Something Real

Something Real(er)

Jaymin is reigniting R&B’s passionate flame. In a time when so much of the genre has veered into toxic, sunken territory, the South Seattle-born artist is confidently sitting down at the driver’s
seat to steer the music back to its romantic roots. “I want to bring a new feel in terms of positivity surrounding relationships, love, perseverance, and life,” says the singer-songwriter. “I’m putting
women on a pedestal, letting them know they’re wanted and needed.” He leans into his loverboy charm — and a familiar yet inventive sound — on his Warner Records debut, Sweet Nothings.
The intimate set embodies its title, with each song a whispered ode to the sort of attentive love that’s rarely heard on the airways. Jaymin sets his poetic lyricism to rap-inflected cadences, but
what makes Sweet Nothings stand out is his blend of contemporary sonic sensibilities with ’80s and ’90s flourishes, pouring vintage R&B sway and New Jack swing into a dynamic soundscape
where notes are subtly warped, voices and samples blur, and deep bass reigns supreme. “A lot of what I write and record is based on what I was listening to growing up, which were beautifully
written love songs,” Jaymin says. “But, of course, I’m adding my own flavor to that nostalgia.”