Jamaal Marvel, the rising Hip-Hop/R&B star known for blending diverse musical influences into a distinct and captivating sound, is back with a new single that promises to make waves. A Virginia native whose music effortlessly fuses elements of Hip-Hop, R&B, Funk, and Pop, Marvel has consistently impressed with his creative melodies and heartfelt lyrics. From his debut album “Love & Imperfections” to his recent projects like “Tales of a Fool” and “Saturday Night Lights,” Marvel’s work is a testament to his evolving artistry and dedication. His latest single, “Daydream,” is set to be a highlight in his discography, reflecting both personal growth and musical exploration.
In a recent interview with the Urban$ound Team, Jamaal Marvel shared insights into the inspiration and creative process behind “Daydream.” He explained how the track came to life and discussed the unique challenges and breakthroughs he encountered during its creation. Marvel’s journey from crafting the beat to recording the vocals reveals his commitment to authenticity and innovation in his music. As he continues to push boundaries, “Daydream” stands as a testament to his artistic evolution and the joy he finds in the process of creation.
Interview with Jamaal Marvel
Urban$ound Team: What was the inspiration and creative process behind your upcoming single “Daydream”? Were there any particular challenges or breakthroughs you experienced while working on “Daydream”?
Jamaal Marvel: “No challenges really. It’s really rare that I get writer’s block; writing comes as easily as breathing for me. Initially, there wasn’t a specific inspiration behind it. I’d created a beat called ‘4U’ that I really liked. I believe that music speaks to your spirit and guides you on what you can convey through it. I knew I wanted to write something in the realm of love, but to be honest, what I’d originally come up with was something catchy but pretty generic and surface level. So, I decided to re-think, re-write, and re-image the entire idea, focusing on my own experiences in love. I’m not sure why, but it felt like that’s what the beat was calling for. There’s a song by Mariah Carey called ‘Emotions,’ and I’ve always loved how songs like that made me feel. Having lived long enough to actually experience those emotions myself, when I sat down to write, the melody and words just exploded onto the page.”
Urban$ound Team: How does “Daydream” fit into the overall theme of your musical journey?
Jamaal Marvel: “So, ‘Daydream’ almost didn’t come to be. I have a very clear vision for my music over the next couple of projects, and the topic of love isn’t something I planned to focus on for some time. However, I really loved the beat and felt compelled to do something with it. The project ‘Tales of a Fool: Premonition’ is, as the title suggests, a glimpse into the different sounds, styles, and themes of all my upcoming work. ‘Daydream’ represents a taste of what parts of the future ‘Tales of a Fool’ album about love will feel like.”
Urban$ound Team: What emotions or messages do you hope listeners will take away from “Daydream”?
Jamaal Marvel: “It’s okay! That’s what I want people to take away from ‘Daydream.’ It’s okay to be caught off guard, to feel overwhelmed by emotion, and to realize that despite your desperate use of logic to navigate love, you’re failing, and that’s okay! We often focus on heartbreak and physical pleasure, which are powerful and important aspects of love, but the most powerful part of love is the immense joy it brings. It’s what made so many of the songs we call classics, classics. My hope is that, despite all the ups and downs, heartaches, and physical moments people experience, ‘Daydream’ will remind them of the true essence of love, which is joy.”
Urban$ound Team: How does “Daydream” differ from your previous singles, both in sound and style?
Jamaal Marvel: “I haven’t recorded any ‘lovey-dovey’ songs in a long time, let alone released one as a single. This song is a testament to my journey as an artist, coming full circle from writing through other people’s experiences to my own. From a sound perspective, I have this habit of envisioning artists I’d want to collaborate with and tailoring the song style to that daydream. For ‘Daydream,’ I imagined it as a collaboration between myself and artists like Brent Faiyaz, Usher, and Chris Brown, in the theme of a 90s Mariah Carey crush song.”
Urban$ound Team: Who were the key collaborators on “Daydream,” and how did they contribute to the track?
Jamaal Marvel: “Most of the time, my songs are a solo endeavor, with me handling the beat, themes, harmonies, and vocals. But for ‘Daydream,’ it’s slightly different. It’s the first time I’ve added background vocals that weren’t my own and not a duet, so a shout-out to King for his background vocals. His unique style and tone added an extra dimension to the track. Also, a special shout-out to Kev at Joker Ent., the best engineer I’ve worked with. He’s been behind most of my music endeavors over the past three years. Although he’s moving on to new career goals, his contribution to ‘Daydream’ was invaluable.”
Urban$ound Team: What kind of production techniques or sounds did you experiment with on this single?
Jamaal Marvel: “While Kev recorded my vocals, I chose to test out a new engineer for the mixing and mastering process since Kev was closing his studio. The production is punchy and has a more condensed feel than what I’m used to, but it fits the song well. ‘Daydream’ also represents a shift toward using more live instruments and solos, which will be a focus in my future albums. A shout-out to Ivan, the amazing guitarist who played the solo in ‘Daydream.’”
Urban$ound Team: Do you have any special plans for promoting or performing “Daydream”?
Jamaal Marvel: “‘Daydream’ will be the first song I release that merges with my new YouTube series. I won’t give too much away, but the promotional plan will be something very new for me. This is also the first song I’ll be releasing with ‘I Swim With Sharks,’ my new distributor, and working with my new team on promotion, so I’m very excited about it!”
Urban$ound Team: How do you think “Daydream” will resonate with your fans compared to your past releases?
Jamaal Marvel: “Every song where I’ve put my own experiences wholeheartedly into it has been my greatest success, and I believe ‘Daydream’ will be no different. I have a trend of creating a song, loving it, and then thinking it’s mostly for me, only for it to do better than any primary release I’d planned. My biggest solo release, ‘Darkside,’ was the exact same way! I think ‘Daydream’ will resonate well because it’s a topic everyone can relate to. Whether it’s puppy love, marriage, heartbreak, or unrequited love, the song’s energy and universal theme will connect with listeners.”
For more updates on Jamaal Marvel and to hear “Daydream,” follow him on Instagram, listen on Spotify, and watch his latest videos on YouTube.
The post “Jamaal Marvel’s New Single ‘Daydream’: An Intimate Glimpse into Love and Creativity” appeared first on 24Hip-Hop.
