James Reid is not in his ‘sad boy’ era
When a chart-topping music mogul trades flashy pop for soft piano, the “sad boy” allegations are inevitable. James Reid debunked it quicker than I could sit on the couch next to him.
James’ latest single Hurt Me Too, his first under Sony Music Entertainment, marks a significant shift in his sonic and lyrical direction—not necessarily lonelier, but more honest, finally. After all, being sad for the sake of sadness is far too simple, and real life rarely is. “When the EP comes out,” the singer-songwriter says, “(we’ll see) that the sadness is just one emotion.”
In a chat with Young STAR, James gets candid about Hurt Me Too, his new era, and writing his way back to himself.
YOUNG STAR: Congratulations on Hurt Me Too! Its stripped-back nature definitely signals a new era for your music. What was it like practicing that kind of restraint, especially when artists are often incentivized to put out more and go all-out?
JAMES REID: It’s the first song I played for (Sony Music), and I was very happy that they were supportive of the vision I had—was really focusing on the songwriting, getting away from all the flashy production and crazy music videos.
It was less about restraint and more about honoring the meaning of the song. It didn’t sound like a piano ballad at first; it was more synth-pop. The producer, Tim Marquez, turned it into a ballad because you could hear more of what I was trying to say. I wanted that to be the baseline for this whole project. It won’t all be ballads, but it’s very raw and organic.
Did you feel a sense of hesitation, creating something so raw?
Yes and no. I was amazed at how much this new version brought out the meaning of the song and I loved it, but it also brought out so much vulnerability, which I didn’t expect. It was scary at first, especially since these are feelings that I’ve tried to avoid for a long time. It’s really a peek into my mind.
Has songwriting always been a process of emotional discovery for you?
With the next few songs that are coming out, there’s been this self-discovery or a kind of transmutation of emotions, taking a really painful moment I normally wouldn’t want to write about.
I want to write about good times and I want music to be uplifting. But every song from this EP stems from some difficult memory, and they somehow turned into beautiful songs. They’re not just sad songs about a hard time. There’s really a takeaway in each of them, and it was quite beautiful for me. I feel I found my stride as a songwriter with this process I’ve discovered.
Do you ever feel self-conscious about your writing, knowing that some listeners can create their own narratives about your work and, by extension, your life?
One hundred percent. The self-consciousness is there, more so than the average person because I came from showbiz. And not just regular showbiz, but a love team where everything you do can be amplified and taken out of context. There’s an awareness that, everything I write, someone can take it the wrong way, give it meaning that it shouldn’t have, or try to apply it to my life—when normally, when you listen to music, you don’t think about the artist. You think about yourself. You put yourself in that situation, that song, because it resonates with you. I wanted to do that. I think I’ve gone too long avoiding being free with my writing and my music because of the fear of how it might be misconstrued.
I love what you said about the liberating or emancipatory potential of music and writing.
I’m glad I finally overcame what was holding me back. I just had to face those things head-on, all those uncomfortable topics I didn’t feel like I could talk about or that people would ever understand. It was a bit of a breakthrough for me.
Would you agree that you came out a different person after the songwriting process?
Definitely. It changed the way I approach writing music, and all the songs have a special place in my heart because of what I learned from them. I hope that’s how people see it too, and that they can relate to them in some way.
Since so much of this new music is revelatory and raw, what was the turning point where you decided it was time to be more honest in your work?
We worked on Hurt Me Too in LA three years ago, and I never released it because it just didn’t fit in with what I was doing at the time. And for the first three hours of that session, we were just talking about life and digging into those feelings. I was like, wow, this is like a therapy session. This is what music is—you bring up something real then people will hear that it’s real, and that makes it resonate with them.
When Tim Marquez changed the production to be more stripped-down, I fell in love with the idea of pushing the message of what I’m trying to say first and foremost, instead of just the sound. Of course, my initial thoughts were that so many people were gonna say this or that. But something just clicked. Like, “You know what? I’m just going to do it.” It’s about time. And honestly, even just by making the songs, I feel like my job is done. They’re not even out yet but I feel very accomplished.
It’s like the internal process you went through while writing had been completed so you feel accomplished already. Since you mentioned that storytelling will be the central vein of this record, who is James as a songwriter?
I’m the type of person who likes to find order in the chaos and beauty in the pain; who likes to see the journey through the struggle. That’s how I write. Maybe it comes from an insecurity where I need everything to sound deep, but I’m just a very optimistic person.
What are some of the more complex and nuanced emotions you’ll be touching on in your upcoming music?
Hurt Me Too is when you give your all, but sometimes it’s not enough. It’s about coming to terms that things have come to an end. Instead of just saying I’m sad, I’m saying it hurts me too. I’m coming from a place of empathy and dealing with heartbreak.
Other songs are about helping someone very dear to me through a tough time. Another is about the lack of love, about not feeling it anymore but realizing that it’s always gonna be there. A lot of them are contradictory: I say one thing at the beginning of a song then I realize by the end that another thing is also true.
That reminds me of a quote from the artist Lorde, about how heartbreak sucks but the intensity of the emotion makes her feel like such a human. She called it an “emotional renaissance.” I feel the same, especially being from Young STAR where I work with young writers. It’s so exciting to see them grow; there’s a lot of pain in it, but it’s part of being a complete human.
If I had written about some of these moments in my life earlier, they wouldn’t have been the same. My understanding of (these events) has changed so much. It’s almost like a blessing, all these things I’ve been through, because now enough time has passed and I see the reason why they had to happen. I see why a lot of people in my life had to leave. This is the main perspective for this EP, and I don’t think my fans know this side of me. I think they’ve only ever seen this two-dimensional version of James, which is what you see on TV or online. Hopefully this music gives them more insight into who I really am.
As you enter this new era, what’s something you’ve been eager to try out?
Most of the new songs are in Tagalog. I was afraid to do it and it didn’t go well at first; I was very reserved. By the second session, I knew exactly what I wanted to talk about and how the emotions would flow. By the third, I was already writing my own Tagalog lines. I was surprised with myself. It was fun because there are some things you can only say in Tagalog.
Writing in a different language often offers us a different way of thinking about things. Why did you want to write in Tagalog?
I actually enjoyed the Tagalog songs I made more than the English ones. I wanted to let my audience know me better and meet them on common ground. Hence why I also wanted to strip back a lot of the music and focus on the writing. I wanted them to hear my music (and think), “This is the real James. This is his pure expression where we can get to know him.”
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James Reid’s Hurt Me Too is out now on all digital music platforms worldwide via Sony Music Entertainment.