Leo Negro - Vinyle Bleu

Description

A Winnipeg native now based in Montreal, JayWood (aka Jeremy Haywood-Smith) embarks on an introspective journey with *Leo Negro*, an album where experimentation becomes a quest for identity. Between controlled chaos and open confessions, he explores his darker side with an energy that is as playful as it is vulnerable. In contrast to the pop fluidity of *Slingshot* (2022) or the *Grow On* EP (2023), *Leo Negro* embraces a new freedom, blending vintage hip-hop, deconstructed R&B, and psychedelic textures. On "Pistachios," he acknowledges a childhood need for attention: "I’m a Leo," he confides over saturated beats. But behind this zodiacal façade, it's about Black affirmation — a shaky, surreal, unsettling "black confidence." The album's first single, "BIG TINGS" featuring Tune-Yards, sets the tone: a labyrinthine track with swirling synths, reminiscent of his teenage experiments on Windows Media Player. Surrounded by his long-time collaborators (Will Grierson, Arthur Antony, Brett Ticzon) and supported by a DIY art scene, JayWood in 2025 embodies a team spirit where each creation is collective, instinctive, and hybrid. A Polaris Music Prize finalist, he could have capitalized on past successes. But he chooses to reinvent himself, to step out of his comfort zone to lay new foundations. "I never really knew what the rules were to begin with," he confides. And perhaps that is the true courage of the lion. Blue vinyl edition.