FIGJAM is officially in session.
After a short, 12-month hiatus, Michael Kay has today released his latest single. Titled How It Feel?, this sexual, sensual R&B bop is the first track from the singer-songwriter’s upcoming EP, FIGJAM, and it’s one that he’s been sitting on since at least February.
While the track is quintessentially Michael Kay in both sound and substance, How It Feel? marks a distinct shift in his music. “I think with this track—and with this era—I’m daring to lean more into the sexy aspect of things. And that’s something you’ll hear sonically and see visually,” Michael tells Not Safe For Queers.
Helping him achieve this particular state is producer SB90 (Stuart Le Brander) who Michael credits as a driving force for the final product. “This new producer, SB90, he makes such a safe space for artists to feel really comfortable,” he says. “I rocked up with a scrap idea of the song (which is very unheard of for me) and I was like I want something hot, something very bass heavy that you can ride with, and we just built it.”
However, coming into a new era is a big deal for Michael Kay. Each of his previous releases, including 2018’s Elephant and 2020’s Eden, exist in their own world—and FIGJAM is no exception, which is why he’s made us wait with bated breath for this release.
“I like to move in worlds. I love to sit in what I like to call a sonic scrapbook,” Michael explains. “So, I’ve been taking some time to build this new world, to create songs that fit within a certain theme.”
“So instead of rushing out singles, I now have a strong sense of direction, I have a strong sense of where I’m going, and I actually have a body of work to give listeners. So that’s what I think the holdup has been, but now I’m finally ready to debut the new Michael Kay Experience,” he says.
Inspired specifically by Victoria Monét’s Jaguar II, Jazmine Sullivan’s Heaux Tales, and, of course, Beyonce’s Renaissance, FIGJAM is ultimately Michael’s way of embracing himself.
“FIGJAM—Fuh I’m Good, Just Ask Me—is very close to ‘I’m that bitch’. It’s a way to hype yourself up and pipe yourself up. And I was like you know what? Everyone deserves to feel some sort of FIGJAM. Whether you’re feeling confident about what you bring to the table in love, or by yourself, I’m trying to embody that into this project,” he says.
“FIGJAM is the word of the season,” he adds.
“So, I’m leaning more into black sexy. And that’s having a durag, and actually being comfortable showing the body that we worked for. It’s being bold and confident in that, and I think that’s something I haven’t had before.”
Moving forward, Michael has (at least) two more singles slated before the release of the full EP, including one titled Do Not Disturb, and another whose name is still TBD.
“I’m so excited for them because we have so many different sounds. And I very much feel—for the first time in the last six or seven years of doing the Michael Kay project—that this is one of my favourite releases. For me, this will be the funnest string of releases I’ve ever done. So I’m very excited.”
Michael Kay’s new single, How It Feel? is out now.