New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Brooklyn-based hip-hop and R&B recording artist Jovian is merging sounds in a way truly only he can, born with the rare disorder, synesthesia. Able to smell, taste, hear, feel and see colours in his head that he's never seen before, he treats the sounds he creates with similar otherworldliness, as evidenced on his recently released single, Better.
The new single is Where'd U Go, see's Jovian enter the dark with a brooding and atmospheric hip hop track. The shadowy world created on the track comes to life with haunting synths and vocal samples that float gently over a heavy kick driven beat. Jovian moves between his idiosyncratic vocals and his ultra chill flow caking the track in a raw emotion that is encapsulated within his hard hitting lyrics. Making music as, in his own words, "he can't be a star traveller", Where'd U Go follows the worldwide online and radio success of Better, 2 Young and Timothée Chalamet.
"Where'd U Go" is all about me acknowledging my inner anxieties & the realization that I have a lot more inner work to do. We all have this "loop" we deal with, whether it's love life, work, or just life in general. I wanted to share that becoming aware & addressing these things is the first step to being "free". I wanted to share that you're not alone if you feel these sensations"
Originally drawn to music to deal with depression, anxiety and body dysmorphia, Jovian went to acting school for 11 years (where he met Timothée Chalamet, the inspiration behind his previous single), giving him the skills to create music which is vulnerable, raw and honest storytelling. Of Puerto Rican heritage, he struggled with mental health issues until turning to music as an outlet for both his frustrations and creativity. Alongside his synesthesia, Jovian found himself with a unique view of the world which comes across in his music, a constantly changing tapestry of styles which can see his voice effortlessly switching from falsetto to rap.
"In 2013 I was sitting on the toilet and a passing thought came where I told myself: "Maybe I should take [anti-depressant] Lexapro?" and in that moment I promised myself I would either kill myself right there in the bathroom or choose happiness. There was no way I was going to allow myself to feel 'faux happiness' from a pill and be a slave to the pharmaceutical industry. Clearly I chose happiness because I'm here currently speaking about it. From that day on I promised myself I'd use music and any other art form as an outlet for my mental sensations. Since then, it's my duty to not only expose Hip Hop to people who are ignorant or hateful towards this genre that saved my life but also expose artistic outlets to kids who deal with what I dealt with mentally but may not be encouraged to create or even think about their feelings.
I cannot allow kids, especially kids of colour, to feel alone during those times"
