Attention, everyone, this is not a joke: Jay B is back with his third mini album, TR.EE, and we couldn’t be happier to be writing these words. After over three years since his last solo project, TR.EE marks the beginning of what we feel is a whole new chapter in his journey as an artist, and it feels great to be along for the ride.
As the GOT7 leader said himself during a listening session for the album in Seoul this week, he hopes people recognize his music right away and that it becomes a body of work that resonates with listeners for years to come. We think it’s safe to say that both objectives have been achieved. Consisting of six tracks, this album screams Jay B from start to finish. We can hear the R&B sound he loves so much in every song, and it’s clear how much love and effort went into making TR.EE what it is.
‘Hold onto My Back’
Lim Jaebeom, you sure know how to open an album the right way! ‘Hold onto My Back’ is what it feels like to be loved out loud. Jay B’s unmistakable vocals singing “I don’t wanna make you wait, make you feel right / ‘Cause you’ve got everything I want / I can’t handle myself” right into our ears did something to our brains we can’t quite explain, we just know we loved it, and this song will probably be on repeat for ages now.
‘Layback’
Slowing down the tempo comes TR.EE’s lead track, ‘Layback,’ and oh boy, is this a great one! “I can take you high,” you say? We’d go anywhere with you, sir! But seriously, this song showcases Jay B’s vocals beautifully, and the melody makes us sway our heads to it without even thinking about it too much. Listening to ‘Layback’ definitely helps make any night a “perfect night.”
‘Overflow’
No one does yearning love songs like GOT7 members do yearning love songs, just saying. ‘Overflow’ is that song you put on when you can’t stop thinking about a specific person, and then a whole movie plays in your head while you listen and hum along to it. Just so we’re clear, if anyone ever sings “I’m not a player / Be here with me / You can trust me, right” to us, we might love them forever.
‘One Call Away’
Jay B is singing “Girl, I’ve been losing my mind over what you hold,” and we’re over here losing our minds over how amazing ‘One Call Away’ is. The lo-fi R&B vibes, the phone number being repeated, and Jay B’s soft voice make a perfect combo that captures the beautiful fragility of a relationship that feels both extremely close, like you’ve known each other forever, and also far away, and not knowing where the other stands. But even with the uncertainty, at the end of the day, it does feel good to know that person is just ‘One Call Away.’
‘Time’
Continuing the theme of evolving relationships, ‘Time’ speaks of the continuous connection that keeps pulling you in, even when everything changes. And that piano in the background? Absolute masterpiece of a song in our opinion.
‘We’
Finally, we reach the end of TR.EE with ‘We,’ the emotional core of this album. It expands the tree metaphor we see throughout the entire work and presents the idea that love can only create roots and grow through togetherness, stating, “We, we make an awesome tree / Rootin’ for you, and me / We make an awesome tree.”
TR.EE really feels like stepping into a new chapter for Jay B. Not only because of the relationship themes explored on the album and how they can shape people and help them grow into different, stronger versions of themselves, but also because the artistic growth is clear. The songs sound more refined, mature, and reflective of who Jay B is as a singer and songwriter. Honestly, one of our faves from this year by far.
Now tell us, what was your favorite song off of TR.EE? Let us know by finding us on Twitter @thehoneypop, or come hang out with us on Instagram and Facebook.
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TO LEARN MORE ABOUT JAY B:
INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT GOT7:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
