Magic, Alive!

Could've Been Different (feat. Blu & Shamir)

“BIG TINGS” marks the determined return of Polaris Music Prize nominee JayWood, joined by Merrill Garbus and Nate Brenner of the Oakland, California, art-pop duo Tune-Yards. Together, they’ve crafted a meticulously produced, exponentially layered song of empowerment that fluidly navigates the blurred lines between genres such as Alternative Hip-Hop, Indie, and Neo-Soul—territory where JayWood feels entirely at home.

Encouraging resilience in the song’s lyricism, JayWood explains: “This song switches perspective—sometimes I’m talking to myself, and sometimes I’m reaching out to the listener. Keep going, keep trying, don’t stop.” The single serves as a fitting preview of what’s to come later this year from JayWood: “I got big tings coming down the pipe, so what.”

JayWood – the nom de plume of Jeremy Haywood-Smith – most recently released 2023’s Grow On EP, on Captured Tracks. The EP includes two bonus tracks from the previous year’s Slingshot sessions, an “OG” version of the album single “Thank You,” a cover of Tyler, the Creator’s “SWEET,” and the release’s lead single, “Dirk Gently (Know Yourself).”

Could've Been Different (feat. Blu & Shamir)

McKinley Dixon