Jax (singer)
Jaclyn Cole Miskanic, known professionally as Jax, is an American singer-songwriter and social media personality, who competed on the fourteenth season of American Idol. Her 2022 single, "Victoria's Secret", reached number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100. Her debut studio album, Dear Joe, was released on Atlantic Records on June 28, 2024.
Early life
Jax was born May 5, 1996, and raised in Atlantic Beach, New York, and moved with her family in 2005 to East Brunswick, New Jersey. She began singing at age 5. Her father, John, was a firefighter who was injured on duty during the September 11 attacks, and her mother, Jill, is a New York City school teacher. After attending the East Brunswick Public Schools, Jax was homeschooled starting in the eighth grade in order to allow her sufficient time for voice lessons, performances, and recording.In mid-2014, she studied at New York University in London, where she won a John Lennon Scholarship in songwriting through the BMI Foundation. She earned a bachelor's degree from the Fashion Institute of Technology.
Career
''American Idol''
In 2015, Jax auditioned for the fourteenth season of American Idol, with the song "I Want to Hold Your Hand" by The Beatles. She sang "Toxic" by Britney Spears for her first solo audition during Hollywood Week, and sang The Beatles' "Let It Be" for her final solo performance. She was the only contestant out of 80 to be declared safe immediately after the performance. She performed Janis Joplin's "Piece of My Heart" with Steven Tyler during the show's season finale. Jax finished third in the competition, and her first single, "Forcefield", was released following the finale. In July 2015, Jax and the other top five American Idol contestants embarked on the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2015.''Funny'' and ''Dear Joe,''
Jax's second single, "La La Land", was released on January 6, 2016, along with her first music video. "La La Land" is about Jax's experience on American Idol.In 2017 she released the EP, Funny, which charted at number 17 on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums.
In 2018, Jax was invited to perform at the White House's Independence Day celebration. This caused some controversy, due to the feelings surrounding Trump's presidency at the time. Jax then appeared on Fox and Friends to defend her decision to perform at the White House, calling the criticism "vulgarity" and "bullying" rather than political commentary. She continued to explain "I come from a really patriotic family" and that she was intent on honoring the troops during this celebration without listening to the "pettiness" coming from public forums.
In January 2021, she signed a record deal with Atlantic Records. In October 2021, her single "Like My Father" debuted at number 38 on the Billboard Adult Pop Airplay, her first song to chart on Billboard charts. The song reached 80 million streams on TikTok.
In April 2022, Jax was named iHeartRadio's first-ever TikTok Songwriter of the Year. That year, she released the single "Victoria's Secret." It charted at number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 15 on the Adult Contemporary chart, number two on the Spotify US Viral 50, and was certified Gold in the United States. It also charted in Australia, Ireland, Canada, Sweden, and New Zealand. The song was inspired by a girl Jax was babysitting, to write a song about body positivity that could inspire young girls. In an Instagram post, Victoria's Secret CEO Amy Hauk thanked Jax for "addressing important issues in her lyrics." Jax performed on the 2022 iHeartRadio Jingle Ball tour.
Her next single, "Cinderella Snapped", peaked at number 23 on the Billboard Pop Airplay chart. In October 2023, Jax joined Canadian rock band Simple Plan for a re-recorded version of the track "Iconic" from their 2022 album Harder Than It Looks. In 2024, Jax joined Simple Plan on their Australian tour. On June 28, 2024, she released her debut studio album Dear Joe, on Atlantic Records. It reached number nine9 on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart, and number nine on Spotify's US Albums chart.
On July 23, 2024, Jax released a series of TikTok videos with Haliey Welch. Jax has 14.5 million followers on TikTok. In October 2024, through Musicians on Call and Hyundai Hope on Wheels, Jax teamed with Sam Hollander to write the song "Hope Lights the Way" in honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
Personal life
In August 2016, Jax revealed that she was battling thyroid cancer.Jax married Braverijah "Brave" Gregg in November 2023, in Scottsdale, Arizona, in a ceremony officiated by her brother Matthew. Their daughter was born in May 2025.