To consider ‘American Doll’ purely a musical album would perhaps be a mistake. Layered and meaningful, the record is more akin to a work of art with a large context around it, an evocative and reflective deep dive into Jae.ci’s lived experience as a Korean adoptee raised in an Italian-American family. Known by day as Jae Carelli, the talented creative seeks to reclaim their identity and process hidden trauma by embarking on a wholesome, classically infused journey, one that showcases the project’s heightened integrity and musical expertise.
Marking Carelli’s debut album, ‘American Doll’ sees Jae exploring the seven core issues of adoption: loss, loyalty, control, identity, abandonment, trust, and shame, all framed into a specific original composition. From an aural standpoint, the listener is taken through a heap of emotional ballads alongside the dreamy and playful title track, still packed with tongue-in-cheek lyricism and sombre imagery. It’s no doubt a melancholic record, yet one that always feels lively and purposeful. Carelli’s vocal range here is certainly impressive, as is their precise intonation and organic delivery.
Delving deeper into ‘American Doll’, Jae.ci explains: “I attended KAAN (the Korean Adoptee/Adoptive Family Network) Conference with my sister in 2023, and we attended a session that explored the 7 core issues of adoption. I recognised these issues had a significant impact on my life experiences, and used the theme to shape the concept of my album.” This statement becomes even more powerful after discovering that South Korea, the world’s largest exporter of adopted children, had profited from their adoption along with over 250,000 others over the past 70 years (as reported by the NYT in March 2025).
Carelli continues: “My whole life, I was told I should be grateful to be adopted, saved from poverty and struggle in Korea, that there was no reason I should have any issues. The white saviour complex silenced my pain, and I decided to reclaim the narrative and sing my truth.” ‘American Doll’ is partly extracted from Jae’s solo show Homeward Bound.
Recommended! Discover ‘American Doll’ now: