Fresh off the road with Grammy-winning superstar Sean Paul, ‘ Tempted’ artiste, J’Calm is now a certified crowd-puller, performer, and fan-favourite.
The smooth-voiced pop-reggae artiste just wrapped the ‘Bring It’ UK Tour, where he lit up the stage night after night alongside musical giants like Ashanti and Fat Joe. “The tour embedded my name and sound in people’s mind even more, and there’s a lot more to come, this is just the beginning,” J’Calm said.
His journey across packed UK venues is a world away from his humble beginnings. Bursting onto the scene during the COVID-19 lockdown era, J’Calm has shattered the ‘COVID artiste’ label and is now proving that he is more than a social media success. “Personally, it gave me experience and open mi eyes to a lot and I would really do this again and again,” he said of being on tour.
“It’s fun and I feel like I have a purpose when I’m on stage doing that, and it gave me a realisation of J’Calm being a performer while giving the fans a different experience. It also strengthens my fanbase – Calm Nation – to say ‘Oh hell, he’s actually performing and actually touring so what’s next? Maybe he’ll be coming to my city’. This let the world know that I can actually perform, being on a stage and singing and not just on TikTok, which cemented my identity of being an actual performer and not just lip syncing to music videos and songs online,” he said with a laugh.
‘Bring It’ UK Tour, which kicked off in Dublin on April 8 and ended in Bournemouth on April 24, saw J’Calm play packed venues across cities like Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow.
“Being among these celebrities cemented me even more in the music space because Ashanti and Fat Joe music are household music -I grew up listening to their music and their music transcends through generations and influence generations to come. So, sharing the same stage with them is a surreal experience as well,” the Speechless artiste shared.
According to the singer, the experience was nothing short of mind-blowing. “It was a surreal experience because I never imagined I’d be on stage with Sean [Paul] in the first place … being on the road with him from city to city – that was like surreal to me… being in countries like that,” he said, still wide-eyed from the whirlwind experience.
Performing the ‘Call My Name Remix’ – his viral hit featuring Sean Paul – he was stunned when he realised that the audiences sang along word-for-word. “It shows that the international market know what is out there and they’ve been paying attention to me and it provides an exclusive feeling for them too, and I loved that,” he stated excitedly.
Sean Paul made it clear that J’Calm was chosen for a reason. In a release before the tour, the ‘We Be Burnin’ hitmaker said: “J’Calm represents the next generation of reggae and dancehall, and I’m proud … His talent and energy are undeniable, and I know the UK audience will love what he brings to the stage.”
Living a dream he always envisioned, J’Calm described Sean Paul “one of the best mentor” and expressed that he is “really appreciative of him”. He noted that Sean Paul is one of the few international acts from Jamaica whose music has crossed boundaries while still maintaining a Jamaican essence. “He has a level of understanding for me, in that he believed this would really help me and enhance my career … I felt really grateful that he understands me and has my best interest at heart,” said the rising star.
J’Calm is focused on his next big project – his second album titled ‘Emotions’. He said will give a “sneak peak of his touching personal experiences and emotionally charged concepts in my head”. The project is being produced by Tony Kelly.