Fresh off the record-breaking freeze that brought the nation to an abrupt and icy halt, it was more than apropos that romantic crooner Jacquees was fully wrapped in a bedazzling and ornate ski suit for his photo shoot with rolling out in January 2023.
Hitting the slopes on some of the most picturesque mountain ranges encircling Denver and Salt Lake City is both inspirational and aspirational for this latest iteration of Jacquees.
Scaling the Alps bedecked in high-end attire fit for the snowy environment — is also, shall we say — compatible with Jacquees’ more sophisticated sense of romanticism, music, and living glamorously, according to a statement he made to Forbes magazine. The soulful and sensual singer asserts that his new way of being is about “all grown-man vibes” and is evident in his third full-length studio album, Sincerely For You.
“Yeah, man, I just feel like [the outfits]and ice kind of add to the illusion and we’re gonna be in the snow, so we put the ice on ice …,” he explains about the dreamscape images and fantasy ideation of romance with a touch of adventure in an exclusive interview with rolling out. “We always just go for the rich, clean vibe, always something that looks clean and rich. Just like, ‘d— that s— was rich.’ ”
Powered by the singles that were released in 2022, “Say Yea,” “Still That” and “Tipsy,” Sincerely For You is an exemplification of Jacquees‘ maturation into a certified love doctor.
Millions of women have been swooning with love sickness over Jacquees ever since the Cash Money Records artist created sultry and intriguing ambiance in 2016 with the single that sizzled, “B.E.D.,” and his debut album 4275.
To be sure, Jacquees assures women that he has a cure for what ails them. “As the love doctor, the medication I’m giving is my music,” he says with a flash of his signature smile.
Sincerely For You was conceived, crafted and cultivated under the auspices of fellow ATLlien and rap icon Future, who served as the executive producer of the project and oversaw the fusion of Jacquees’ prodigious talents with industry greats like Summer Walker, 6LACK, 21 Savage, Tory Lanez and Future himself.
The alluring sound also marks the latest collaboration between the Jaquees and Future. The two virtuosos linked up for the 2022 single “Not Jus’ Anybody” as well as the King of R&B collab “What They Gone Do With Me.”
Sincerely For You traverses the entire spectrum of emotions related to love that enraptures his female fans in the mood for bedroom acrobatics. Jacquees commences the album with the title track that trumpets his meteoric rise from his humble beginnings as he liberally drizzles in some hip-hop-type braggadocio. While “Stay There” pumps and pulsates with slow-dance energy, Jacquees devoted much of the song to decrying the woman who tried to play him “like I’m average.”
On the seductive and hypnotic slow jam “Tell Me It’s Over,” Jacquees skillfully demonstrated how his collabs on Sincerely For You served to enhance his already superior singing and masterful melodies. “I feel like everything on this album is great and nothing is forced,” he says emphatically. “It’s like, you don’t hear the features on here and be like, ‘d—, I wish you wouldn’t have to put them on there.’ They added to the equation.”
On another collab, the up-tempo mood enhancer “Be With You,” Jacquees coaches a woman to “make it nasty,” while Tory Lanez boasts about trying to get her “flat” down in the back of the car. With “One More Time,” gospel singer John P. Kee uses his signature baritone to help Jacquees tell the poignant story of missing loved ones who have died.
On the album anthem “Still That” and the accompanying video, Jacquees lets his fans know that he is still that dude while being whisked through Germany, Amsterdam and a host of tropical paradises while shopping for exotic gems and expensive trappings. And on “When You Bad Like That” with Future, Jacquees lets his boo know that she has earned the right to have everything — all she has to do is ask.
In addition to giving him “an epic verse,” Jacquees explained why he felt compelled to draw from Future’s large reservoir of skills and experience.
“I wanted … not his approval … but I just wanted his step on everything that I was doing, you know. Of course, I’m gonna validate myself, but I want[ed]his opinion on everything that I was doing,” Jacquees says. “I wanted [the album]to be so fly to the point where he would be like ‘hell yeah, I’m a part of this s—. I’m with this 100 percent.’ ”
One day recently, Jacquees got a natural high when he woke up to a text message from Future proclaiming that “the album is fire.”
Sincerely For You also gives Jacquees an opportunity to give a metaphorical bow to his legion of fans who have rocked with him for the better part of a decade.
“I decided to make this album somewhat of a dedication because it’s been so long since I dropped [a project],” he explains. “I haven’t dropped [an]album since 2019. And, of course, it was so controversial that I wanted to just come back and do some for my people that [have]been support to me … So I just decided to … make everybody feel a part of this, you know, just to give everybody a ‘thank-you.’ ”
Jacquees said the response to Sincerely For You has been the greatest in his career thus far. It helps to validate his proclamation that he is, indeed, the “King of R&B” as he stated with his sophomore project in 2019.
“I always knew that over time [with]hard work, prayer and progression it was gonna connect,” Jacquees says. “It is very bold. But I did it because I wanted to stir the pot. It did exactly what I wanted it to do. I felt like I wasn’t getting the attention that I deserved. So, I’m like, OK, just let me do something bold, something crazy.”
“So, [if]I gotta act up for you to show me some attention, then let’s cut up,” he adds. “It’s going to connect one day, I feel like people are going to be like, ‘d—, he’s the king of R&B for this generation for real.’ But I’m just gonna put in that work, you know. I’m not just gonna sit around and talk about it.”
The “work” is paying handsome dividends with Sincerely For You, along with more exciting collaborations on the horizon, which include future acting roles alongside the likes of Meagan Good and Terrence J. With the way his life and career are trending on an uninterrupted upward trajectory, you can easily deduce why Jacquees smiles so much.
Photography by Derek Blanks with crowdMGMT
