New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Today, PJ
Morton announces the release of his next album, Watch The Sun. Out April 29th on his own
Morton Records, the project is poised to be his biggest and most anticipated to date, arriving at the apex of yet another creative, collaborative and crowning streak for the prolific star of independent soul music. In addition to earning five consecutive years of Grammy nominations as a self-released artist, including back-to-back-to-back Grammy wins, PJ
Morton has topped charts and received nods for numerous BET, Soul
Train and NAACP Image Awards throughout the remarkable series of six LPs he has put out since 2017. But to make Watch The Sun, he took a step back from it all.
Venturing out of his New Orleans home, and deep into Bogalusa, Louisiana's secluded and storied Studio In The Country - where
Stevie Wonder worked on 1979's
Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants, and artists like Allen Toussaint, Betty Davis,
Dr. John and many more have all recorded -
Morton made it his mission to escape any and all outside voices. The result is the most cohesive and seamless collection of songs he has ever written, featuring the most expansive sonic palette he has ever developed as producer. He says:
"With the world changing so quickly in the last couple years, it called for a bunch of reflection. I reflected on what I wanted to change in my life. What I wanted to keep the same. What was left to say as an artist.
I think these last couple years taught us to identify what is truly important. It was important for me to tell an honest story on this album. The album is an unapologetically soulful painting about the true challenges in life and love."
Watch The Sun features the previously released "Please Don't Walk Away," which PJ
Morton and his eight-piece band performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live! last month, as well as his brand new collaboration with JoJo, "My Peace" (feat. Mr. Talkbox). Following the duo's Grammy-winning 2019 duet, "Say So," their latest track has been called a self-care anthem by NPR Music, VIBE and more, while earning praise from E! News, Essence, HotNewHipHop, Revolt, XXL and many others.
The full tracklist, special guests and additional details will be revealed ahead of Watch The Sun's April 29th release. PJ
Morton will begin to debut some of the songs live on his upcoming My Peace tour, which kicks off on March 11th, and includes a momentous hometown set at New Orleans Jazz Fest the same day the record drops.
PJ
Morton is currently up for Best Traditional R&B Performance at the 2022 GRAMMY Awards ("Bring It On Home To Me" with BJ The
Chicago Kid, Kenyon Dixon & Charlie Bereal), as well as Album of the Year for his contributions to Jon Batiste's We Are. He recently reunited with India.Arie for a duet that appears on Robert Glasper's
Black Radio III, and starred alongside Dawn Richard in his music video for "Please Don't Walk Away." Find his initial list of tour dates below, with more to be announced soon.
PJ
Morton 2022 Tour Dates
3/11 - Birmingham, AL - Iron City
3/12 - Pensacola, FL - Vinyl
Music Hall
3/13 - Baton Rouge, LA - Chelsea's Live
3/17 - Asheville, NC - The
Orange Peel
3/18 - Athens, GA - Georgia Theater
3/20 - Chattanooga, TN - Walker Theatre
4/29 - New Orleans, LA - Jazz & Heritage Festival
Praise for "My Peace"
"There's something about a PJ
Morton melody that transports me back to my teenage bedroom (where I discovered that
Stevie Wonder wrote even better songs than 'Superstition')...it's the melody and message that really drives this track home. 'If you're trying to take away my peace, I'm done,' he sings. Amen" - NPR Music
"PJ
Morton and JoJo are a match made in musical heaven...the Grammy-winning collaborators return with an anthem about being rightfully selfish" - VIBE
"An empowering anthem that reminds us just how important it is to put yourself first so that you can fully show up in your other relationships" - HotNewHipHop
"Exactly what you'd want from the Grammy-winning collaborators. It has heart, heat, sex appeal, rhythm, and enough melody and harmony to carry you through the week" - American Songwriter
"PJ and JoJo are all about radical self-care on 'My Peace'...cutting someone off in the name of self-preservation never sounded so sweet" - SoulBounce
"Morton's new song presents a positive message of putting necessary safeguards in place to maintain one's wellbeing. If that means saying goodbye to certain people,
Morton gladly opens the door for any negativity to make its way out" - Rated RnB
"'My Peace' is resolute with affirmations of self-love and unmistakable hooks about putting your own feelings first" - This is RnB