3 months ago
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JORDY has been carving out a space for himself in the industry since 2018. All these years later, he’s established himself as one of the brightest voices on the queer pop scene. Armed with an insightful pen and clever productions, the hitmaker has evolved quite a bit over the years. Previous releases like “Close to You” have highlighted his mastery of balladry. However, he returned on Friday (June 14) with his new album Sex With Myself, which is his most self-assured and adult work to date. This time around, he’s leaving the somber mood behind in favor of a balls-to-the-wall celebration featuring dizzying beats and all the fun of a night out. That’s on full display on the title track, a self-love anthem as sexy as Britney Spears‘ “Touch of My Hand” and as celebratory as Lady Gaga‘s “Born This Way.” JORDY paired the bop with an ambitious music video that pushes his artistry even further. Ahead of the album’s release, we caught up with JORDY to talk about his sonic evolution and the state of queer pop in 2024. He opened up about his Pride playlist, an upcoming tour and plans for even more music on the way! Head inside to read JORDY’s interview with Just Jared and to listen to his new album… Just Jared: How are you feeling getting ready to release the album? JORDY: I’m so excited. I feel like, you know, when you’re working on an album release plan, it’s just like so much buildup and so much work and so many exciting conversations. And then, all of a sudden, the time is here. And it’s happening, and it’s coming out and I’m really proud. So I’m pumped. Yeah. Did you always plan on dropping it during Pride? J: Oh yeah, definitely. I think just like the kind of sounds I was leaning into obviously lend itself very well to Pride Month. But also the timing worked out so perfectly. And this month is such a special time for so many of us, and I just wanted more reason to celebrate it. You’ve already performed at a couple of Pride events too. What’s it like for you to be performing at events like that? J: So special. I feel like everybody is coming to these like festivals and parades, literally just to feel happy, to feel accepted, to feel loved, to spread love, to celebrate together. And so the energy is always so amazing going into it, and it’s really a special thing. Bust because I have memories of being at Pride festivals as somebody not performing and as somebody who is just there to be there. And now that I’m the one on stage, it’s a very kind of out-of-body experience. These past three shows were so special, and it’s a great time for me to just promote all of the music that I’ve been able to put out over the past couple of years. So it’s been really, really fun. You’re going on tour this later this year, right? It sounds like you’re early in the process, but what should fans expect from the show? J: Ooh, well, they should definitely expect me to perform the entire album of Sex with Myself. It is the Sex with Myself tour. So there will be every song off of this project. Hopefully some new songs, too, that will be out by the time I head out on the road. And then, you know, all the classic hits that people want to hear, I will also be performing, of course. I really want this tour to be, I don’t know, a little more next level. We might have dancers, cool lighting, like really cool outfits… I want it to be super cohesive. I’m really excited to like plan it all out and have people come to the shows.
Your sound has really changed a lot. It’s even changed a lot between now and last year’s Boy. Can you talk about how it evolved and reached this point? J: So at the end of last year, I was definitely not in a great mental space. And normally I would say chase that when it comes to songwriting. You know, live in that. Chase that feeling, write something that really exudes what you’re going through. But I think it was like this interesting time where I was like, “I need to get myself out of this bad mental health hole.” And by doing that, I feel like I was like, “I need to make like uplifting fun, funny songs.” And I feel like I went into this process a little less serious than my previous projects. Not in the sense of taking it seriously, but just going into the room having a crazy weird idea and just having fun and chasing it. You know, there’s a song called “Cruise” on the album that was literally me and my best friend throwing out the weirdest lines possible and just having an absolute blast together. And I really just needed to bring myself out of that mental health space that I was in. I feel like this project saved me in a lot of ways because of that. And it just gave me an opportunity to explore new sounds, more hyper pop stuff that I’ve always wanted to explore that I haven’t had the opportunity to do so yet. I’d say this process was definitely a little different, but the most fun I’ve had writing a project for sure. Is there a song that you’re most excited for people to hear? And I feel like it was such a good learning experience for me because at the end of the day, you’re not going to be able to vibe with someone else unless you’re vibing with yourself. And I really wanted to make that message clear. So the message, the production, everything, “Sex with Myself” is one of my favorites. So I’m excited for people to hear that. But also every other song I’m obsessed with all of them. I love a good self love song. I feel like there are so many iconic ones in pop that are sexier or more serious. You have a music video for the song coming out on Friday. Can you tease that? And it’s about me exploring myself that night and having a good time and having sex with myself. That’s what you can expect.
