J. Holiday Is Tapping Back Into His Soul Roots With ‘Time’
As the debuts of Chris Brown and Ne-Yo were breathing new life into the world of R&B 15 years ago, a quiet storm blew in the form of a soulful crooner from Washington D.C. named J. Holiday. The former signee of Jazze Pha’s Sho’nuff Records found himself on the rise until Jazze Pha shifted his gears to focus on Ciara’s budding career.
Holiday used the moment as a stepping stone to ultimately find a new home at Capitol Records. Fueled by vigor, hunger, and emotion, he poured his all into the raw title track of his debut album, Back Of My Lac’. Though this single wasn’t released first, it was enough to prove to his label that he could stand among his R&B peers at the time and be taken seriously as a solo act.
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Not to mention, when his debut single, “Be With Me,” dropped in 2007, the cosign he gained from the Rodney Jerkins production allowed for skeptics to be proven wrong. His label considered the single to be “the tester,” but it was the transition to his next single “Bed”—which peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent five consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart—that really showcased why he was worth the effort and time.
With his name still being tossed around in R&B conversations, it’s safe to say that—contrary to the criticism—J. Holiday stood the test of time and has now entered into a new era, personally and professionally.
As the D.C. native turned 40, he dropped his fifth studio album, Time, where he toys with new sounds. Although it’s been years in the making and the pandemic delayed its initial 2020 release, Holiday shares that on this LP of songs he’s returning to his soulful roots and staying true to the genre’s sounds.
“Just with that hitting and everything, it’s just…I guess pun intended. Time, it took time,” he shared on a lighthearted Zoom call with VIBE. “But no, we got a few new sounds, [it’s] just me sticking to my guns and being true to R&B.”
He explained the theme for this album speaks to time being of the essence. But 15 years later, he’s “very comfortable and proud of [his] craft.” Despite releasing Baecation, his 2020 mixtape, Time is different because he puts more passion and attention into his albums (unlike his mixtapes which are usually a compilation of songs that couldn’t fit the thematics of his longer projects).
“I’m a soul R&B singer,” declared the Grammy-nominated singer. “One of my biggest idols was Marvin Gaye, so I usually always have a song that I would be like, ‘Okay, I think Marvin would do this song if he was still alive.'”
From the impending deluxe edition of his latest album, Holiday specifically listed “Baptize” and “Three Seconds” as the songs that most represent that Marvin Gaye feel, but explained how “Bed”—co-written by The-Dream—was an example of how he “tried to ride that thin line of keeping it simple for the people, but then also not losing who [he is] vocally.” His other new tracks, “Ride” and “Time,” showcase him straying from the “popular wave.”
Overall, Holiday is embracing his status in the industry. Whether you want to consider him a one-hit-wonder or have actually been keeping up with him in 2022, his impact cannot be denied and for him, that’s more than enough.
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