Sounds and Sonics: THE LOVE TING by Jordy [Interview]

It's been one month since Jordy released his latest project THE LOVE TING. Centred around themes of love, Jordy’s lyrics touch on the different stages of a relationship: being open to multiple love interests (TOO MUCH), catching feelings for someone in particular (FALLIN'), and that universally familiar post-break-up blame (ALL YOUR FAULT).

The sound behind the Tottenham-born artist’s EP is a mix of 2000's R&B, Drill and Afrobeats, with a consistent undertone of Jordy’s classic UK Rap flow. Having supported Pusha T on his UK tour and garnered over eleven million plays on his song ‘I Called Tj Twice’, Jordy is evidently a growing name in UK Rap.

For our latest Sounds and Sonics series, New Wave sits down with Jordy to dissect THE LOVE TING EP to talk about red flags in relationships, accountability and all things love.

Photography by Seif Umaar

Track 01 - 'SAY WHERE'

NW: 'SAY WHERE' already has over one million streams on Spotify - congratulations! I really like the production on this track. What kind of music were you listening to whilst working on the album?

There wasn't anything specific I was listening to at the time… Daniel Wolfson produced the track. We recorded it and then sped it up, which is why my voice ranges from high to low throughout the song. But yeah, man, it was fun making that song! It's a fun one to perform too: everyone gets involved in that chorus.

Track 02 - 'TOO MUCH'

NW: This song gives me noughties R&B vibes. What was the thought process behind having all the women say something at the start of the music video?

A lot of that credit goes to the director Shan Phearon who directed and shot the video. I knew I wanted to have girls in my video but I didn't want it to be tacky. I wanted the girl to be the centrepiece, not an ornament and to showcase girls that you see on the day-to-day. Like, when I go to parties, I see pretty girls in Cortiez and I just wanted to reflect that. Those normal yet pretty girls you see on the day-to-day, rather than BBL girls you see on the ‘gram.

Making that song was actually an accident. We had a long session making song after song, and then my cousin Joe (who produced the song) came with the beat. At the very end of the session, we wrote the first few verses and didn't even realise it was good before we finished. A week later we came back to finish it and realised it was sick but we needed to figure out the hook. Then Louis Rei came to the studio and did the hook in seconds - people would be surprised how easily the guy can come up with a good hook!

Track 03 - 'ALL YOUR FAULT'

NW: The final lyrics of the song are ‘Can’t let this girl kill me / ‘Cause I’m still me’... Is integrity something important that’s important to you in relationships?

'ALL YOUR FAULT' is about accountability, specifically not taking it myself. I’m handing it to the person in question to hold. The idea is ‘We could have been something but we didn't because of your actions and I believe it's all your fault.’ It's about handing her the responsibility for why it ended. But that's how it always goes in relationships: after a breakup, you play the blame game.

So yeah, integrity is the spine of a conversation. If you’re talking to someone with no integrity then you don't even know who you’re talking to or if it's even real. So yeah, it's the be-all and end-all really.

Track 04 - 'FALLIN’'

NW: I feel like this song ties in well with the title of the album... What makes your work different to other artists who are speaking on the same subject matter?

A lot of rappers don't delve into vulnerability much - they don’t talk that honestly, especially UK rappers. It's no secret that everyone’s been in and out of love, so why hide it? It's like the elephant in the room. Just say what you felt rather than dancing around the subject. I actually didn't write that song beforehand, I just turned the mic on and completely freestyled: that’s what makes it even more honest.

Jordy on tour with Pusha T (photography by Joe Baker)

Track 05 - 'JADA’S REPRISE ft. JADA'

NW: What would your advice be for someone starting to see red flags in a relationship?

Don’t overthink it - if you see something then say something. If you can fix it then fix it, if you can’t, then move on, man. If you see it then say it, and if you say it and it's not sorted then duck out - simple. Big up JADA by the way.

Track 06 - 'MORE OR LESS'

NW: How did the use of female vocals elevate this track for you?

There’s something about female vocals that really hit the soul differently. It also lifted the hook and gave the song a bit more body. Honestly, you can’t beat the sweet, sultry voice of a girl on a track.

Track 07 - 'SHE LOVES ME'

NW: SHE LOVES ME has a subtle, Jersey Club beat. Why tap into this sound in particular for this song?

If there was a reason it was probably because it was the sound that was flying out at the time. I think Uzi had dropped his ting and so had Drake during the time I was making the song. 'SHE LOVES ME' was originally a normal UK bounce, but we found it quite flat so we sped it up and it hit better. I also wanted it to be a song that would be played in the dance so the Jersey beat works well with that concept.

Track 08 - 'LIE DETECTOR'

NW: This is the only song that uses piano. Was there any particular reason you chose this as a closer for the album?

It wasn't intentional as the project wasn't made in order, but we knew that there was an outro there after we made the song. On this track, I’m not speaking about love anymore - I’m a bit introspective. The idea was that this was THE LOVE TING, and LIE DETECTOR is me on my rap 'ting, which is still there. It's a message to my people who love the rap 'ting: I wanted to say, ‘Just so you know, it's still there and there’s more to come. Hold this, close off THE LOVE TING, and I’ll be back soon.’

Photography by Joe Baker

By Evelyn White