JJ ADRIAN

Community is an integral part to music and is often understated in all the hype of artist's creative desires to develop an indelible identity. What brings an artist a step forward is linking association to their home. Drake whole-heartedly asserts Toronto as his home within his music and when you think of artists representing Brooklyn, Jay-Z will likely come to mind. Hometown heroes give people something to take pride in. When these heroes are able to draw a community closer together through the medium of music, a raw passion exists. These are all ideas running through singer-songwriter JJ Adrian's head. The recent graduate of highly-renown Berklee College of Music is setting himself up as the vessel to expose to the world Vancouver's scene, which is rich in talent and fervor.

When first discovering JJ Adrian's music, I was excited to discover he was also from Vancouver. What I was more so captivated by, was the young artist's transparency of emotions through his vocal work. Compared to the likes of fellow Canadians, Drake and the Weekend, the singer holds a grasp to a promising future , with his delectable sound drenched in a purely human poignance. The tracks already released off upcoming album Priorities encompass a quality pop work with subtle electronic peculiarities. These specific characteristics highlight the anticipated record as an innovative take on R&B and soul.

Today EARMILK is premiering JJ Adrian's 4th single off Priorities titled "Gold", a beautifully melancholic anthem for hopeless romantics. This track also takes position as a subtle follow up to "X Marks the Spot", which inversely is about falling for someone and finding that one of a kind "treasure" to compliment your life. Almost acting as a post recollection of that idyllic romance turned sour; the timbre painting the atmosphere of the track reflects a very believable narrative in "Gold". The saved voice-message from a former lover introducing the track is all too familiar. By implementing this regretful vocal remnant, JJ Adrian speaks to the notion that "Everything that glitters isn't gold". JJ Adrian's words and voice in "Gold" present themselves as vulnerable & romantic; aurally crafting a fragile yet familiar emotion for listeners to empathize with. With every screened call, awkward first date, unanswered text message, and other misfortunes of the modern day romance, there's bound to be a JJ Adrian track to soothe the soul. As a prospective hometown hero integrating personal narratives through the ripest of vocals and crisp production, JJ Adrian has all the tools to bring him to the forefront of the music scene. Watch out for more exciting work from the talented artist this summer! - EARMILK

He may only be 21, but Vancouver native JJ ADRIAN knows exactly what he wants to do with his life: Make music.

Currently a senior at Boston’s prestigious Berklee College of Music, ADRIAN cut his teeth performing on stages at the Apollo Theatre and America’s Got Talent with his former boyband, Full Effect. Since the group went their separate ways, the talented singer hasn’t looked back, focusing on writing and recording as he gets ready to step out as a solo artist.

This past semester at Berklee, ADRIAN was chosen to study under Kara DioGuardi (a Grammy-nominated songwriter who’s worked with everyone from Celine Dion to Christina Aguilera). Three out of the six songs from his forthcoming debut, Priorities, are products from DioGuardi’s class including “Right Now” and the EP’s latest single, “Girl From Toronto.”

Influences by The Weeknd, Frank Ocean, and Drake can be heard clearly through ADRIAN’s smooth vocals and soulful nuances, which float over catchy pop-infused R&B melodies and sharp production. As the two tracks are being met with positive reviews, ADRIAN, in the meantime, is hard at work in the studio as he finishes up the remainder of Priorities while working on a forthcoming full-length album. - Vancity Buzz

Really glad this dropped into my inbox earlier this evening.

Hugely ambitious, sleek soulful pop from Vancouver’s JJ Adrian on his latest track, The Show. Lifted from a mixtape titled Priorities, coming later this year, if The Show and the other tracks on his Soundcloud are anything to go by, then it could be a rather special release. Check it out below. - Crack in the Road

A few months back, EARMILK was able to unveil an emotionally doused work "Gold" by Vancouver based artist JJ Adrian. Humbly, the singer states he's "just a kid from Vancity", but through his raw enigma and energy found in his music, it's apparent that the R&B singer's talent is one to make huge waves. What sets JJ Adrian apart is his strong ability to meld classic vocals over stimulating modern beats. In works such as "X Marks the Spot" and "Girl from Toronto", JJ Adrian unveils to the world his narrative writing skills, successfully creating poignant tracks that will hit some sort of familiar spot for everyone. His hybrid sound is a fresh breath of air in the scene, heading the forefront of a tasty future R&B sound soon to catch on with the rest of the world.

We are extremely excited to be able to present "Temporary Fix" by JJ Adrian and rapper Jared PM today. This time around, JJ Adrian sets his focus on the interweaving of his smooth vocals over jarring and impactful electronic beats. "Temporary Fix" begins with daunting echos, a buzzing groove in the background and JJ Adrian's powerful storytelling tactics. Leaning towards a hedonistic theme in the work, "Temporary Fix" is all about the selfish desires that come with lust and detachment. Correlating with the screeching trap synths, the filling melodies scream sybaritic sensations. Jared PM adds his contribution with some slick words to add to the conversation of selfish pleasures. In this masterpiece, JJ Adrian flips his sound from otherwise love leaning works with more sensual concepts. "Temporary Fix" scopes out JJ Adrian's wide spectrum of sound, marking him as an artist with true dexterity sonically and emotionally. - EARMILK