Q&A: Jai’Len Josey Puts Her Many Talents on Display in ‘Serial Romantic’
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY MOLLY PECK ☆
AT A GLANCE, JAI’LEN JOSEY IS IMMACULATE—Everything about her seems designed for stardom. She can sing, she can act and she is undeniably beautiful. Even her music sounds polished to a high shine, the production value combining with her smooth, faultless vocals to create tracks that are picture-perfect.
But Josey is not just a poster girl. Underneath this glossy image exists a hard-working young woman who is interested in every facet of making music. Singing, writing and producing are all the same to Josey; she’s creating, not just doing one of the three. Her debut album, Serial Romantic, might sound like a slick R&B record on the surface, but Josey has poured her heart into every piece of the album. She created many of the beats on her laptop and wrote the songs about her own romantic experiences. Serial Romantic is an introduction to Josey as a well-rounded artist, not just a singer or a songwriter.
Josey is based in Atlanta and started building her skills at a young age. She attended Tri-Cities High School, which has a legendary performing arts program, and made her Broadway debut shortly after graduating. Her role as Pearl Krabs in The SpongeBob Musical opened doors for her music career, and she was soon signed to Def Jam as a songwriter. From there, Josey quickly proved herself as a writer, co-writing Ari Lennox’s hit “Pressure,” which was on the Billboard Hot 100 list for seventeen weeks.
Anyone who has listened to Serial Romantic knows that Josey is talented. Her strong, rich voice is both distinctive and familiar, modern and comforting, and she traverses each track with ease. But what really stands out about the album is Josey’s knack for musical storytelling. The record has a clear throughline, inviting the listener to go on the journey of meeting a new lover, realizing that they aren’t who they appeared to be and embracing the next chapter. R&B is a genre known for storytelling, particularly regarding romance, and Josey weaves this into her album in a way that feels mature for a debut artist. She also worked with Grammy-winning producer Tricky Stewart to put the finishing touches on the album.
Josey’s efforts have not gone unnoticed. She has a knack for grabbing the attention of big players in the industry. Josey considers Cynthia Erivo and Lena Waithe mentors and has received Instagram shout-outs from artists like SZA and Kehlani. Leon Thomas and The-Dream helped produce tracks on Serial Romantic alongside Josey and Stewart. Her growing reputation in the music business promises that there will be much more to come from Josey.
Luna recently sat down with Josey to discuss the making of Serial Romantic and her upcoming plans in music and on the stage.
LUNA: For anyone unfamiliar with your work, what are some of your inspirations and influences?
JOSEY: My inspirations and influences definitely derive from jazz and lots of house. I grew up listening to Funkadelics, The Gap Band, Luther Vandross, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Nicks [and] Hall and Oates. I suppose my influences come from the past generations.
LUNA: Serial Romantic tells a story of the highs and lows of romance. What made you want to tell that story?
JOSEY: I could only tell the experience that I was going through at the time. It wouldn't be honest if I spoke about anything other than what I was going through in that moment.
LUNA: How do you want your audience to feel when they listen to the album?
JOSEY: I want them to feel liberated with any body of work that I give. I want them to feel liberated and strong enough to break cycles, break bad habits and strong enough to take accountability for their own faults as well.
LUNA: What are your favorite tracks on the album, and why?
JOSEY: The ones that I made! One of my favorite songs on the album definitely has to be “New Girl.” It switches every time, but it's between “New Girl” and “Won't Force You.” Any time I look back, I'm like, “Dang, I produced the hell out of them songs!” I feel like it's a revelation. You never know what you're going through when you make the music, when you're writing, and then you look back at it, and you're like, “Oh my gosh, I ate!”
LUNA: What was it like working with Tricky Stewart?
JOSEY: It was a learning experience. [Serial Romantic] taught me a lot. The way that [Stewart] knows how to sequence my experiences…he taught me how to be a producer in another facet. It wasn’t until we really, truly started working together that I started saying that I am a producer. Like, if people ask, yeah, I make my own music. These are my lyrics, this is my sound, this is what I created. But I don't think anybody truly knew. He made sure to let people know that I was behind the board, that I was working on my computer, creating these beats and writing as well. He taught me to be more vocal about my talents, and not hide behind the fact that I sing these songs; No, I create these songs. He taught me to be more transparent and honest about the creation of these songs, because it does come from me.
LUNA: You helped Ari Lennox write her hit “Pressure.” How is it working with another artist to write a song versus writing your own music?
JOSEY: Writing for Ari was great because she essentially opened the door for me in writing. She was one of the first artists that I wrote for when I signed to Sony as a writer. She also had her own experience of growing into her artistry—this was for her second album, age/sex/location. With her growing and putting out her body of work, while also bringing me along and taking me in, she showed me how beautiful it can be to just be an artist.
When I'm writing for other artists, I get to shed my ego, and it's the song first. I am merely of service. Now that I'm at the point where people are putting together sessions for me, and I have writers in the room, I know that they have the ability to write for me and to be selfless in that same way, to give their gift in the same way that I would give my gift if I'm the writer in the session. That was a cool parallel to see, to be in the session, to be of service to Ari, and now to have that be a possibility for me too. It's just a cool, like, killing of the ego. At the end of the day, it's not, “Oh, I wish I had this song.” It's none of that. It's, “I want another life-changing experience, and by the grace of God, I'm going to do my best in this session today so that I can have that experience with this artist.” I hope someone might have that same mindset when it comes to writing for me. That is what [Ari Lennox] taught me, and that is how it feels writing for other people, aside from writing for myself. When it is me, writing for myself, I know that there's another opportunity to be selfless to the music.
LUNA: R&B stars like SZA and Kehlani have shouted out Serial Romantic on social media. How does that make you feel?
JOSEY: I'm obviously daydreaming, and none of this is real! I'm happy. It feels nice to be recognized. Hopefully, I get to work with these young ladies at some point! I'm grateful. I listen to their music all the time. I've lived to their music. It's nice to know that somebody sees me in the way that I see them.
LUNA: What's next for you? Is there going to be a Serial Romantic tour?
JOSEY: I heard through the grapevine that it is a possibility. We just, by the grace of God, in three cities, did listening parties. We did a listening party in New York, and it sold out. We did a listening party in Atlanta, and it sold out. And then LA, it sold out there, too. If I'm not mistaken, they kept opening up the invites for more people to come, and more people came. I think that shows that there is demand, and I can go on tour—if we're not in another freaking pandemic by that time [laughs]. And if any Luna readers are in Atlanta, I'll be playing Cinderella in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella at the Southwest Arts Center from June 9 to July 5.
