Jae Stephens – SELLOUT II
Jae Stephens delivers bubbly pop-R&B confections with an impish charm, injecting energy and personality into the modern scene. Returning with her second dose of radio-ready bangers, the rising pop star shares SELLOUT II, a new EP, available on all platforms via Raedio / Def Jam.
The follow-up to last September’s SELLOUT EP, the new EP builds upon Jae’s effortless blend of old and new sounds, each brimming with clever turns of phrase and effervescent hooks. Spanning six tracks, the EP is a showcase for Jae’s melodic inventiveness, as she plays with her cadence to fit as much innuendo and cheeky humor as she can.
“SELLOUT 2 is SELLOUT’s younger, badass sister who gets away with a lot more,” Stephens explains. “This EP is me being even more like, ‘F*ck it. I don’t care about the box that anyone wants to put me in.’”
The new EP is home to recent singles like “SMH,” a bouncy and uptempo heater, the sultry ballad “That’s My Baby,” and the charming, 8-bit banger “Kiss It.” SELLOUT II adds three more inventive pop-R&B jams to the mix, notably “Afterbody,” which combines 80s electrofunk synths, with 00s R&B rhythms, and modern melodies and vernacular; “Choosy” recalls vintage Neptunes with percolating 808s and chilly electric keys; and the closer “10/10,” a uber-confident anthem for the baddies.
Along with the EP, Jae Stephens shares the new music video for “Afterbody.”
An intoxicating blend of vintage and modern, the song evokes strobe lights and sparkler smoke, narrating a heated encounter between Jae and her chosen partner. In the video, Jae does calisthenics in preparation for a long night at the club, where she nails an intricately choreographed dance that combines group and partner dancing to create one of the year’s steamiest music vids.
“My message is always, just because it’s fun doesn’t mean it’s dumb,” Jae Stephens says. “I want to encourage people to think outside the box with their musical choices, and find ways to have fun and keep the innovation going and keep finding new ways to keep people’s interest throughout the song. I want to be part of this group of Black girls occupying this space where we don’t see ourselves as much. We can be feminine and pop stars without it feeling like we’re corny or we’re selling out. I want us to be global superstars again.”
With SELLOUT II, Jae Stephens aims to satisfy her JaeBaes and win over a legion of new fans. Watch your step…it’s Stephens season.
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