Whyte – “Dating Me Ain’t Hard”

Jazz-pop… it’s so hot right now! There’s been a recent resurgence of the genre thanks in large part to acts like Laufey, Liana Flores, and Mei Semones (still one of my all-time favorites) making it big, and it’s here to stay. That seems to be good news for the anonymous Taiwanese singer Whyte (stylized as “?te”… get it? Why-ta?), whose newest song “Dating Me Ain’t Hard” will surely find similar love amongst jazz-pop enthusiasts.

Though Whyte has some roots in R&B and even experience in light rapping over lo-fi beats (see: 2020’s A Bedroom of One’s Own), they’ve recently found critical success in Taiwan for their 2023 album Way out, which pivoted them towards a more R&B-influenced jazz direction. Curiously, two songs on that album, “快樂” and “Oh Bob,” are early indicators of their jazz-pop admiration and make for some of the more successfully tender moments on the album. “Dating Me Ain’t Hard” picks up where they left off there, fully leaning into the jazz-pop genre with a stripped-back song that already feels like a long-lost standard. As they sing about their foibles (“Dating me ain’t hard / You just gotta deal with my overthinking,” they muse), there’s a certain sadness and wistfulness that they’re able to convey through just their breathy singing style.

Here’s what they had to say about the song itself:

In Taiwan, when someone is said to be “seasick” or a “seasicker,” it means they are falling for someone hard. When you fall for someone hard, you tend to overthink — worrying about saying the wrong things, trying to be your best self, and sometimes trying a little too hard. That’s what I want to explore in this song: the inner thoughts and emotions of being in unrequited love.

This song is for those searching for love on Valentine’s Day. Even if they are alone, they aren’t truly lonely because their hearts and minds are full of thoughts, dreams, and even worries.

For this song, I wanted to take a simpler production approach, highlighting the beauty of the melody and lyrics. That’s why I invited Jason LaPierre, an American singer-songwriter, to produce it. I love his chill, relaxing style! This is also my first time incorporating traditional jazz instrumentation, which brings an analog and warm sound to the track. I truly enjoyed creating it, and I hope you’ll love it as much as I do!

Valentine’s Day may be lonely for some, but with “Dating Me Ain’t Hard” around, it doesn’t have to be.

“Dating Me Ain’t Hard” is out now.

Artist pages: Instagram | Official Website | YouTube