— With her percolating vocals and clever lyricism, Jae Stephens is on a mission to bring fun back to R&B. The rising singer-songwriter plans the next chapter of her crusade, announcing SELLOUT II, her next project, coming soon and dropping its first single “Kiss It.”
The follow-up to last September’s SELLOUT EP, the upcoming EP builds upon Jae’s effortless blend of old and new sounds, injecting them with her uniquely cheeky perspective on modern love. Home to the recent singles “SMH” and “That’s My Baby,” SELLOUT 2 arrives this summer via Raedio/Def Jam.
Along with the announcement of SELLOUT II, Jae shares “Kiss It,” a new highlight from the upcoming EP. With its funky bassline and a charming 8-bit keyboard riff, “Kiss It” is a song about anticipation, the desire that grows with distance. Alternating rhythmic rhyming with a sighing falsetto, Jae sings of her playful and steamy romance, in which each business trip evolves into a sultry role-playing game as she sings,
“My boy likes to leave so he can run back to me
Doing business out in Nice, always got somewhere to be,”
When he returns from his travels, Jae is very clear about what she wants singing,
“Seven days that you’ve been gone
From the second you get home
Come and fix it, kiss it like you miss it.”
“Kiss It” is the third high quality SELLOUT II single to hit, following the ballad “That’s My Baby“ and the banger “SMH.” Praised by Billboard, Clash, Rated R&B, and more, “SMH” finds Jae running through her rolodex, and welcoming guests like Maeta, TA Thomas, Brandon Banks, and Larry Van Buren. Released in May, “That’s My Baby” is a simmering R&B ballad, buoyed by bouncy percussion and fluttering harps, earning coverage from NOTION, Clash, Out Magazine, and more. The upcoming EP is the follow-up to her acclaimed 2024 effort SELLOUT, home to “WET,” recognized by Elle as one of the Best Songs of April 2024, “Girls Don’t Cheat,” co-written by Chxrry22 and covered by BET and Rated R&B, and fan-favorite “Body Favors,” which has 1.5 million streams on Spotify. In the fall, SELLOUT and Jae Stephens earned coverage in PAPER Mag, who called her “the Internet’s Black pop star.”
Fresh off a recent stint opening for FLO on their “AAA Tour,” Jae Stephens aims to satisfy her JaeBaes and win over a legion of new fans. Stay tuned for more about the upcoming EP in the future.