JAJA BU moved from New York to Los Angeles for work, producing and writing for other artists, but he's been making his own music too. "Caroline" is the second single under the JAJA BU moniker, and it's a beautiful song, the vocals rooted in classic pop and R&B while the production gives a modern edge. He says he was influenced by artists like Phoenix, older Justin Timberlake, Frank Ocean, Beach Boys, Majid Jordan, Hall & Oates, and JMSN, but the resulting song certainly has a unique sound.
"When I first started writing this song, I always wanted it to be my version of 'Sara Smile' by Hall & Oates with an R&B undertone," JAJA BU says. "This song definitely takes an interesting musical journey for me, and I wanted the ending to feel almost dream-like. It's mostly about this person's fantasy of being with someone (Caroline) and imagining this amazing time with them, but the reality of it being way darker and less connected then he sees it."
"I guess part of the initial inspiration, was me visiting this strip club in Atlantic City when I was younger. I remember it being the first time I'd been somewhere like that, I think I was 17 at at the time. There was this one female, I won't admit that I remember her stage name—ok it was "Wicked Haute" also her MySpace name! She was talking to me a lot and dancing, and I remember thinking, wow I think she's actually into me, for real."
"Anyway, she wasn't. But I always wanted to write this song stemming from that experience. My favorite lyric from this is at the end, " Some say the grass is always greener in the valley. I trace your silhouette I frame your peaks and valleys. I swear the fruit is sweeter, once you filter out the bad seeds. It's a bad dream."
Listen to "Caroline" below and look out for more from JAJA BU coming soon.
