The Grey Area

Some records are planned… and then some just happen. Bring It Back is one of those songs that came together off pure energy, timing, and good people. It actually started with me just trying to help out a friend. My homegirl XO4Never—also known as XO4Jesus (Shay Finesse Beats at the time)—hit me up with a folder of beats she had been working on. She wanted another ear on them, specifically for basslines, because she liked the way I was approaching bass at the time. So I’m going through the folder, just vibing, and I come across this one loop—super atmospheric, laid back, but with these snappy, shiny drums that just cut through perfectly. Instantly, it stood out. You could tell it was inspired by that Jhene Aiko / SZA type of soundscape—real moody, real floaty, but still grounded. It was already one of my favorite beats in the pack before I even touched it. Naturally, I loaded it up and went to work. I pulled up my go-to synth bass in Logic—the one I call ULTRA SUB—and started laying ide...

Some songs come from what you want to say. Others come from what you feel first—and the words just follow. Coulda Been was one of those records for me. I originally dropped it as a single, but it found its home on my R&B project Grapefruit. And looking back, it was a major step forward in how I approached songwriting. Before Coulda Been , I had a moment with a record called Satisfied that really opened my eyes to the power of melodic phrasing and motifs. That song showed me that what sticks with people isn’t always what you’re saying—it’s how you’re saying it. The flow of the melody, the pockets, the way it dances around the chords… that’s what makes a record live with somebody. So when it came time to create Coulda Been , I made a conscious decision to flip my process. Instead of leading with lyrics, I let the melody lead the way. I built the emotion first, then filled in the story after. And speaking of story—that’s where this record really became an outlet for me. I was going th...