After placing her music plans on hold while working for corporate America, singer-songwriter CJ Temple is back with music that guides and soothes. Her acapella videos went viral on TikTok last year, with her duet and solo renditions of notable favorites drawing in over a million followers and fans. In addition to these videos, CJ has been busy working on her debut album, which is due for release early next year. She released the album’s first single, “This Game,” a few weeks ago, and is ready to follow up the track with the smoldering “Smoke.”
On “Smoke,” CJ explores the fear and the hurt that she felt when confronting her mental health issues. Over dreamy beats and slow-burning production, CJ sheds light from the other side, serving as a voice of reason throughout the track. Delicately, she sings, “You ask me how I know / What it means to be free” and “You ask me how it feels / To be out of the dark,” concluding that “It’s like seeing through the smoke.” You can check it out below.
Telling us more about “Smoke,” CJ shared,
“Before ‘Smoke’ was written, I had spent many years battling my own mind, struggling with pain and anger I didn’t understand and was too afraid to confront. When I finally did, however, I realized how much relief there is in doing so, and my journey to healing began. ‘Smoke’ is about seeing relief in the distance and making the choice to suffer through the pain and discomfort of healing in order to get to there.”
You can listen to “Smoke” on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.
Keep up with CJ Temple: Instagram // Facebook // YouTube // TikTok // Website
