar." And he's like, "Where is it?" And I'd say, "It's in the pantry." He walks to the pantry, opens it up, but can't find it. And I'm like, "Baby, it's right in there." He still can't find it. So I walk over to the pantry, I move one thing, and there it is. That's probably the hardest thing in our marriage.

Uh, that sounds deep.

Velasquez: But you don't understand! It's truly frustrating.

Enough about your profound marriage woes. When he's not looking for the sugar, what else does Darren do?

Velasquez: He's the lead singer in this new band of his. Very cool band, might I add. His style is like Matchbox Twenty-meets-Semisonic. Their record will probably be coming out in the next year or so.

You're now a record label executive, the head of your own Apostrophe Records. Why did you choose that name and what are your plans?

Velasquez: We called it "Apostrophe" because it's an extension of who I am. I'm still going to continue to make music and everything, but now I'm going to have this on the side as an extension of myself. My first artist is Michael Cook, who is a fantastic guy. His style is kinda hard to describe. He's a little bit like John Mayer, with that smooth voice that you can literally listen to for forever.

Don't you feel it's a little risky starting a new label in the current musical and economical climate?

Velasquez: Not the way we're doing it. We're doing it in a way that it's going to be the most beneficial to the artist. We're basically a bank. The artist invests in the label, the label worries about the returns, and after all is said and done, if the right moves were made, the artist makes money.

Money. Isn't it a little tough mixing family and business?

Velasquez: Oh, yeah, it's difficult. But some of the greatest businesses are based off of families. Swarovski Crystal, a family business in Austria, started like that, and now they have stores in Florida, in New York, in Chicago. Same idea with the record label. Yeah, it's tough to discuss the bottom line with your relatives, but in my case, I don't trust anybody more than I do my own family. We've made a deal: if this thing doesn't work—me, my brother, and my mom—we're more important to each other than the business.

For more about Jaci Velasquez, visit our artist page for her. You'll find past interviews, devotionals, and reviews, including our take on Unspoken and Milagro. To listen to sound clips and buy Jaci's music, visit Christianbook.com.

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