Jay B's third physical single “Chptr. 1,” released Tuesday, kicks off a new series through which the GOT7 leader hopes to give himself more room to wander beyond the R&B-heavy music that built his solo career.
“It’s both a new beginning and something of a side story,” Jay B said during a round interview with press at Mapo-gu, western Seoul, Tuesday. “My music has definitely been more R&B-based in the past, but R&B isn’t the only kind of music I listen to, so I wanted to take this chance to explore a variety of different genres.”
The two-track single arrives about four months after his third EP “Tr.ee." Jay B began preparing the new release almost immediately afterward, working on it while continuing his “Tape:roots” world tour, which wrapped up in September.
At the center of “Chptr. 1” is lead track “Honeydew,” a synthwave song driven by a rhythmic bass line, dreamy synthesizers and a recurring whistle motif. The release also includes pop-R&B track “Sweetie,” which pairs electric piano, synthesizers and guitar with heavier drums and bass.
Jay B said “Honeydew” emerged partly from a question he has repeatedly asked himself: how to reconcile his affinity for R&B with his identity as a performer.
“I’ve always wondered how I could take R&B and incorporate more dance music into it,” he said. “If you listen closely, this song does move away from R&B, but I think its strength is that I can maintain that mood while showing more dance.”
Both songs on the album were also shaped heavily by his fans. “Honeydew" was conceived as a song that could offer some comfort when listeners feel lonely. “Sweetie,” on the other hand, grew from the idea that while Jay B may not be able to help his fans directly, he can still offer them support through his music.
While R&B remains his musical anchor, “Chptr. 1” is expected to open the door to more musical experimentation in subsequent installments, according to Jay B. For future EPs, Jay B mentioned that he wants to explore a variety of genres, and he is particularly interested in alternative R&B and music that manipulates his familiar vocal tone through effects and other production techniques.
“I want to try more experimental music,” he said. “My vocal tone doesn’t necessarily have to come through exactly as it is. I’d like to experiment with distorting it or transforming it into different tones to show different sides of myself as an artist.”
That experimentation comes as Jay B says he is increasingly less preoccupied with achieving a perfect result.
“I used to think I should do my best so that I wouldn’t have any regrets, but I realized regret follows no matter what you do,” he said. “Now I think I should just do the best I can, even if I end up regretting something.”
His longer-term ambition is less about a particular chart position than making music capable of capturing the era he is living through.
“I’d like to make a song that can express the time I’m living in,” he said, pointing to Dean’s “Instagram” as an example of a song tied closely to a particular moment. “I want to make something that can represent the emotions of this era and resonate with a lot of people even as time passes.”
lee.jungjoo@heraldcorp.com
