Recommended Tracks: “Friends With My Friends,” “He’s a 10,” “Happy Without You”
Artists You Might Like: BIZZY, Alexa Cappelli, Bre Kennedy
If you got your way every day, if everything beautiful that could possibly happen to you ended up happening to you, and if every chance you took turned out perfectly, life would be very empty. Think about it. There would be no lessons to learn, no opportunities to prove yourself, and no reason to strive for more. You truly cannot have the good without the bad, which is what JESSIA imparts on her new EP Okay With Every Part. Across the project’s six tracks, the Canadian pop singer and songwriter reflects on pivotal moments in her life and the way they either broke her down or inspired her to move forward. In the end, it leads to the realization that these moments, these parts of her life, were necessary because they are helping her to become the best version of herself.
The EP starts out with “Different People” and “Friends With My Friends,” both of which touch on the mixed feelings you can have about your ex after the breakup. On the previously released “Different People,” JESSIA tries to fight that urge to reach out and see what the ex is doing. Her tone is moody yet rejoiceful as her soaring vocals instill in all those single listeners out there to grab their closest friends and forget about the past. She sings, “I don’t wanna wonder where you are tonight / Like, are you kissing / Different people? / Trying not to say my name / To different people.” These downhearted vibes then turn into bitter feelings on “Friends With My Friends.” While the music remains cool and collected, the lyrics suggest an anger lurking under the surface. JESSIA watches as an ex moves on after a breakup, seemingly hanging out with people she knows and regretting nothing – like none of it mattered. It all gets to her, prompting her to share, “I hate that you’re friends with my friends / And you look so okay with it.”
Towards the middle of the EP, JESSIA starts pushing back. She tells a friend to do better on “He’s a 10,” which is a playful spin on the viral “He’s a 10, but…” memes. It is a scathing diss track under the guise of a catchy pop bop, meant to empower those out there who are hung up on the wrong type of partner. We hear as JESSIA deducts points from this guy, saying he’s a 10 but has gone on 9 bad job interviews, gets texts from 8 mystery people, and so forth until we reach, “You should’ve just left him as a 1 night stand.” On the following “Care About Me,” JESSIA still knows that better is out there, but this time, she recognizes this for herself. Over the stirring piano and acoustic guitar, she is tormented by the choice to put herself first and leave a sour relationship or stay in it. With pleading vocals, she sings, “Why am I still protecting you? / Why am I still saying that you mean well / When you don’t notice if I’m in the room?” and “I know that I deserve better than this / But I don’t know how to not treat myself like shit.”
The last two tracks on Okay With Every Part find JESSIA in a state of healing and closure. With “Happy Without You,” she looks to the future as she reconciles a breakup. As much as it hurts to be going through it, she tries to stay positive. Anyone going through a similar situation can relate to lines like, “Why isn’t everybody screaming? / ‘Cause my whole world’s just blowing up / But I feel like I’ve been healing / So I’ve just gotta cut you off” and I can’t wait to be happy without you / I know I’m gonna get there one day / I’ll be hot as fuck / And so in love / You’re not gonna recognize the girl / That you gave up.” After gazing into the future, JESSIA reflects on her past with “The Woman You Are,” which closes the EP. Written as a way to thank her mom while recognizing all the “badass moms out there,” as JESSIA has previously shared, “The Woman You Are” is a moving tribute. Throughout the track, she recounts the qualities she admires in her mom and acknowledges the support her mom has shown her growing up. We hear the appreciation in her voice as she sings, “Growing up / Getting older / Looking back on all that we’ve done / Hand in hand / Mother, daughter / And I am stronger.” We know that JESSIA wouldn’t be the strong, curious, and courageous woman she is now without her mom, and she drives this sentiment home with, “I’m okay with every part / If I became / Half the woman you are.”
After listening to Okay With Every Part, it is clear that JESSIA is on her way to becoming the best version of herself. Not only does she share pensive, emotional songs with us that describe some of her lowest moments, but she also gives us inspirational songs that show that she has learned from all she has been through. When she revealed more about the EP to the press, JESSIA explained, “Losing a label and a relationship within the span of three months shook me. I felt shame, rejection, anger, frustration, but also freedom, adventure, passion, and resilience. As much as I didn’t want to, I had to learn to accept and move through these new obstacles.” In the end, she is grateful for the different parts of her journey, and we feel that through the music and the lyrics. With these songs, we should all be okay with all the parts life gives us, as they can only make us better.
You can listen to Okay With Every Part on platforms like Spotify, SoundCloud, and Apple Music.
In October, JESSIA will be heading out on her first headline tour around North America. The ‘Be Here Now’ tour begins in Los Angeles on October 22 and will move through places like Vancouver, Toronto, and New York before finishing up in Ottawa on November 7. Tickets go on sale July 26 and can be purchased here.
Keep up with JESSIA: Instagram // Facebook // X // TikTok // YouTube // Website
