R&B artist Jay Saint’s first full length LP ExCommitted, released on all platforms on Tuesday, January 6th. The release comes from years of drawing inspiration after writing for Bad Boy Records and Danity Kane’s number one album, Welcome to the Dollhouse. Writing for Bad Boy Records earned Jay Saint his first major writing chops, allowing him to write every song on his 11-track LP. He’s also written for American-Jamaican singer, Sean Kingston.
While Jay Saint identifies as a gay man and considers himself the openly gay artist R&B needs, ExCommitted navigates themes of love and war in a language that everyone can relate to. That’s his goal for his music. For him, R&B music is about love – EVERYONE’s love! It’s important that all listeners can vibe to every track on his album.
You just released first full length LP ExCommitted. What was the inspiration behind the sound?
I wanted to create something that felt authentic. Also something that transcends traditional R&B. I also wanted to create a story that explained everything I’ve been through in all my past relationships. Those experiences affected and inspired me so much. That’s how the sound came about.
Tell us about the writing process behind ExCommitted’s lead single Push Away.
Push Away is about a very toxic relationship that lasted three years. I never had any closure over the situation until I wrote the song. I knew that I made the right decision and leaving him was the only way I could grow and follow my dreams. Push Away saved me.
You have memorable choruses. Are you the type of artist that starts with a melody, or do you start with lyrics first?
I normally start with humming the melody and recording it as a voice note on my phone. I would later go in and add lyrics and conceptually tie the topic together. The chorus just naturally comes to me.
Your mother and father were very supportive of you being in music, do they have any favorite songs of yours?
I wrote this song a long time ago called “Relapse.” They both love that song. They knew all the words. They actually still play it.
You wrote the chorus to Danity Kane’s Pretty Boy. Did you become in demand after writing for them? Are you still writing for other artists?
After writing “Pretty Boy,” doors definitely opened up. I later wrote for Day 26, Keke Palmer and Fergie. Unfortunately none of those records were placed, but it was amazing to have those artists record my songs.
You worked with an artist named Wish that lost her deal because she was too focused on the LGBT community. You mentioned somewhere that because of that, you made sure to stay in your lane. At what point did you get the courage to be yourself in your music?
The climate of music has changed tremendously since those days. I knew that the only way people would connect to me is if I was authentically myself in every aspect of my artistry. I also felt that disclosing my sexuality while being in the music industry wouldn’t be the only topic of discussion. My music would speak more volumes.
What advice would you give to any artists out there struggling to be themselves in the music industry?
Being yourself will only make your craft better. True artistry and uniqueness can never be fabricated. Sometimes you never know how much power you may have until you start being yourself. Trust the process and trust your journey. It’s never wrong.
What else can we expect from you for 2020?
You should expect a lot of content, amazing visuals, knock out performances and tons of songwriting credits. I’ll be EVERYWHERE.
Now that ExCommitted has been released, where can fans catch you perform?
I have an upcoming performance at SOB’s in NYC on Sunday, March 29th hosted by BLACKstreet’s Lenny Harold, with featured performances by Bry’Nt, Ryan Lane, Tony Forrestt and DJ Kenneth Kyrell providing the vibes. It’ll be my biggest show thus far. I will be performing a few melodies from the album. There are a few other surprises but you’ll have to be there to know them. I predict it to be a very memorable night!
www.ticketweb.com/event/courtney-creative-pr-presents-jay-sobs-tickets/10460185?pl=sobs
