That one-man-band mentality has persisted, collecting instruments as he goes, though he’s never been formally trained; instead developing his own ear. Prestigious music colleges were too expensive and so he eventually moved to Paris to study the sound and film, which helped give him grounding in cinematic arrangements. He fell into the city’s nightlife scene, playing live instruments in clubs in Paris, and became known as a Soundcloud producer who blended house and jazz, as on his vibey 2013 Time For A Change EP.
But then in 2015, he played a festival in the Philippines that changed everything. There he met June, who performs as ((( O )))) and who he’d remixed a track for. Eventually they got married and moved in together on an island off the country’s south coast, where they have created a tropical studio idyll that looks out onto lush rainforest. You can see it in the live session FKJ recorded there in 2019 (over 19m views on YouTube), as he flits between piano, singing and sax.
The seeds for his more introspective sound were sown with his 2017 self-titled debut, while the track that he did with Masego that same year, ‘Tadow’, further evidenced his effortless ear for intriguing rhythms – the pair made the hip-hop-speared jazz jam out of a day-long improvisation in Paris, duelling on their saxophones, their keyboards and drums interlocking effortlessly. There’s an ease to his collaborations – nothing forced; artists who are like-minded about being guided by groove – see the meeting of minds on the track “Risk’ with the American rapper Bas or his latest remix for PinkPantheress.
But in 2019, FKJ started drawing more from within. He released the Ylang Ylang EP, the result of a tumultuous and devastating year when June miscarried. The couple cancelled their commitments and holed up together to recuperate and make music. The sweepingly romantic jazz of the title track is the EP’s centrepiece, encircled by crisp R&B beats, acoustic guitar flourishes and ambitious sax instrumentals on the other songs. The making of it soothed them as much as it did his growing international fanbase. “With music, I feel safe,” he says. “So when I hear that my music is healing for people, it’s the best compliment.”
Back in the Philippines, with no wifi and an impending global lockdown, FKJ was quite literally cut off from the world, able to explore music’s endless possibilities. “Sometimes I would get into it for the whole night and go to bed when the sun came up.” Out of this freedom comes an expressionistic, touching album that’s impossible to pin down. There’s no more hiding behind a branch of leaves, as he did on the cover of his 2017 debut: V I N C E N T marks FKJ out as a crucial new voice. He’s redefining chillout music with his bursts of late-night jazz sax and piano, coupled with his wood-cabin whispery vocals, recalling Bon Iver’s early work, and those Santana-styled guitar flourishes.
V I N C E N T is a marvel – and testament to the magic that can happen when you dig deep. “This was a challenging record,” he says. “I’m a perfectionist and it’s hard to shake that off. But once I did, and I let the music take over, I felt totally free.”
Die With a Smile
FKJ Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I will die with a smile
I will die with a smile
I will die with a smile
I will die with a smile
Die with a smile
I will die with a smile
With a smile
Oh oh
I will die with a smile
I will die with a smile
I will die with a smile
Die with a smile
Die with a smile
ohhhohhohooohoooo
FKJ's song "Die with a Smile" is a deep reflection on the inevitable reality of death. As the song progresses, it is clear that the artist is not afraid of dying, nor is he trying to avoid it. Instead, he seems to have come to terms with it and has embraced the idea of dying with a smile.
The repetition of the phrase "I will die with a smile" highlights the artist's determination and willingness to embrace death with a joyful heart. By dying with a smile, he is accepting that death is a natural part of life and that there is beauty to be found in it. Additionally, the tone and melody of the song are calm and peaceful, which suggests that the artist has come to terms with the inevitability of death.
Overall, "Die with a Smile" encourages listeners to find peace in the face of death and to embrace the idea of dying with dignity and grace.
Line by Line Meaning
Ohohohohohoo
The singer is expressing their sentiment through sounds.
I will die with a smile
The singer is saying that they are willing to die happily and peacefully, unbothered by the fear of death.
Die with a smile
The singer repeats the phrase to reiterate their willingness to die with joy.
With a smile
The artist emphasizes that they will have a smile on their face when they die, indicating their satisfaction with their life.
Oh oh
The artist is expressing their sentiment again through sounds.
Die with a smile
The singer repeats the phrase to reiterate their willingness to die with joy.
Die with a smile
The singer once again repeats the phrase to reinforce their sentiment.
ohhhohhohooohoooo
The artist ends the song with sounds, leaving their sentiment to resonate with the listener.
Writer(s): vincent fenton
Contributed by Ava J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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@pamelaruggeberg2178
❤🎉Absolute Perfektion
@tieuquy4640
This song is too expensive for my ears
@raymondkim6508
I agree
@theodorus7751
I'm stealing this saying💀💀💀
@joshuapanatsis7206
🤣🤣🤣💀 I have to remember this!
@williewoodall8305
I know right? I'm glad its not too long, cause I can't even afford to bury myself.....but I'll smiling!
@heyiamsean8343
Damn right
@giovanniugliano6059
I discovered this artist at the very beginning of my chemotherapy sessions, fortunately.
I had only heard about the power of music as sound and therapy. No idea about it or experience before, if not the one then experienced on my skin in the open of the disease.
Your melodies melted a magical and vital fluid in my veins that made this long journey more desirable than I could ever imagine.
Your notes vibrated inside my bowels touching strings now in disuse.
They gave new life to my cells and helped regenerate those that had been lost straight away.
You help my cure definitely , and now I am health, reborn.
Forever Thanks French kiwi Juice 🥤
@-vilette4526
Wtf bruh, u just wrote my igcsies finale assement on photosynthesis tf