Going two for two in 2021, Birmingham’s Jaykae is back, but this time he’s on a garage tip for his new drop, “1000 Nights”, featuring Walsall’s finest Jorja Smith. Switching it up from the tongue-in-cheek energy of “Chop (Henry The 8th)” back in May, Ezrah’s gentle 2-step production acts as the backdrop for what is a pretty grim tale.
In blistering detail, Jaykae lays out a frank story of the tough decisions some of us are forced to make just to keep a roof over our families’ heads with some melancholic brushstrokes added by Jorja on the hook. It’s not glamorous and it’s not meant to be, it’s just a devastatingly simple explanation of how life is for some people.
Directed by Luke Biggins, the visuals piece together the solemn and deeply tragic tale as narrated by Jay and Jorja, while the two West Midlanders weave their way through the streets. As the story progresses, the crushing inevitability of it all is guaranteed to hit you like a tonne of bricks.
Speaking on how the track came together, Jaykae said: “The track was written and recorded with me and Jorja in the studio together, not sending across vocal takes between studios, and I think you can hear that—there’s a different energy about it. It’s got a classic garage sound, but the storyline is so relevant to today.”
Press play on the video above and be sure to add “1000 Nights” to your playlists.
