Melinda Duterte’s Jay Som project gets a lift from Paramore’s Hayley Williams and Jimmy Eat World’s Jim Adkins on Belong, her first new album in six years. The 11-track project will be released Oct. 10 through Polyvinyl Record Co. and is led by the Adkins-featuring “Float” and fellow new song “A Million Reasons Why.”
Since 2019’s Anak Ko, Duterte has seen the world as a touring member of boygenius and earned a production credit on the latter’s Grammy-winning the record. She has also worked both in front of and behind the boards with Lucy Dacus and No Rome.
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“This song is about desperately trying to hold on to past versions of yourself for self preservation,” Duterte says of “Float.” “The fear of the unknown is so overwhelming that sometimes the best solution is to sit with it instead of fighting or running from it.” Adds Adkins, “Melina is an absolute professional in all aspects of music creation. I am honored she had space in her vision for me to contribute. And it was a lot of fun to work on. Great song!”
A Nina Ljeti-directed music video for “Float,” which includes a subtle reference to the clip for Jimmy Eat World’s hit song “The Middle,” can be seen below. Paramore’s Williams appears on album track “Past Lives.”
“When you try something for the first time, you’re always going to hold some type of fear, but I had to come to terms with the fact that I had to let go of some control,” Duterte says of welcoming guest collaborators on one of her albums for the first time. “This record is essentially still me, but a lot of choices were made by friends who helped me, because I trusted them.”
Jay Som will support Dacus on a handful of summer North American shows, and then embark on her own tour beginning Nov. 23 in Los Angeles.
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