Jay Anthony is Here to Share His Gift of Music with the World
By: Paul K. Barnes
Some people believe the gift of talent they’ve been given was meant to be regifted with the world. By sharing it with the world, they not only feel fulfilled with a sense of purpose but the happiness people feel when receiving their gift is priceless. Jay Anthony takes this even farther.
“The real goal is to fulfill God’s purpose for my life. It’s that plain and simple. That’s what I’m here to do.”
Jay Anthony is an R&B/Pop singer with a large Gospel influence throughout all his music. Whether it be the spiritual angle of his subject matter, the way he sings, or the way the music is arranged, he keeps God first in all things. His latest single, “Worth Living” from his EP Music & Me was written from a very vulnerable place and offers encouragement and motivation to anyone going through something. Jay explained that he actually began writing the song in 2021 and after going through the loss of his Grandmother, depression and therapy, was able to complete the song this year. He shared that losing her was what caused the depression which led to him temporarily losing his love of music. Since he grew up with multiple musically inclined family members and lives a family centric life, losing her was like losing a piece of the love that was in his heart. But, by completing this song he found the motivation to compose the rest of the EP.
“When I finished writing this song, I cried. When I heard the finished version, I cried. When my Mother - who didn’t know about all of my crying - heard it for the first time, she cried. I knew if it had that effect on us, I had no choice but to share it with the world. The song gave me hope to continue. I knew I had to finish this project and I knew He [God] didn’t give me these words just for me to keep them to myself.”
Jay purposely released this song during this time of year because of how depression affects so many people around the holidays. He wants people to know that it’s okay to not be okay and to get the therapy they need and keep living. All the music Jay writes is made with intentionality like this. For him, every song he writes is like a child which means they all need love and nurturing from him. And because of that love within them, he believes the music will resonate with people today and with people 20-40 years from now. He knows the music will be timeless because the lyrics within them and how they reached him are timeless.
“It’s spiritual for me. The Most High gives me these lyrics and I’m just a vessel for Him.”
The spiritual perspective of the music creation comes directly from Jay’s background in the church. And with him, he’s found that all music comes from gospel. Whether it’s chords or melodies - all of it goes back to gospel. By learning this, he was able to apply techniques from that world to a plethora of other aspects of music. His Grandmother reinforced this perspective by teaching him that the key to it all is singing from the heart.
“When you sing from the heart, you’re going to touch people.”
To produce timeless music, you also have to study timeless music. That’s why Jay cites legends like Michael Jackson, Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Luther Vandross and others as inspiration. And yet, he’s not trying to copy them - he’s letting the legacy they made set the tone for the legacy he wants to have. For Jay, he wants the next generation to be inspired by him just like he was inspired by them so the cycle continues. And with this EP, he hopes that when the music enters the ears, hearts, and minds of people, they feel happy. People experiencing happiness through his music brings him happiness and purpose as he shares his gift with them.
“You have to start with a great melody that will stay in the hearts of people forever. When people smile, cry or feel triumphant because of my music, I feel happiness. My mission as a singer/songwriter is to inspire and nurture the human spirit. Music is my gift to everybody else.”
Jay Anthony’s EP Music & Me is out now.
You can learn more about Jay Anthony’s gift of music by following him on his social platforms:
https://www.instagram.com/jayanthony2u/
https://x.com/JayAnthony2U/status/1850198293139112238
https://www.tiktok.com/@jayanthony2u?_t=8rJmAGaCO1j&_r=1
https://youtube.com/@jayanthony2u?si=X8wbbqC9D835ageC