What would you say you’re most proud of achieving like so far in your career and what’s something that you still want to achieve? J: Oh my gosh. There’s been so many milestone moments. You know, I’ll never forget seeing Kelly Clarkson on TV holding my vinyl when I performed on The Kelly Clarkson Show; that was huge for me. Performing at Lollapalooza will always be a huge milestone for me because I’m from Chicago, but I’m also playing at ACL this fall, which has always been a huge goal. And that’s like a huge festival that I’ve always wanted to play. But I think looking even more into the future, I have so many goals. I’d love to open for another artist I really love. I’d love to play certain venues around the world that I’ve always wanted to play. I really just want to keep moving forward and keep growing and keep making music and, you know, just let things come. Put out the good energy and let it come back to me. I love the way you reworked “Story of a Girl” with “Story of a Boy” last year. Are there any other songs that you’d want to put your own twist on like that in the future? I feel like there’s so many queer artists just killing it right now. But Gaga was a huge, huge inspiration to me as a kid. And I’d love to honor her by putting my own twist on one of her songs. I think that’d be really cool. What do you think about the state of queer pop in 2024? J: I mean, I feel like it’s at an all time high. Like I feel like, you know, Chappel Roan, Renee Rapp, Troye Sivan, Fletcher… There’s so many dope out and proud artists right now that are just drawing the biggest crowds out of everyone else. And that’s a really special thing to see. You know, we’ve worked very hard to get to this point, and there’s always more work to do. But seeing these Chappel Roan crowds has been so crazy and so inspiring. And so it’s cool to see the world opening up to all this queer music and queer art. What would you say are three or four songs that are on your Pride playlist? J: “Rush” by Troye Sivan, “Higher” by VINCINT. Probably… I’m a huge Fletcher fan, and I love her new album a lot. One of the songs on her new album is called “Maybe I Am,” and I’m fully obsessed with it. I love that song so much. What else? And then probably “Born This Way.” Yeah, “Born This Way” is always on the playlist. It’s just kind of like the song. Cher‘s “Believe.” I mean, there’s a million I could go on. You mentioned that you’re teasing even more music that you want to drop later this year? J: Yeah! So Sex With Myself is a seven-song album. You know, this is my new independent era. I needed to be realistic with how much I could actually put out, budgets and everything. But I am feeling very determined and confident that we will continue living in this world for a little longer and add perhaps some deluxe songs. Check out more exclusive interviews!
J: Yes! I just announced yesterday. I’m heading out on the road this fall for my second headline tour. I’m very excited. I think we’re hitting 15 cities across North America to start. And yeah, it’s going to be a really good time. I’m in my early tour-planning phase where I’m like, “What do I want the band took like? Do I want dancers? Visuals, outfits, set lists, all that kind of stuff.” So I’m very excited to get on the road again.
J: Probably “Sex with Myself.” It’s just one of my favorite songs I’ve ever written, mostly because it’s definitely staying in line with this sexy theme that the whole project kind of exudes. But when I wrote it, it was when I was like, “Okay, I’ve written everything else, what does this project need?” And it needed a self love song because at the end of the day, this whole chapter was about me discovering myself a little bit more exploring my sexuality, having fun, figuring out what I like and what I don’t like. But with that came, you know, this independence and this love for myself.
J: And what’s cool is, someone commented this, but anyone of any gender identity of any sexual identity, anyone can relate to the idea of wanting to love yourself a little bit more and getting more in touch with your own self and your own body. And I feel like that’s really special.
J: It’s giving some choreo. It’s giving sweaty me at home, kind of like vintage color scheme. We found this really cool space in LA. I wanted it to feel really intimate, really vulnerable, me at home alone. It kind of starts with me getting a text from someone that one can assume cancels on me. So a night for two became a night for one.
J: It’s funny because I was thinking about what covers I want to do for the tour this fall. And I was thinking some Gaga, some Madonna. Just honoring the people that have like come before me.
