Stream Jean-Paul's debut album

[Jordan Miller]

Hey Exhale, I hope you're in the mood to jam out to some dreamy, slinky, mid-tempo bops this weekend.

Up-and-coming pop artist Jean-Paul (@jeanpaulxo on Instagram) released his debut, self-titled album, and I want to shine a light on it.

Jean-Paul is part of BreatheHeavy's Creators roster, which highlights independent artists amidst the avalanche of mainstream music news. 

We also had a video interview together which you can watch here.

Give the album a play first (my faves are "Volume" and "'Cause You"), then read our interview together below! I'd love to know what your thoughts are.

If you're not a big fan of streaming music on YouTube, here's where you can hear the album on Spotify or Apple Music.

Oh, and here's a shameless plug to JP's merch  

 

Your new music has a dreamy vibe. It's very cohesive-sounding! What do you want people to take away from it after listening?
Thank you! Cheers to a new era… I definitely want people to feel, and understand the inspiration I had for each one of the songs on the album. Interestingly enough, for each song on the album I can verbally express what Inspired it, and how it connects to me as a person. I hope people listen to this album and are able to self reflect. I hope it makes people feel good too!

Why did you decide to self-title it?
Good question, my debut is to solidify myself, my name, and image within the music industry. I had such negative, and mixed comments on the EP Reflections - so I vowed to improve on my vocals, the production, and visuals with my team. ‘Jean-Paul’ serves as a prelude to my life, and character - really complex and always adapting…

What do you want people to know about it in relation to you?
Again, this album should boldly resonate with many - because it draws in all the inspiration I receive from those I venerate. People should know that this album is a product of what inspires me, and makes me feel good. The final product obviously is very experimental pop, with subtle head nods, and innuendos. 

What was the creative process like making this body of work?
While songwriting, and collaborating with my team, I definitely was at a low point in my life… I typically self reflected a whole lot, and held on tight to any inspiration. I feel like it was a good thing - to enable the potency of the creativity. A lot of songs I admire was released in 2019. I also found a lot of inspiration from other bodies of work.. When I showed the inspiration to my producer, or engineer, they hadn’t heard of the artist or work - but were immediately inspired. So we were able to make that energy into some original unique sounds!
 

Why should people listen to your music?
This debut album serves to revolutionize pop music. A lot of my fans realize that pop music isn’t exactly what it use to be - organic, original, or thought-provoking. Unfortunately the creative process is gimmicky, and the replay value doesn’t stretch very far. People should listen to my music for a refreshing, and invigorating feel. The message behind the lyrics are pretty intriguing as well - if anyone actually dives into it!

What are some of the personal experiences from your life that can be heard on the album?
Throughout each song there are pieces of my life embedded within the lyrics….

For example… in “Remedy”, there is a line that says  “Tell me if there’s any remedy in this room”…. My “Remedy” in life….. is music - whether I’m dealing with friendships or relationships…

“Superficial Charm” taps into the exterior portion of my appearance, and feelings, “What you see is all within me”. “The moons and the stars”… I believe in the power beyond Earth - moon signs, & star signs, they might actually play a role in life. 

Even in “My Reality” (which turned out to be an amazing Neo Soul sounding song) - expresses my concerns with life itself. “My reality is not there… my reality is nowhere…” This sounds like an existential crisis, right? 

However - my experiences with pop culture and how it influences me is definitely shown on “Fame”. The uptempo beat drives dance, and movement, while my voice contrasts with long notes, “came to save the world of bigotry” - making sure people understand I am open minded in my craft and daily life.

 

I know they're all your babies, but what song means the most to you? Why's that?
I don’t think I could pick a favorite song - however, ‘Cause You (Austin Leeds Soirée Remix), means a lot to me right now. My engineer / producer Tyler & I wrote the song from our own inspiration. To see the song transformed into a club banger is amazing. I honestly think using more of this sound is what I plan to incorporate moving towards the next project…..

What do you consider being successful in music means to you now?
The power to inspire is what makes anyone successful in music. A true artist develops replay value. They are continuously changing appearances, personas, and ideals. A successful musician will own a well versed catalogue of music - even if the sound is all similar - it should paint a bigger picture & tell a larger story to their audience.

Anything else you'd like to add that I didn't ask?
I knew going into the debut I’d face a lot of adversities - but I’m glad I can say I’m going in fully confident that this body of work serves as inspiration for many. I’m so thankful I’ve been able to work with my team on improving vocals, production, mixing, everything. I’m not done yet, my team and I are still rolling out music videos, performances & other cool events to celebrate the debut. Thanks so much Breathe Heavy.

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Drop a line in the comments, Exhale! 

[Cheshire-B]

Nice song ! I like it ! 

[Blackout2006]

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Is that Isaac Dunbar?

[Jean-Paul]

Hi there!

It's such a pleasure sharing this body of work with you all....

I'm so glad I was able to talk with Jordan about this project. I hope I've inspired you all

If you all have any questions or comments I'd be happy to respond to them later, here in the forum.

 

Cheers,

xx

Jean-Paul

[Jordan Miller]

1 hour ago, Jean-Paul said:

Hi there!

It's such a pleasure sharing this body of work with you all....

I'm so glad I was able to talk with Jordan about this project. I hope I've inspired you all

If you all have any questions or comments I'd be happy to respond to them later, here in the forum.

 

Cheers,

xx

Jean-Paul

Welcome to Exhale! Pleasure was all mine 

[Jordan Miller]

1 hour ago, Blackout2006 said:

Is that Isaac Dunbar?

I had to Google.

[Jordan Miller]

1 hour ago, Cheshire-B said:

Nice song ! I like it ! 

[reecejwilson]

The instrumental behind Anomaly is refreshing   @Jean-Paul totally rooting for you!!! 

[Jean-Paul]

1 hour ago, reecejwilson said:

The instrumental behind Anomaly is refreshing   @Jean-Paul totally rooting for you!!! 

I'm glad you enjoyed this one! Anomaly does feel crisp on the first listen doesn't it? So glad I had a variety of producers on this project....

Thanks so much! I still have A LOT to do..

xx

Jean-Paul