“The Good Parts” of JP SAXE
Written by Laila Musleh
Opener for Alicia Keys and the face behind the heart wrenching ‘If the world was ending’, singer-songwriter JP SAXE uncovers the behind-the-scenes of his recently released song “The Good Parts”. A story of a devoted love that poignantly found its end.
Photo courtesy of JP SAXE
Heartbreak, a feeling every human soul has the mere opportunity to endure. It often shapeshifts our thoughts and perceptions, masking the treasured good moments and placing the agonizing parts of the relationship at the focal point of our minds. However, JP SAXE chooses to focus his sentiments and reflections on the souvenirs that defined a beautiful love story.
“I don’t like the idea of having to look back at something with pain, animosity, and anger. I want to be able to move on to the good parts, not always the easiest, but it’s a little bit more peaceful.”
“The Good Parts” is a token memorializing the unforgettable memories of his past relationship. This song sifts through JP SAXE’s emotions, recalling specific relics of his relationship. “The way you said can I have my spot…My hand on your knee in the passenger seat…The way you turn to me…So much of us was perfect and it’s what I think about first ''. These examples are a fraction of the moments he recalls in the song. Through this, he stresses that the small, seemingly insignificant moments with a loved one, often trigger our emotions the hardest.
“I think the shit that fucks with you after a relationship, the shit that gets to you, are the little moments that you didn’t really think were the big moments, but they were. Those examples in the songs are a few little moments that when I think of the beauty of that relationship, those are some of the spaces where the beauty really seems to exist.”
In our conversation, JP SAXE noted that it’s pivotal to know when to walk away. Although a relationship or even a seemingly ceaseless bond may exhibit euphoria and great fondness, those beautiful elements are not a promise into eternity; the unrivaled, happiest moments of our relationships have an expiration date.
“Two people can be soulmates in a time of life, but souls develop and can stop being compatible, and that's not a testament to either person’s value.”
People can be the love of a part of someone’s life.
Each memory he commemorates in the song has already been crystalized in the past. They are fossilized memories of a time he has lived and can no longer go back to. Through his writing process, he insisted that no ingredient in the lyrics is to be transposed. He explained that he never went back to add or change details in his lyrics. This sheer honesty is a window to JP SAXE’s life and inner being. The listeners of “The Good Parts” are invited to understand and appreciate a personal reality of his past and empathize with the emotions he encountered with each and every detail mentioned.
He explained that if he were to try and write about a reality he has not lived, he’d lack the authority and understanding of his words. Ultimately, through his lyrics, JP SAXE unapologetically presents a true and authentic illustration of himself.
Love, we yearn for it, and we are consumed by its presence in our lives. In our conversation, he highlights that love, in its myriad forms, defines the quality of our lives. Our souls and minds will obsessively analyze the intricacies of those relationships and what it means to interact and exist in a world with the people we love. “The Good Parts” allows the listener to reflect on their experience and perception of love in their current state. As listeners consume the verses and words in the song, JP SAXE hopes, like any piece of art, it guides the listener toward a secret passageway to crack past the surface, settle into an emotional space, and sit with a part of their inner self they’ve left buried.
“That feels purposeful to me. To sit in a more emotional space may take a long time for someone, but then a song, movie, or tv show can act like a little cheat code.”
“The Good Parts” is one of many diverse pieces in his upcoming sophomore album. As the love he encountered, and the feelings he processed and refined are all rooted from diverse experiences, this collection encompasses his multitude of thoughts over the past two years. Thus, the album cannot be reduced to one theme or pattern. It’s his endeavor to present the changes and maturation he faced; his lyrics and composition speak to the reality of existing as JP SAXE in this world.
“New songs mean new feelings, new feelings mean new versions of life, and new versions of life mean growth.”
The authenticity of this album is credited to the time he spent in Columbia. This trip was his pursuit to learn Spanish and commit to a time of solitude. Every morning he attended class, and his days were riddled with the confrontation of emotions and newly inspired creativity. Each song idea was fashioned in a studio sitting atop a hostel overlooking the city.
This trip challenged a skill he never failed to use in his music: his ability to communicate. The language barrier pressured him to reflect on his language and the intentions behind the words.
“I thought about my language, it made me aware of what I could and couldn't communicate. When you're surrounded by people who don't speak your language and you're kind of existing with the vocabulary of a 6-year-old, you have to be very intentional with what you say because it takes a lot of effort to say it. I do think that mentality and the joyful solitude that comes with being in a country where you don't speak the first language definitely contributes to the ethos of the music.”
Exhibitions of rawness and vulnerability in JP SAXE’s music are attributable to the environment he’s surrounded by. Each idea is manifested in collaboration with his co-writers, who he continued to refer to as his friends. Boba mixed with Disaronno at 1pm in the studio, surrounded by love and friendship was his definition of a habitual song-writing ritual. The most candid and sincere portrayal of JP SAXE is visible through his ordinary interactions with friends. As his music is a product of their intimate gatherings, it is easy to believe that his music is a mere representation of who he is in his most vulnerable state.
“I want it to feel like my internal dialogue, the songs that are the most personal to me are the ones where I feel like I'm talking to myself. I need to recognize the honesty of the moment, even if it’s something not felt permanently, even when it’s a 30-second feeling, that can still be sincere.”
Headlining for Alicia Keys and Lewis Capaldi, and performing his own shows, JP SAXE’s performances have proven nothing but his utter and undeniable passion for music. His vulnerability and sheer expression of emotion truly captivate the audience leaving them in a state of wreaked emotions, where each emotion is awoken and felt. As his music displays the rawest version of his soul and mind, on stage, JP SAXE is also witnessed in his rawest form.
“It's my favorite feeling in the whole wide world. It makes everything worse. It's the same me but it's me with a lot more happy chemicals in my brain. It's very adrenaline-filled where I feel like I have my personality at my fingertips, other times, I feel like my personality is buried under layers of molasses that I have to trench through to access.”
Listen to “The Good Parts” now and let each and every emotion come to life!