PREMIERE | Janie May, "Crash"
Brooklyn’s breakout star Janie May; press photo courtesy of the artist.
Heralding from the hotbed creative and cultural homelands of Brooklyn, NY rises the shining star of Janie May with the debut single of cataclysmic proportions — “Crash”. With an Italian-American Nuroyican background drawing influence from local upstarts and fellow pop aesthetes; May’s work embodies the allegories pertaining to the twists and turns of life’s unpredictable paths and swirl spiraling highways. Taking influential cues from the character Janie Mae Crawford from Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, Janie May makes sounds and statements of female empowerment and quests for enlightenment amid life’s fog laden deluge of uncertainty.
A duet with collaborator Bryce Nice, Janie May chronicles the careening and serpentine courses of courtship, connections and notions of control on “Crash”. Delivering a major mood with a massive production, the sweeping big time rhythms and electric blues roll, spin and speed like the engine of a sedan streaming down the streets and interstates of interpersonal narratives and developments. Tales of giving, taking, compromises and conflict are conveyed in motor vehicle and transportation metaphors that liken the steering wheel gripping thrills of late night navigations to the histories held between two hearts and souls. Janie & Bryce align their focuses on freeway zig-zags, accentuating the drive that propels attraction, affection, desire and contentious collision points. “Crash” illustrates the vulnerability of intimacy, documenting the distances traversed, the lessons learned and identifying the obstacles and objects on the road along the way that can bring things to an abrupt halt. From the sudden swerves, detours, routes, rallies and destinations unknown — “Crash” is a saudade ballad of the accidents, incidents and entanglements that embody the testaments and testimonials of amour. According to Janie May’s introduction to the single:
This song is a metaphor for relinquishing control in life and love. There are always adjustments that are made in any relationship; learning to navigate them is a lot like driving. Fundamentally, others will always change us, just as we change them; they may throw us off course from what we initially envisioned for ourselves. Usually, there comes a point where one needs to let go and let themselves surrender to the process, or “Crash”.
Janie May along the cycles and side streets of Brooklyn; press photo courtesy of the artist.
Janie May described the creative process behind “Crash”:
This song came out of a songwriting camp that I had attended in 2018. Bryce, who co-wrote the song and is the other singer on the track, Zach, who produced the song, and I were all in the same group and tasked with creating a track in a little under three weeks. At the time I was doing a lot of driving on a daily basis, so driving and car-related imagery was on my mind for obvious reasons. I had an initial idea for a melody that Bryce really developed and took to the next level. After that, the verses and the chorus came together for us pretty quickly. I specifically remember lyrics for the bridge almost pouring out of him during one writing and recording session.
The boutique pop chic of Janie May; press photo courtesy of the artist.
Bryce mentioned being inspired lyrically and musically by a relationship that he had had in which there were some strong ideological differences. I see this song largely as a metaphor for relinquishing control in life and love; there are always adjustments that are made in any relationship, and learning to navigate them is a lot like driving. Fundamentally, others will always change us, just as we change them; they may throw us off course from our comfort zone and cause us to examine our long-held beliefs or common behaviors. Relationships ultimately always force us to grow and examine the aspects of ourselves that may be holding us back. Eventually, there comes a point where one needs to let go of the desire for control and surrender to the process of transformation and change, or “Crash”.
Listen to more from Janie May via Spotify.