Music fans could be forgiven for thinking PARTYNEXTDOOR might be an electro-dance offshoot from the hugely popular Now That’s What I Call Music! series of compilation albums. In fact, it is the stage moniker of a Canadian producer, songwriter, singer and rapper whose real name is Jahron Brathwaite.
Initially known for creating electronic-infused R&B tracks under the name Jahron B, PARTYNEXTDOOR was the first artist signed to Canadian superstar Drake’s OVO Sound record label. His signing was announced with the release of the track, Make a Mil, on Drake’s October’s Very Own blog. Jahron was just 19 years old.
“I know how lucky I am to have been given the opportunity by Drake at such a young age. This was back in early-2013. I felt I was ready but that was really the confidence of youth. I still had a lot to learn.”
Raised in the Toronto suburb of Mississuaga, his West Indian parents heavily influenced Jahron’s musical development. His father’s love for Boyz II Men, Jodeci and Blackstreet, allied to singing in church with his mother, gave him a strong background in style and vocal substance. The quality of his voice was such that Jahron was immediately placed among the senior singers in the church choir despite having not even reached his teenage years.
“I really enjoyed singing in the choir but I knew I wanted to make R&B music. I created tracks on the computer in my bedroom. I used FL Studio, or Fruity Loops as most people will know the programme, and actually took my stage name from an audio filter in the FL Studio software.”
Jahron found a manager through posting tracks on MySpace and moved to Los Angeles where he secured a songwriting deal.
“Things didn’t work out. My songs were submitted to established artists but none were recorded. I quickly realised they were too personal. If anyone was going to record them, it had to be me.
“I moved to Miami and started pitching myself as a solo artist. I got to work with the producer Boi-Ida who has worked on many tracks with Drake. He sent some of my stuff to Oliver El-Khatib, Drake’s manager, and I suddenly found myself meeting with the OVO people in Toronto.”
Drake, Oliver and OVO Sound co-founder Noah ‘40’ Shebib were particularly impressed by Jahron’s ability to write, sing, produce and even engineer his own material.
“Everything you hear in the final mix of a song is exactly how I envision it. The guys actually compared me to Kanye West in this respect. The ultimate honour though was producing three tracks on Drake’s mixtape, If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late. I also performed on two tracks including Wednesday Night Interlude which was entirely my own song. Drake didn’t perform on the track at all.”
His 2013 self-titled debut EP reached number 34 on America’s R&B / Hip Hop Albums chart. It whetted the appetite for Jahron’s music to such an extent that his 2014 debut album, PARTYNEXTDOOR TWO, topped the R&B chart, reached number 15 on the Billboard 200, number 19 in Canada and hit number five on Britain’s R&B chart.
Yet this success pales in comparison to that of his recently released follow-up, PARTYNEXTDOOR 3. The album took pole position on the R&B charts in both Britain and America. It has so far peaked at number 11 on the UK albums chart, number four in Canada and earned Jahron his first top three spot on the Billboard 200.
“I’m obviously pleased the album has done so well but also a little surprised. This past year hasn’t been the best I’ve had in my private life. I thought having a hit record would make me happy but it didn’t. I co-wrote Rihanna’s hit, Work. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 for nine weeks but I still wasn’t happy.”
Jahron’s state of mind stems from a difficult situation with R&B singer/songwriter Kehlani. The couple dated, broke up, reunited after she ended her relationship with basketball star Kyrie Irving but have now split up again.
“Most of the tracks on my album are blues-type songs. I used to be a guy who sung about how cool he was. I still tried to make party songs for the new album but the feeling wasn’t in me. I’ve gone from braggadocious to blues but the people still seem to like what I do.”


IN BRIEF
Chromatics

Even their biggest fans never know what to expect from Chromatics. The American electro-indie quartet released seven different cover versions of Cyndi Lauper’s 1983 smash, Girls Just Want To Have Fun. But nearly two years after announcing the impending release of their fifth studio album, Dear Tommy, the band are still keeping their fans waiting.
Exasperated followers making contact via Chromatics’ Facebook page are still being told the album will be issued ‘soon.’ But this is the same message they have been getting for most of the last 22 months.
Indications are though that things are finally beginning to move. The band have just posted a video for the album title-track at www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRTLABXixD0
If you enjoy the song, Chromatics’ entire eight-track album, Cherry, can now be heard at (no www.) soundcloud.com/johnnyjewel/cherry-full-album
It can also be downloaded for free.

Florence and The Machine

A new song from Florence and The Machine plays over the end credits of director Tim Burton’s forthcoming dark fantasy film, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.
The song, Wish That You Were Here, was written by Florence when she was on tour. The lyrics convey her feelings about being away from her friends and family but she believed the song would blend perfectly with the movie.
“It’s about the idea that love is a journey and a risk,” Florence stated. “Touring can be an amazing experience but it comes at the cost of leaving the people you love behind for a year or two.
“You kind of feel like if you could sing a song into the wind, it could maybe take your words to them in a way that you can’t with a phone call or a text message. You want to send your love in a different way to somehow reach the unreachable.”
There is no accompanying video as yet for Wish That You Were Here but an official audio can be heard at www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsWDUvuF0Xc
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is set for release on September 30. A trailer for the film is posted at www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAdpJw-MM-M

Prince

Prince’s Paisley Park home and studio complex in the Chanhassen suburb of Minneapolis will open to the public as a museum on October 6.
The superstar singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist periodically rewarded faithful fans by opening the estate for impromptu parties and jam sessions. He envisaged Paisley Park becoming a museum after his demise but obviously expected this to occur many years into the future.
Prince’s unexpected sudden death and his leaving no will could have jeopardised these intentions. But more than enough friends and family members were aware of his wishes to make the Paisley Park museum happen.
The guided tours will last around 70 minutes with tickets priced quite high at 38.50 USD. Special VIP tour tickets will also be available at a cost of 100 USD.

Jimmy Eat World

Arizona alternative-rockers Jimmy Eat World will return with their ninth studio album later this year. The LP title has still to be decided although those in the know suggest it will most likely be Integrity Blues. The lead single, Get Right, has just been released. An accompanying promotional video has yet to be made but a lyric video can be viewed at www.jimmyeatworld.com. If you enjoy the song, it is offered for free download at the website.
The band’s previously recorded output can be found on YouTube. Their eight studio albums, Jimmy Eat World, Static Prevails, Clarity, Bleed American, Future, Chase This Light, Invented and Damage, are all posted in full.