R&B music possesses strong international appeal and transcends cultural barriers. In the UK, however, their dose of R&B potion seems to be running low. Even though the genre has lost its prominence in the UK, British R&B artist J-Sol is striving to put a change to that. “Honestly, [R&B] is pretty much nonexistent,” he reveals. The emerging young artist is taking the initiative to rekindle the UK population back to the forgotten genre. “There’s not a lot of people doing it anymore and it’s not like it was before, but I think it’s definitely on its way back up and I’m happy to be a part of it.”
Good thing J-Sol is equipped for the task at hand in reviving R&B back to his native country. For starters, the musician graduated from one of the top performing arts schools in the UK, The Brit School, with distinguished alumni such as Jessie J, Adele and Amy Winehouse. The training and skills acquired there has had a positive effect on his embarking career. “It’s had a good impact, it’s a very credible place to come from,” says J-Sol. He admits “it can be a lot of pressure at times because of the high standard that has come out of there,” but the “Keep It On The Low” singer is always up for a challenge. “I love pressure and being made to feel like I have to prove myself.”
As a validation of proof, the singer has already earned some bragging rights under his belt. He has opened for notable American acts such as Boyz II Men and Bobby V. and has stacked in his accomplishment basket his performance at the Olympic Stadium in London last summer for over 10,000 fans. The budding artist, just reaching his 20s, marks the experience as unreal and says when he thinks about giving up on music he remembers that exhilarating moment.
The singer by no means has any reason to surface a thought of giving up on his craft. He has a huge task at hand and with the high buzz of his current single “Keep It On The Low,” the Brit displays the elements that will bring R&B back alive in the UK with his catchy music that possesses swag and a british flare. “My songs always have a catchy part that I’m sure most people would know after first listen,” describes the artist about his signature sound. “There’s always some kind of attitude in my vocal performance. I think it’s very important [also] that you can hear where I’m from in my songs.”
J-Sol’s buzzing single “Keep It On The Low” birthed from BET’s hit drama series “Being Mary Jane.” The song stems from the idea of a man and his mistress keeping their side fling a top secret. J-Sol clarifies that the concept of the song is “definitely not a personal experience.” On the track, the British artist has his first collaboration with an American artist who happens to be So So Def’s Dondria Nicole. “I couldn’t wish for the chemistry between us to be any better,” comments J-Sol. “Once we discovered we both loved to eat we became pals,” he says jokingly. The chemistry between the two artists can easily be witnessed in the upbeat steamy video for “Keep It On The Low,” released less than a month ago, with both artists showing off their nice signature dance moves.
J-Sol will soon release his EP titled “Laid Bare.”Even though he kept lips sealed on a few details that couldn’t be prematurely exposed, he did give us some exclusive insight on what to expect for the project. “I worked with a producer called Mokeyz who has produced for artists such as Ariana Grande, Wretch 32, Misha B., Krept & Konan just to name a few. The song we did is called ‘Scream,’ written by Disturbing London artist J Warner.”
With his new music EP, hopefully the British singer can fulfill his mission to revive R&B in the UK. Even though R&B originated in the states, the Brit believes it is important to bring this music back to British land. Support J-Sol’s quest to expand R&B’s boundaries and his genuine passion for the treasured genre.
Follow J-Sol on Twitter @JSolWorld.
