Jay B is trying something new. The GOT7 leader’s third physical single, ‘Chptr. 1’, came out on October 27, and it’s the first installment of a new series meant to give him room to wander beyond the R&B sound his solo career was built on.
“It’s both a new beginning and something of a side story,” he told reporters at a round interview in Seoul.
The lead track, ‘Honeydew’, is a synthwave song built on a rhythmic bass line, dreamy synths and a whistle melody that keeps coming back. Jay B said it grew out of a question he’s had for a while: how to bring more dance into the R&B he loves. The single’s second song is a warmer pop-R&B track with electric piano, guitar and heavier drums, and he said both songs were shaped by his fans, with ‘Honeydew’ written as a bit of comfort for lonely moments.
‘Chptr. 1’ lands about four months after his third EP, ‘Tr.ee’, and he started working on it almost right away, even while his ‘Tape:roots’ world tour was still on the road (it wrapped in September). If this chapter is any hint, the next ones could get even more adventurous: he said he’d like to try alternative R&B and play with effects that change how his voice sounds.