JAY B Urges Fans to Be Yourself With His Second EP
On September 21, solo artist JAY B released his second EP Be Yourself. Following the release of his first EP SOMO: FUME almost a year ago, this project transitions from the R&B inspired tracks about love to a lighter rhythm expressing themes of friendship, comfort, and self-love.
Many Sides of JAY B
With his eight year tenure in the music industry, JAY B is determined to show fans all of himself through his different personas. As a member of global K-pop group GOT7, “JB” displayed his leadership and ability to adapt to changes; “DEF” shows a more reflective and sensual side; and JAY B lives life according to his own rules. No matter the era of his career, he continues to push his creativity and share his experiences that listeners can relate to. Taking time to perfect his craft and present a truly reflective body of work, JAY B’s tenacity and honesty have earned him fans’ admiration.
“Let Yourself Go, What are You Afraid Of”
The lead of the EP, “go UP,” is an anthem of freedom and tranquility. The music video opens with JAY B levitating on a boat behind the Seoul skyline. Many fans have speculated that this is a callback to scenes in GOT7 music videos like “Fly” and “Eclipse.” With a funky, hip hop vibe, “go UP” insists that we live as our authentic selves and disregard the opinions of others. He also makes reference to Kendrick Lamar “Imma be your Kendrick, can you please, don’t kill my vibe.” Throughout the video, breakdancers show off their skills, with JAY B himself busting some moves and going back to his b-boying roots.
The second track “Break It Down” has a light, hip hop influenced beat with trap elements. Featuring Sik-K, the song talks about straying from the same daily habits and exploring new opportunities. The song experiments musically with heavy guitar riffs in the chorus, which gives the track a rock edge, as a unique introduction to Sik-K’s verse.
Striving to be the Best Version of Yourself
Adopting the theme of self love, JAY B stresses the importance of self improvement. “Livin” starts with a light, airy beat that develops into a pop song with a lively tambourine background. Showing off his vocal ability, JAY B tells listeners that it is okay to be selfish sometimes in order to preserve your own happiness “Just live my life/ cause we only live once/ let’s figure it out someday.”
According to an interview with Naver, “The Way We Are” sends a story of everlasting friendship through struggles to his fans and himself. Behind a lively, soulful beat, he reminds both himself and fans to forget the past and look to tomorrow. “Fountain of Youth” has an early 2000’s coming of age feel with layered harmonies showing off the skills of composer JAY B. In another message to his fans, JAY B promises to always stay true to those who appreciate him for his full self, regardless of the situation of the judgment he may receive.
Never Stop Dreaming Bright Lights
The final track, “Holyday,” is the perfect culmination to the EP, composed by himself and OFFSHORE’s, iHawk, Mirror Boy, and Royal Dive. With a poppy gospel organ-like sound layered in the track, JAY B reflects on his career and personal growth. Throughout all the trials and tribulations, he stays true to himself and always keeps his dreams alive. “If I’m on my knees/ and prayin for me/ I gotta remind myself endlessly/ stop overthinkin’/ and just start dreamin.”
Although this EP has a different style from his other personas, you can feel how each of them are a part of his current identity. With this EP, JAY B displays his ability to keep his sound and music constantly evolving. The album and its tracks show how the artist doesn’t stay within a singular genre, but rather experiments with music on his own terms.
On his sophomore album, JAY B uses the power of music to continually inspire himself and others. Like a good friend, JAY B reminds us that even in chaos, we should live the most authentic and pure version of ourselves.
If you want to know more about JAY B, you can follow him on Instagram and check out his music on Spotify and Apple Music.
Want more music? Check out our exclusive interview with ILY:1 here!
