J’Calm on confidence, purpose, and authenticity

Most 20-year-old men do not often speak about emotions, but singer-songwriter J’Calm poured his thoughts, aspirations, and feelings into his sophomore album, Emotions, serving it hot at the start of the year to fans who appreciate his ability to reflect on the world around him. Teaming up with super-producer Tony ‘CD’ Kelly, he crafted a dozen songs, including Real Love, a modern take on the classic Green Apples rhythm. Today, he shares with The Gleaner the inspiration behind the album and the confidence, purpose, and focus that continue to guide him on his musical journey.

“This is my second album, and the concept behind it is just showing a different, more vulnerable side of J’Calm,” he told The Gleaner. “It’s also about emphasising my culture and roots through reggae. This differs from my first [album], Niche, which was really me telling everybody who I was, and that was mostly pop. This album has taken me back to my roots, and its message is more detailed and angled towards my emotional experiences, events, and observations over the past couple of years.”

The composition, he shared, took months, but they refused to rush the process to ensure authenticity. “Working with Tony ‘CD’ Kelly meant it had to have a certain quality and sound, so he went back to the analogue days to achieve that quality, and it came out amazing. The whole team is proud that it turned out exactly how we envisioned it. I wrote most of the tracks, and one of my favourites is Kilimanjaro, a tribute to my Tanzanian fans. It captures the idea that, if you have an intense desire for someone, it’s like climbing Mount Kilimanjaro just to be with them. That was my favourite song to write.”

He added that the album resonated because it’s simple and direct. “You have to be confident in who you are, listen to your inner voice, and ignore the naysayers. It’s a message, even I have to remind myself of from the start of my career.”

Emotions featured key collaborations with artistes such as Kymani Marley and Sean Paul– which gave J’Calm a glimpse of real mentorship. “Working with Sean Paul on Sweet Love was surreal and humbling because he is such a legend ...,” he said.

Born Jovane Gayle, he shared that his stage name, J’Calm, came from a high-school exercise where he had to choose an adjective starting with his first initial. Unable to find one that fit, he improvised with “calm”, which best described his personality. A friend helped turn it into a short, simple name, and they decided to roll with it.

The Clarendon-native has come a long way since dropping his first album a year and a half ago and credits his early life–which was simple yet fulfilling– for keeping him both grounded and focused.

“My early days were filled with school and gaining knowledge, as my grandmother was a no-nonsense individual. While I didn’t have a set vision of what I wanted to be, I knew knowledge was power. Plus, I just wanted to make my grandmother proud. Music came in as a hobby but became a therapy and escape for me. It helped me through a lot of stuff and helped me see the world through a calmer lens,” he explained.

If not music, J’Calm said he probably could see himself as an engineer, but,“music has always been number one, though. Being able to create and make people feel something is great. If I can provoke a positive emotion from someone just from something I created in the studio, that makes me feel I have purpose.”

That purpose continues to guide him as he grows his fan base and confidence. “You have to keep that confidence high in a world that can be unforgiving. You need it to keep going even when no one else sees your vision. With time and consistency, others will get it. Learn along the way, stay humble enough to correct yourself, and be at peace with your decisions,” he noted. “One of my favourite sayings is: if you are not at peace with yourself, you are not at peace with the world or anyone else.”

nicola.cunningham@gleanerjm.com