2. PJ’s ‘Rare’ debut (REVIEW)
Paris Jones, aka PJ is an accomplished singer-songwriter, earning credits for collaborations with Wiz Khalifa, Chris Brown, Meek Mill and others. Signed to Atlantic Records, PJ recently released her first full-length studio album, Rare, a set of odes to individuality and personal ambition.
“Rare is like a fairytale to me,” PJ says of the album. “It’s all about the message. It’s a soundtrack for people coming up; it’s about going for what you want and appreciating the person you are. There are too many people in this world telling you to get in line and conform to society’s ‘norms.’ …You can’t really be put it in a box and I hope it inspires people to be true to themselves.” Tracks like I’m Good and Benjamin are fitting examples of this. The latter song is an anthem for women looking to make their way in the world and provide for themselves. Rare is unique in the cohesiveness of its messaging – every track feeds into the theme of individuality and marching to the beat of ones own drum, building a story from start to finish with the help of animated interludes.
Sonically, Rare is also a stand-out. It’s the kind of music that should be getting reams of airplay, particularly for some of it’s single-worthy tracks. The beats combine contemporary R&B and hip hop beats with some electronic tinges at points. The tracks range mainly between mid to up-tempo and have that ‘feel good’, sunny vibe that R&B albums in the second half of 2016 seem to be trending towards. It’s a great listen as a full body of work, but our favourites are the debut single, Gangster, Can’t Stop, I’m Good, Benjamin and Come Down.
Our stateside readers can catch PJ on tour all summer with K. Michelle. See here for dates. Listen to Rare below.
