PJ Morton Reveals Special Guests For Watch The Sun, New Album Out April 29th
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On April 29th, PJ Morton will release Watch The Sun, an unapologetic and eagerly anticipated album about the challenges he has faced in life and love. Following four straight years of Grammy wins as a self-released, self-produced artist, in addition to chart-topping achievements and countless collaborations, Watch The Sun is the next step in a remarkable career that continues to bridge styles, traditions and generations. Across a collection of 11 all new original songs, Watch The Sun features very special appearances from Chronixx, JoJo & Mr. Talkbox, Stevie Wonder & Nas, Wale, Jill Scott & Alex Isley, El DeBarge, Zacardi Cortez, Gene Moore, Samoht, Tim Rogers and Darrel 'MusiqCity' Walls, as Morton's songwriting and production delve further inward than ever before.
"I'm being more honest, more authentic, more open than I've been in the past," says PJ Morton. "As much as people know about me, I'm pretty private about specifics, but these were some real things going on in my life. So it manifested with lyrics that pushed myself - not just going with the first thing or the thing that felt good, but making sure that I challenged myself to go deeper."
To make Watch The Sun, out via Morton Records, PJ Morton ventured away from his New Orleans home and into the middle of nowhere. Posted up at Bogalusa, Louisiana's storied Studio In The Country - where Allen Toussaint, Betty Davis, Stevie Wonder and more have all recorded - he and his band lived on the secluded grounds for 24 hours a day. The album's process, however, began with no vision except the need for a new approach.
After the most unbelievably active years of his career, the pandemic forced PJ Morton to slow down and take a step back. He spent time with his family that he otherwise couldn't have, and when he started to pivot back to writing music, his computer crashed and he lost all of his latest work. When true inspiration began to hit, and his inherent drive to return to the studio became too strong to ignore, he took it as a sign to make sure whatever he was about to say was deliberate. Studio In The Country allowed him to focus on the music in a fully organic and effortless way, serving almost as another band member.
Among Watch The Sun's many highlights are previously released singles "Please Don't Walk Away," which PJ Morton recently performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, plus the self-care anthem of "My Peace," a long-awaited followup to his and JoJo's Grammy-winning duet, "Say So." On the additions of personal idols like Stevie Wonder, Nas, El DeBarge, Jill Scott and more, Morton explains:
"One of my main rules is to not think of guests while I'm creating. When you think of the guest first, it becomes about what would fit for them instead of just making the best song I can make. Every guest is there in a super-intentional way - not because of who they are, but because they fit on these songs."
This past weekend, PJ Morton earned a GRAMMY Award for Album Of The Year, honoring his contributions to Jon Batiste's We Are. The accomplishment marks his fourth consecutive Grammy, adding to wins for Best Gospel Album in 2021, Best R&B Song in 2020, and Best Traditional R&B Performance in 2019.
Earlier this spring, Morton also completed the first leg in a momentous year of live performances he and his band have planned. Upcoming dates include New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on April 29th, Newport Jazz Festival on July 29th-31st, and much more that will be detailed soon.
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