Jay Som, the project of Los Angeles-based multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer Melina Duterte, has made a long-awaited return with her new album Belong, her first release in over six years. The record marks a new chapter for Duterte, introducing the first-ever collaborations in Jay Som’s career and showcasing an expanded creative vision.
Alongside the album, Jay Som has shared the striking animated video for Belong highlight “Past Lives,” featuring Hayley Williams of Paramore. The video, which captures Duterte spiralling upward in a vivid dreamlike sequence, brings to life the emotional depth and nostalgia woven through the track.
This month also sees Jay Som’s return to the stage for her first EU/UK tour in more than seven years, including a stop at Pitchfork Festival London on Saturday, November 8, at Hackney’s EartH Theatre.
Since the release of her critically acclaimed 2019 album Anak Ko, Duterte has been honing her craft behind the scenes as a producer and audio engineer. Her credits include work on boygenius’ GRAMMY-winning album The Record, Lucy Dacus’ Forever Is a Feeling, and collaborations with Troye Sivan, beabadoobee, and No Rome, as well as contributing to the I Saw the TV Glow soundtrack. While Jay Som may have been quiet, Duterte herself has been anything but.
Now, with Belong, she redefines the boundaries of her project. Written, performed, produced, and mixed by Duterte, the album also features contributions from Joao Gonzalez (Soft Glas), Mal Hauser, Steph Marziano, and Kyle Pulley, alongside guest vocalists for the first time in Jay Som’s discography.
The album explores the idea of finding one’s place, both creatively and personally, within a shifting indie landscape. Balancing powerful pop moments with introspective ballads and electronic textures, Belong captures the sound of an artist reconnecting with her identity while pushing her music into fresh and fearless territory.
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