Jay Som – “Float” / “A Million Reasons Why”
This is not a drill: Jay Som (Melina Duterte) is coming back with a new album!
But make no mistake – even though we haven’t had a full length solo album from Jay Som since 2019 with the wonderfully lush Anak Ko, Duterte has been busy. Between releasing a collaborative album with her buddy Palehound, contributing singles to esoteric horror films, dueting with pop stars like Troye Sivan, and guesting on songs with Luna Li, beabadoobee, and Dream, Ivory (to name a few), Duterte has been hard at work shaping the sound of indie pop at large with her dreamy touch. Oh, and she had a recurring stint playing as the bassist in boygenius. It has definitely been a productive six years for her, but it seems like there’s infinitely more down the pipeline.
Today, Jay Som has released “Float” and “A Million Reasons Why,” two tracks off of her newest album Belong, out on October 10 via Polyvinyl. As a bonus, the long-awaited project finds her collaborating with guest vocalists for the first time on any of her solo records (Hayley Williams of Paramore and Lexi Vega of Mini Trees both show up in the tracklist). Here she’s joined on “Float” by Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eats World, and that inclusion is very intentional given the vibe of the song. A dream pop track with a pop-punk sensibility, “Float” cranks up the volume and gives into 00’s alt-rock nostalgia. Meanwhile, “A Million Reasons Why” is kind of like nothing she’s released before – boasting a short coda with pitched-up vocals that make the comedown from the high even sweeter.
Check out the Nina Ljeti-directed music video below, which finds Jay Som rocking out a house party where its guests seem high out of their minds. I feel the same way when I listen to a Jay Som track!
Jay Som will also be embarking on a US tour supporting Lucy Dacus and headlining a few shows elsewhere. Belong will be out on October 10 via Polyvinyl.
Header photo taken from the “Float” music video.
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Li-Wei Chu is the chief editor of From the Intercom. When he’s not editing drafts and searching for new artists to cover for the website, he loves watching cult films, cooking, and listening to his ever-growing collection of vinyl records. You can follow him on LetterBoxd and make fun of his taste in movies here!