Video: John-Robert, ‘Healthy Baby Boy’

on
0
John-Robert (Photo by Spencer Ford)

Less than 10 years ago, John-Robert was producing music in his parent’s basement and making covers of the Kooks and Coldplay songs on YouTube in his hometown of Edinburg, Va. Now, at 20, he has added a new single, “Healthy Baby Boy,” to a string of recent releases through producer Ricky Reed’s Nice Life Recording Company and Warner Records.

Healthy Baby Boy” is catharsis-inducing, with John-Robert’s heartfelt storytelling, alluringly fluid vocals and sweet, unembellished guitar. “Mom and dad are proud that I am out and all alone / Sadly, I can’t tell them how I ache to, ache to come back home,” he croons. The steady build-up to the soft synth and drum beat midway through the track brings a tinge of hope in what feels like a moment where solace was nowhere to be found.

“I wrote ‘Healthy Baby Boy’ after I’d uprooted my life,” says the young artist who had just moved from his small-town home in Virginia to Los Angeles. “I was initially devastatingly lonely and became fairly depressed and reflective. But I realized I can still communicate my love for those in my life despite the distance, and this song is my journey towards feeling empowered by and appreciative of the opportunities I have that sometimes seem invisible at a glance.”

A music video was released in tandem with the new number. The visuals, created by Brockhampton collaborator Spencer Ford, is a cinematic coming-of-age artwork that features John-Robert reminiscing of the young love, familial comfort and carefree childhood that he must let go to pursue his dreams.

The track follows his debut EP, “Bailey Barely Knew Me,” and a collection of his 2019 single, “Adeline,” re-envisioned and reinvented into three unique versions, including the original song. Both of these projects came out earlier this year.

John-Robert was discovered at the age of 16 by Reed (Lizzo, Twenty One Pilots, Halsey). In August, Reed released his debut album, “The Room,” which features a duet with John-Robert and recording artist Alessia Cara in “Fav Boy.”

||| Watch: The video for “Healthy Baby Boy”

||| Also: Stream the EPs “Adeline” and “Bailey Barely Knew Me”