2026 has been a relentless year for jayys. Coming off the releases of X Life and everlasting dream, he has officially found his footing, shifting away from the misunderstood shadows of 2025's disquiet and into a space fueled by collaboration, happiness, and self-confidence. With their highly anticipated album serein (with artwork done by andiekyte) on the horizon, we sat down with jayys to talk about balancing the weight of school, finding their true sound, and the story of overcoming themselves.
Jori: Tell me how you’re feeling right now. What’s going on in your world?
jayys: Hi! I won’t lie, I’ve been feeling pretty good lately. I have the average battle of stress from school, but it’s something that I’ve been working on improving every day.
Jori: How well do you think you’re doing balancing your musical creativity and school? Do you think it gets in the way of what you really want to do?
jayys: Unfortunately, because my time management sucks, I usually tend to overlap my time creating music with studying. Music serves as a backup-backup plan to me, but if I’m being honest, I want a career in this more than anything.
Jori: Do you think you’ve resonated more with music this year than you did last year when you released disquiet?
jayys: Hands down! I feel like what I’ve been making really represents me. Everyone who has contributed, respectfully gave their opinions, or was just there for me when I was in need has helped me get to this place. When I made disquiet, I told a story that wasn’t fully understood. But later down the line, I realized that in my music, my life is the story.
Jori: You’ve been on a roll this year with X Life, everlasting dream, and now your upcoming album, serein. How do you classify serein against your past projects, especially your 2025 release disquiet? What’s the story behind it and why does it exist?
jayys: Thank you! With disquiet being such a heavy story, I wanted to make something fun. That thought resonated with me more and more until I realized that nothing before X Life truly represented my happiness. The great friends I made along the way helped me elevate X Life and everlasting dream into something I probably couldn’t have accomplished on my own.
Serein is French for serene (rain falling from a clear sky). At first, I went with the title Fall Without Doubt. Even though the name didn’t stick, it represented my growth and self-confidence, which carries on into serein. Essentially, it is pronounced 'Suh-Rahn,' but I want people to take this album as they will. There are lines on this project, both by me and by others, that will probably stick with me for a long time. Hopefully, this story of me overcoming myself can be inspiring to others!
serein releases this Friday, November 6, 2026. Pre-save now.