JAI’LEN JOSEY SERVES UP A LIVE PERFORMANCE FOR “GOOD SOUP” VIA HILLMAN GRAD/DEF JAM RECORDINGS
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Pairing soothingly soulful vocals with down-home sincerity, Jai’Len Josey is the sound of Southern comfort. Since releasing her debut EP three years ago, the Metro Atlanta native has fused imagistic lyricism with unabashed warmth for songs that feel intimate and true—reflections at the intersection of faith and blossoming romance. She swirls those elements together on Southern Delicacy, a sultry constellation of orchestral production, wide-eyed confessionals, and aspirational love.
On the title track, Jai’Len coasts over lush strings for a playful lover’s sales pitch, combining flashes of regional hospitality with a voice that’s as sweet as it is seductive: “All you needed was the sugar, honey, ice tea / Me, I’m a Southern type of delicacy.” The treats don’t stop there. For “Good Soup,” she unspools a deft metaphor for the type of nourishment that can only come from the heart. On “Pay for My Drink,” she glides over dreamy keys and a dazed electric guitar line, turning a simple request into a charming prelude to passion. Earnest and unfailingly tender, it’s the type of love song that can only come from raw feeling. It’s also a reminder of purpose.
“I want people to hear my music and then make choices based on how they felt,” she says. “For me, music is therapy. So if I feel changed by it, I would hope and pray that someone else would feel changed by it, too.”
If you let her tell it, the story of Jai’Len Josey, musician, began before she was even born. While her mother, then the director of creative services at So So Def Recordings, was pregnant with Jai’Len, she noticed something special early on. “She would be in the corner by the speakers, doing all of the work, and she would feel the music through her tummy,” Jai’Len says. “It just all makes sense.”
By the time Jai’Len was old enough to make memories, her mother would expose her to the sounds of Aretha Franklin, Stevie Nicks, Marvin Gaye, and Billy Joel, turning house-cleaning sessions into unintentional lessons in melody and heart. “They inspired me to wanna make something that lasts well beyond my years,” she says.
While the young Jai’Len enjoyed painting and playing The Sims, when her mother had her get into acting at age 10, she found herself in a position to one day accomplish her mission. It wasn’t long before she took to the art of performance more than anything else, honing her craft in various plays before becoming an award-winning actress by the time she completed her high school career. After graduating high school, she attended Baldwin Wallace University for a year. Around this time, a friend taught her how to use GarageBand, and she recorded her first song. Then she recorded at least 39 more.
In between performances as Pearl in the Broadway production of The SpongeBob Musical: Live on Stage!, Jai’Len continued recording until she’d made 200 songs. Calling her manager, she began planning to release the EP that became 2020’s Illustrations, which eventually helped her land a deal with Hillman Grad Records and Def Jam. The project showcased her knack for fusing nostalgic doo-wop melodies with self-affirming odes to Black womanhood. “I feel like I’m singing to girls who look like me,” she says.
To reach those women, Jai’Len looks to channel the spirits of the artists who came before her. “Ella Fitzgerald and Nina Simone inspired me to leave music behind that people want to grow with,” she shares. “I feel like I’m supposed to be doing this right now,” she adds. “I feel like the seeds that I’m planting right now are destined to grow.”
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