Alt-Pop Artist on the Rise JMSEY Encourages Fans to Check-In On Each Other in “Best Friends”

Not far off the heels of World Mental Health Day, alt-pop artist JMSEY ends his year with a down to earth yet wildly uplifting new hit that he hopes everyone will relate to. In “Best Friends” JMSEY wades through conflicting feelings of frustration and compassion toward the loss of his close friend in 2021. With lyrics like “Reading all the Signs, Still Feel Behind”, he tackles guilt for not knowing how strongly his friend was struggling with his mental health. And off the heels of a pandemic and societal turbulence, there’s no better time than now to check on your friends and family. Fueled by mainstream pop melodies, the song’s chorus describes his final interactions with his friend; a hangout on the weekend that never came to fruition due to busy schedules. And with his memory in mind, JMSEY chose to write the chorus as jovial and upbeat, which has been known to be the usual temperament during the final days of almost fifty percent of people who choose to take their own lives. While coping with this, JMSEY hopes that listeners takeaway the importance of friendship, community and a supportive network because that system will not only celebrate the highs, but they will also lift you up from even your deepest lows.

“Let’s be friends on the weekend, Better yet Best friends / Please catch me I’m falling…Stumbling cause this life’s real saaaad” ~ Best Friends

In some ways, JMSEY thinks our society’s heavy reliance on social media is to blame for this unsustainable desire to seem happy at all times. By only sharing the good times, we’re lessening our empathy toward those who are struggling, resulting in a sort of numbness toward people who don’t have something to show off or a selfie to share. It’s okay to enjoy our moments of extreme happiness, but it’s unrealistic to assume that these moments will last forever. If you stay anywhere or in any state for too long, you’ll eventually discover that you have a whole new set of problems to confront. “What’s that? Who’s this? Seem to be fine but I’m bruising….Please take my smile for me will ya, Cause I don’t know  where I’m gonna go….”

About JMSEY: Hailing from Sacramento, by way of London, alt-pop artist JMSEY’s music is a blend of American sensibilities with a dousing of British bantering grit. His solo work has been featured on Audiotree TV, Jam in the Van and Paste Magazine and he has received high praises from popular outlets like NPR’s Cap Radio, Hollywood Life, Under the Radar, as well as multiple video placements on MTV’s MTVU. Currently based in LA, JMSEY also works tech for international touring pop act Oliver Tree. Previously one sixth of the beloved Hobo Johnson & The Lovemakers (as seen on NPR’s Tiny Desk, in Billboard & Rolling Stone), JMSEY’s well-rounded talents are celebrated by a wide array of pop, punk and indie enthusiasts from across the globe.