Zac Jone$ challenges social norms with new track

When it comes to love songs, many artistes usually opt for telling the story of a more traditional way of meeting your soulmate. However, up-and-coming reggae artiste Zac Jone$ opines that sometimes you and the love of your life may already be in a relationship when your paths cross on his newest track Doe Care from his soon-to-be-released album – Treasure Beach.

Now, whether falling in love with someone else while already in a committed relationship is right or wrong is not the singer’s concern, but based on a story he heard, he believes wholeheartedly in the possibility.

“It is kind of like a song about infidelity in a way. I wanted to talk about it from the perspective that a lot of people look at it like a bad thing and I am not saying if it is right or wrong. I am not here to judge it. But it came about particularly because I heard about somebody talking about how they got in their relationship. They pretty much did after they were both already in relationships and they came together through that. People looking at it would definitely say it is wrong, but they know that they are in love. So my thing with the song was who are we to really judge because I feel like as human beings we are judgemental,” he shared.

The cool dancehall-reggae track is not only thought provoking when one considers social norms but also showcases his lyrical and musical prowess which, according to him, will be demonstrated on the album that is expected to be released in November this year. Currently, as he navigates the entertainment scene, he is taking his time to release a few tracks from the project to build his fanbase.

“As a young artiste, people want to be able to focus on one thing at a time. You give them a full project and it is a lot to digest. Even me as a listener and someone who just loves music, you love an artiste, but you can’t digest an entire project in one go. I want to break it up in a way where you get a piece of everything and because I put so much in the music, I want each song to get its time to shine,” Jone$ told The Sunday Gleaner.

The tracks Miss Jamaica featuring Agent Sasco and The Weed Song featuring Jesse Royal are also tunes from his upcoming album.

Going against the grain is not something new to Jone$ and prior to dedicating himself full time to his music career, he was studying to become a doctor. After realizing that music was a greater calling for him, he put down the stethoscope and took up the microphone.

“I went to college in LA in 2014 and I went to do medicine originally. When I was in Jamaica, I could balance music and school, but it was nothing compared to like pre-med in college. So, I’d miss two classes and be way behind but I would miss classes because I was in the room writing music and can’t really stop because it is my passion. So it had to make the decision that it was either music or medicine and it was not going to be medicine. My parents weren’t so happy about it but I’m glad I had supportive parents,” he revealed.

Now, since taking a leap of faith, the artiste, who has roots in Treasure Beach, believes he is healing lives in other ways.

“The big reason I do music is because I love it, but the greatest reward is how people feel about it. People come up to me and say my music helps them and that is my true goal in music. So, hearing how people talk about the music and saying it got them through a bad time or something has always been my greatest reward. The music is also providing some kind of healing and I am grateful for that,” he said.

Come June 24, Zac Jone$ is set to headline his own concert, named after his album, and will be performing alongside other rising stars in the music industry.

aaliyah.cunningham@gleanerjm.com