Windhoek
It is delighting to see new acts in Namibia break free from comparable underground music and into the light of mainstream acceptance.
It is often said that what keeps you in the limelight is not only having a hit single but the consistency to stay fresh remains the definite way. In the case of Jay R what makes his sound in the Namibian pop path stand out is his ability to infuse a different feel to the pop genre, making it unique to the regular local sound. His 21 track album the music, me and you is filled with songs showcasing his mix of love, lust, mood and aspirations. “The Music, me and you is the title that I always wanted to name my first album, and that is exactly what happened. It’s basically, me trying to express myself, my life, my love life through music. My album is inspired by The Music itself, life, love and culture. It’s about me expressing how I feel about life, love and culture through music,” says Jay R
Take for instance ‘Sawale’’, which means ‘come back’, is one of the popular songs about a breakup with the girl whom he thought was the love of her life, and when things ended he didn’t take it well as he thought he would. “At the moment I was going through a break up with the girl I though was the love of my life. I was deeply in love and when we break up I didn’t know what to do. So I decided to write a song about it, thinking maybe she will try to understand exactly how I feel about her,” says Jay R.
Jay R’s lyrics on this album are very ordinary and straightforward. However, the lyrics do not hinder him as they help him craft songs that are easy to understand. The album comprise of Afro Pop music, which is used as a general term for African Popular music and African contemporary sound. Some songs sound a tad bit repetitive but that doesn’t stop you from enjoying the album as Jay R has enough tricks to hold you down. He shows a lot of talent on Naturally, Let us stand and I like I, Danca and Addicted just to mention a few. It shows that his mastery of various sounds makes the album worth listening to.
The songs are produced by Maj Beatz, Elvo and Jay Antonio (Dope Angel Production) and thus the reason for the diverse sound faultlessness. The album is currently available at Antonio’s art and it will be soon in all towns in the country for N$120.
Rating – 3.5/5
Fans, friends and followers can always get Jay R on
Facebook as John Jay R
Instagram as john_jayr_
Twitter as IamJayR
Soundclound as Iam Jay R Namibia