Rising pop artist JANNEY dives into his smoldering and cinematic eponymous debut, an intimate, heated, synth-soaked affair full of unabating passion, fiery energy, and seductive sonic radiance.
Stream: “leave you now” – JANNEY
An intimate, heated, synth-soaked affair, JANNEY’s debut album has the look and feel of a sleek ’80s film soundtrack.
Every beat pulses with irresistible intensity; every utterance is sung with soul-stirring urgency; and every swell of sound is overwhelming and all-consuming. Smoldering and cinematic, the eponymous janney is both catchy and cathartic – a captivating collection full of unabating passion, fiery energy, and seductive sonic radiance.
Why cant we let it wait till the morning?
Let the light chase the darkness out
I don’t care what the final score is
Nobody wins this anyhow
So you need something too
Thought I wanted it too
But tonight all I know how to say
Is I don’t wanna leave you now
I don’t wanna feel the heart break
I don’t wanna hear the sound
Of silence in this house
– “leave you now,” JANNEY
Independently released April 2, 2021, janney is a resounding and resonant introduction to a rising Fredericksburg, Virginia-based pop artist full of heart, charisma, and deep grooves. William Janney’s self-titled project is utterly enchanting, mixing classic R&B and pop melodies with modern production and nostalgia-inducing synthesizers to create a sound that feels at once of the moment, and of the past.
“I recorded this album over the pandemic,” JANNEY tells Atwood Magazine. “I guess for me I really just wanted to write a record that touches on some of the experiences I was going through. I wanted to write songs that touched on these events, but in a way that made them universally relatable. I knew I wanted to create pop music, but I really settled in on this sort of ’80s pop sonic world with synth influences reminiscent of the Stranger Things sort of soundscape. That was a sound to me that I hadn’t really heard yet, but was eager to explore.”
“I feel like this album really captures who I am as a person,” he adds. “It speaks to experiences I’ve had and really came from a genuine place in its creation. I have a background in fashion design so for me it’s been really exciting to create music and build out a visual world that these tracks can exist in. I’m very much so a creative by nature, and I feel like with music I’ve really been able to bring many facets of my creativity together into one singular vision.”
While he cites inspirations ranging from Shania Twain and The Chicks to Lynyrd Skynyrd, JANNEY’s music is more in tune with that of R&B superstar The Weeknd – especially the darker sonic aesthetic of his Grammy-winning sophomore album, Beauty Behind the Madness. JANNEY’s songs are similarly dark, hard-hitting, and unapologetic, with opener “leave you now” setting the scene right away through hot-on-the-mic, emotionally charged vocals, dramatic and churning percussion, and vibrant, soaring synths. Highlights range from the bustling, buoyant “come to me,” the hypnotic and heartfelt “gravity,” the instantly danceable “lemme show you,” and the achingly intense, intimate, and heart-on-sleeve outpouring, “found.”
“My vision for the album was to create a group of tracks that accurately reflect where I am in my life today as an artist,” JANNEY shares. “I’m totally open and transparent with my thoughts and feelings in the tracks I’ve worked on in the past few months. For me, pop music has always been rooted in the concept of escapism, and I wanted to create a sonic landscape that would allow the listener to disconnect from the reality around them, even if only for a few minutes.”
janney is undoubtedly an enchanting escape, as is the artist’s brand new EP, State of War.
Released February 3rd, 2023 via JANCO Entertainment, JANNEY’s new six-track EP evolves his album’s more concentrated and filmic soundscape sound, with moody, brooding ballads like “All Along” sitting comfortable alongside the bouncy serenade “Home” on one side, and the trip-hop heavy “Handle It” on the other. Bookended by the impassioned “Elevated” and the epic power-ballad title track, State of War is yet another exemplar of JANNEY’s cinematic artistry.
Experience the full LP via our below stream, and peek inside JANNEY’s eponymous album with Atwood Magazine as he goes track-by-track through the music and lyrics of his debut album – one that continues to hit as hard now, as it did upon its release.
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:: stream/purchase JANNEY here ::
Stream: ‘janney’ – JANNEY
:: Inside janney ::
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Leave You Now
This track really embodies that feeling of being in a relationship but knowing that it’s not good for you, but still being unable to walk away. I feel like it’s a life experience that everyone goes through at some point, and for me I really wanted to create a narrative that felt representative of this experience.
Shattered
This particular track really delves into this idea of being in a relationship with someone who is continually trying to tear you down. And although they may build you up at times, it always comes crumbling back down. I feel like it’s a situation that most people can relate to in some relationship they’ve had.
Come to Me
This particular track was the first single off the album. It’s really a fun upbeat song with a slightly tongue and cheek call out to anyone new listening to my music, “come to me”. It’s the kind of track you just wanna bop to while cruising with the top down.
NYC Nights
This song to me touches on my hopeless romantic outlook on love. It’s got a really stripped back smooth sorta vibe to it, and I really like the idea of knowing there’s a perfect fit for you out there, and it’s okay to wait it out for that person. Why kiss a bunch of frogs?
Caught Up
“Caught Up” really plays into the circumstance of meeting someone who’s magnetic appeal is undeniable. It’s about finding your person and not really caring what anyone else thinks or has to say about the matter. But rather, just fully going for it and getting caught up in the moment.
Gravity
This song really has a strong pop influence and touches on the magnetic attraction you can feel to a stranger. Sometimes, when you see someone out there’s just this energy potential that exists that both people can pick up on, and this song really exists in that moment.
Lemme Show You
This track is really a break up anthem of sorts. We’ve all been in a situation where we are seeing someone who maybe isn’t fully committed, so this track serves as a sorta tell off. I will be better without you, and you will regret not giving me your attention. Lemme show you!
Hollow
This song on the album is dealing with a relationship that has turned one sided. Sometimes in a relationship it can get so cold like the flip of a switch, and you never really know what happened. For me this track really centers around that concept.
Found
This track is all about breaking up with someone and in that action really finding yourself. I think sometimes in relationships you can lose sense of yourself and what makes you happy. But in ending that toxic situation you can realign with your highest self.
Dream Awake
This track off the album really spoke to the times. I recorded the entire album during the corona virus pandemic and I wanted to do a track that really spoke to this, but with a positive, glass half full kinda outlook.
Looking at Me
This song is all about meeting someone and really just being taken by their energy. It’s that feeling you get when you make eye contact with someone and can hardly get a word out, but it’s still unclear if the feeling is mutual.
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