Jay Wile - “Who’s Lovin’ U?”

SXSW 2020 - OEB Score: 7; Popularity Index: 5

Pairs Well With…Omar Apollo, Daniel Caesar, Frank Ocean

Low-key alternative R&B artist Jay Wile molds his music out of lonely, bedroom pop songwriting, often accompanying his soft, tender vocals with just an electric guitar line and a minimal beat. Threads of classic R&B inform Wile’s latest EP Somewhere in Mind, adding some fuller instrumentation on tracks like “Who’s Lovin’ U?” and jazzy, hip-hop-infused “Get It Back”. It’s still minimally produced and puts the focus on Wile’s cool, new-soul vocal melodies, a contemplative statement of laid-back dynamism. (Kevin McStravick)