The covid-19 pandemic has caused a lot of stir up in the music industry, seemingly flipping it upside down overnight, and these artists are far from starving; they’re thriving with innovation, inspiration, and creative passion. Jai Michael, an alternative pop artist, singer/songwriter and producer from St. Louis, is no exception. His experience during Quarantine, where it’s seemed like there’s no rules or time, caused him to have a complete change of heart to rebrand his musical identity. He found himself through the quarantine isolation period; he learned and figured out a lot, was able to work out some kinks, and realized he wanted to be more personal, so he now goes by his own name.
“Mars” is his first single under Jai Michael. He says, “I used the idea of a person going to and getting stuck on Mars as a representation for where I was mentally at the time of writing the song a few months ago when quarantine started. I was able to slow down a lot, and to just think things through a little more. I realized I was ready for a fresh start.”
Both the song and video are stripped and minimalistic on instrumentation and vision. Simple melodies, drum beats and synth chords carry the song in a smooth, cool way. The video is simply Jai skateboarding alone through roads of Mars (well, St. Louis with an ominous red hue…). Jai told us, “I wanted to have a whole Mars set but on a small budget, so I focused on the feelings the song gives me, a general chill and flowy vibe. I had a vision of my friend driving in a truck and videotaping me skate, then we put it in slow motion.” The video matches perfectly the essence of the song.
New music and videos are in the making for us, so be on the look out. Jai joked, “I would love to re-film this music video on Mars, so shoutout Elon Musk!”
Photography and Videography by Elena Lin
