āNothing Holyā is out now on Feel Something Deluxe. This is only the beginning.
Lyric video for Infinity (piano version) live on YouTube! š¤
Stream/Download: jaymesyoung.lnk.to/PianoVersionAY
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time for something new
did a little acoustic Happiest Year :)
Happiest Year Music Video OUT NOW
jaymesyoung.lnk.to/HappiestYearVideo
Also had something to say about this one š
In the spirit of honesty, I have to admit that "Happiest Year" has always been a deceiving title. That might seem obvious upon listening to the song, but I havenāt been very open about why it's deceiving.
The writing and recording began amidst one of the darkest places of my life, in 2018. I was completely in hell. I was lost in deep loneliness, depression, and a sense of regret that I had never experienced before. Time was standing still, and the world was moving by without me, day after day. It was such a disorientating labyrinth of emotions for me, and I was completely turned inside out over the pain I was dealing with. I wasnāt eating, sleeping, or taking care of myself. I was exhausted in every way, and mentally so foggy. I isolated myself from everyone for months. It probably wasnāt more than 10 days after I started writing and recording the song that I drove myself to the hospital seeking professional help.
"Happiest Year" is really about the first year of a relationship, before things went sour. I had family and close longtime friends visit me during that first year, who later expressed concerns over my state of bliss. I donāt think I really wanted to see it, because I was too happy in the moment to consider the possibility that I was perhaps embracing a fairy tale with an uncertain ending.
So, itās actually a pretty backhanded thing for me to say āthank youā like I do in the chorus of the song, because really Iām saying āat least you gave me that first yearā haha. Thereās both spite and gratitude in that phrase.
Now, in the last year Iāve realized the song has meant something much less petty for those whoāve been listening. I feel humbled by, and I started to embrace that idea even on tour last year. When I was singing it, it started to mean something different, something less burdensome, and something less attached to that dark period in 2018 when nothing in my life seemed to be okay.
In the end, I guess itās a little strange for me to be releasing a music video for "Happiest Year," but Iām glad for it. Iām so pleased to have created a story with the director, my friend Erik Rojas. This is my favorite video Iāve made so far and I hope the message (albeit dark at face value) is received as a lesson in appreciation for what is given to us, no matter what the circumstance. Lessons about life, and happy times in general, are not always packaged neatly in a box that you get to conveniently open and close when you want.
This description is so much closer to what I originally tried to urge the song was about, and I have to thank my community of fans for reminding me of the bigger picture.
I was practically writhing in pain when this song was written, so itās quite liberating to see some good coming out of it. Somehow it's come full circle in this music video, which Iām now happy to share with everyone. Thanks for all your continued support, and I hope the song and video can be a form of expression that helps people release some negative energy during the worldās current state of anxiety.
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pressure pressure pressure.
measure measure measure.
please out of all the things a new year and a new decade make you feel like doing, remember to be more you.
