Written by Cameron Wyatt
JGrrey’s debut album, you, me and jen, is an unfiltered look into the experiences that have shaped her, navigating identity, addiction and relationships with a level of vulnerability that runs throughout the project. However, beneath the uncertainty explored in her songwriting is an artist who is self-assured and confident in her delivery, mixing deeply personal lyricism with strong, varied production and instrumentation throughout. you, me and jen is a project that feels raw, yet considered, and gives us a real glimpse into what has formed Jen as a person, rather than just as an artist.
The singles released in the run-up to the album like believe, pedigrree and bedbug ft. Erick The Architect showed us the versatility that would be on offer within the album, as well as the vulnerability, and this only went further upon listening to the full project. pedigrree looks into finding a sense of self-worth, with a lack of heritage to fall back on, and referring to herself as the ‘runt of the litter’. This acts as a metaphor for struggling to come to terms with who you are as a person and attempting to make sense of it all, whilst feeling like an outcast. That search for meaning carries into believe, where Humble The Great’s hard-hitting production complements Jen’s reflections on faith and self-worth, looking into finding some sort of sense of value in life and finding faith in something beyond yourself. At her album listening party, Jen stated that she herself isn’t actually religious, which in a way makes the track even more powerful, highlighting the desperation people have to find something in life to hold trust and faith in, in what has become an inherently difficult world to live in.
The project boasts a great list of features throughout, including Bel Cobain, M Huncho, Kofi Stone & Erick The Architect, and each of these features bring something distinct to the album. M Huncho comes in on i am rrunt with an unexpected singing voice, adding another dimension to the track, which looks into the difficulties of love and wanting to find something real. black and white ft. Kofi Stone offers more of a laid-back vibe, and this one is a standout of the album, with the relaxed chemistry between the two artists shining through. In contrast, bedbug ft. Erick The Architect, which is another standout of the project, acts as arguably the most energetic track of the album. JGrrey exemplifies her versatility more on here than any other track, with a strong mix of beautiful vocals and rapping before Erick The Architect comes in with his distinctive New York style of rapping, creating a contrast between the two artists that complements them both.
This comes directly after an equally fun & energetic track, deh pon. The name of the track is linked to grime MC, and Jen’s friend, Manga Saint Hilare, with Jen telling us at the listening party that the name was inspired by how much Manga uses the phrase. With Jen, he talked through the album and the meaning behind it throughout the listening party, giving us an invaluable insight into what went into it, and what led her to this point in her life. Similarly to bedbug, the track exemplifies Jen’s strengths in both rapping and singing, with the drums in the driving the rhythm of the track throughout.On penultimate track stomach turns, which is another really powerful track, both lyrically and instrumentally, she returns to the recurring topic of finding a sense of purpose in a world which is becoming increasingly difficult to navigate – trying to grow up and become the person you want to be. It leads into a finale that again takes a vulnerable stance, giving us a look at how Jen’s mind works when trying to distance herself from things that she knows are bad for her, but does anyway. She touched on this in the listening party, telling us she has the issue with many things, whether that’s with drugs, toxic relationships, or even staying in bed too late. There’s a sense of humour throughout the track that makes it even more personal, and acts as a great closer to the album, where imperfection is accepted and celebrated.
you, me and jen is a reflection on the experiences that have shaped Jen, both the painful moments and those that have brought her happiness, whilst also acting as a strong example for the developed, versatile artist she has become. Even though she is sharing vulnerable aspects and moments of her life, the South London artist is self-assured and confident in both her words and her delivery, and this allows the project to come across as somewhat of a full circle moment, where she can look back at painful things she’s been through, whilst understanding that it’s what makes her, unapologetically, her.
