There’s something truly theatrical about the way Jai’Len Josey tells a story, and for her second album, Serial Romantic, that’s exactly the point. The singer/songwriter and Broadway star is blending her stage roots and her own sound while building a colorful world that shares the highs and lows of love and coming back to oneself.
Josey opened up about her upcoming project and shared that the body of work was a deeply personal one shaped by real-life experiences and a newfound commitment to herself.
The songwriting process for Josey was definitely cathartic, as she described the hardest part of making the project was living through the moments that inspired it. “By the time it’s written, it feels like a release,” she shared.
That emotional honesty anchors Serial Romantic, an album she calls a reflection of “being selfish after being selfless for so long.” For Josey, being a “serial romantic” is less about dating different people and more about realizing you can’t pour into others if your own cup is empty.
Before fully stepping into her music career, the 27-year-old spent years on Broadway and credits that foundation for shaping her musical career today. “Without Broadway, I don’t know what my personality would be,” she laughs. The stage gave her permission to be as dramatic and expressive as she desired, and that theatricality is woven throughout Serial Romantic, influencing everything from her vocal delivery to the album’s narrative arc.
While on Broadway, Josey had the opportunity to work with Cynthia Erivo, a talent she shares as her mentor. Erivo left a lasting impact, teaching Josey the importance of composure and self-regulation. “She just showed me that you can be calm and walk with grace,” Josey recalled.
The album unfolds like a storybook, with each track representing a different emotional chapter or character. Josey explains that singles like “Housewife” and “New Girl” capture the buzzing excitement of the beginning stages of love and the willingness to give yourself fully to someone. But as the album progresses, that optimism shifts. She conceptualizes the project through the lens of an author, whilst stepping into different personas like an ‘80s aerobics enthusiast (New Girl), an office siren (Freak), and a girl missing her train in New York (Won’t Force You.) Each character represented the girl she thought she needed to be to receive love.
Working alongside producer Tricky Stewart marked a turning point in Josey’s artistry. The collaboration refined her sound and, with Stewart’s help, expanded the vision. She came into the process with a collection of songs, selecting half while Stewart chose the other half–his picks, she said, felt like the missing pieces. More importantly, he gave her the space to fully step into herself as an artist. “He allowed me to experience the magic of truly being an artist,” she shared.
Josey’s musical influences are as layered as her storytelling. Shaped by her mother’s Detroit roots, Josey was introduced to genres like house and Ghettotech, with artist inspirations like Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder.
Add in her Atlanta upbringing and her love for jazz, and you get a multi-genre approach that merges pop and R&B with a buzzing Southern edge.
“All of my music—ain’t no other way than to be Southern,” she said. “No matter what genre I touch, I’m bringing Atlanta with me.” She stated with pride.
Her commitment to live instrumentation further elevates her sound as well. “All of my music has to have some touch of instrument,” she explained. “It needs to feel musically inclined.”
Josey first introduced herself with Southern Delicacy at 23. Now, at 27, she’s in a completely different space mentally and creatively. Back then, she admits, anxiety and the pressure to appeal to everyone shaped her process. Now she’s focused on fully experiencing life before translating it into her music. “We have one life,” she says, “If I don’t grab it, it could fly by in an instant.”
At its core, Serial Romantic is an invitation to choose yourself without the guilt. “I want people to take away that it’s okay to be selfish,” Josey said. “You shouldn’t feel bad for taking time to love on yourself.”
Serial Romantic is out now on all streaming platforms.
