Croucher grew up in Halifax and Toronto and, even though it was evident that the youngster had an excellent voice, music took a back seat to basketball in high school and at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia — which led to a year playing professionally in France.
Croucher elected to give up on his hoop dreams and re-immersed himself in music by working with Halifax producer Trobiz and recording mix tapes with the groups N.E.P. and Triple Threat. He eventually hooked up with multi-Juno Award-nominated artist/producer Classified (Luke Boyd), who produced Croucher’s 2007 debut album, No Dress Code.
The 13-track record spawned the hit singles and videos "Selfish Times," "Feelin’ Fine," "So Addicted," "Won’t Let Go" and "It’s Raining." It also earned Croucher a CBC Galaxie Rising Star prize, an East Coast Music Award nomination and an appearance on the CBC Television special, Barenaked East Coast Music. He toured across Canada with the likes of Maestro and opened for such international stars as Ne-Yo, Snoop Dogg, Rihanna, Nas and Juelz Santana.
With Croucher’s undeniable talents as a singer and lyricist, his good looks and solid citizenry, it should be no surprise that he’s now poised to take the next step up the music ladder using the name JRDN. He’s been working with Toronto’s Grammy Award-nominated Kuya Productions songwriting and production team, who’ve worked with some of the biggest names in the business, including Nelly, Mase, Ginuwine, Jesse McCartney, Nicole Scherzinger and Akon.
Croucher has spent time in New York City, Los Angeles, Atlanta and various Canadian outposts writing and recording songs for his sophomore album. Since he’s adopted the abbreviated stage name and surrounded himself with all new people since No Dress Code, Croucher in some ways sees his forthcoming LP as another debut effort. There’s a noticeable difference in the sonics between the old and new material, and Croucher has also turned a page lyrically.
"On the first album, I talked about family and friends and my life," explains Croucher. "But on this one, I’m talking about the women in my life."
The hook-filled lead single "U Can Have It All" has just arrived at radio and is garnering very positive reactions. The song’s video has a surprising twist at the end that Croucher reveals was inspired by The Jackson 5’s 1971 hit, "Sugar Daddy."
Another new song that Croucher is particularly excited about is "High Definition," about which he says: "I think it defines me as an R&B guy. Every R&B guy has to have that one love song that really raises a woman on a pedestal, and I think this is it."
Croucher may not have soared as high as namesake Michael Jordan on the basketball court, but the sky’s the limit as far as JRDN’s music career is concerned. All signs indicate that he really can have it all.
Go Away
JRDN Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I can feel that lonely vibe, yes I can
But I've got to go and find my own way
Gotta keep this thing alive, but I'm leaving here tonight
There's not much more that I can do here
So much more I know is out there to see
Guess there's a part of me that you complete
So I'm taking all your love with me
If you can let me go, go, woahh (I wanna go)
Where I can do (what I gotta do)
What's best for me and what's best for you
And make our dreams a reality
I do this girl (ohh I do it baby)
For you and me, you and me girl
You, you and me girl
You, you and me girl
You, you and me
I'm going to a brand new city, yeah
But I'm not changing all my friends
All this is, is a new beginning
A new chapter in my book but not a means to an end
This won't work if I start growing (ohh no)
Both in love is what we need
I spend my days and nights just knowing
That one day you'll be with me and we can start our family
Let me go, go away (go away)
Where I can do (where I can do)
What's best for me (what's best for me)
And what's best for you
And make our dreams a reality
You see I do this for you girl
I do this girl (yeah I do this for ya girl)
For you and me
Let me go, go away (so far away)
Where I can do (all I gotta do)
What's best for me and what's best for you
And make our dreams a reality
Ohh I do this girl for you and me
And I don't wanna go but this path that I chose
Girl it leads me away from you
But it's not your fault you did nothing wrong
I just wanna, wanna thank you for being so strong
Let me go, go away
Where I can do (where I can do)
What's best for me (what's best for me)
And what's best for you
And make our dreams a reality
Ohh I do this for you girl
I do this girl, for you and me
Let me go, go away (all I gotta do)
Where I can do
What's best for me (what's best for me and you)
And what's best for you
And make our dreams a reality
Ohh I do this girl
For you and me
You, you and me girl (you and me)
You, you and me girl
You, you and me girl (you and me)
The lyrics to JRDN's song Go Away convey the feeling of leaving someone behind for the sake of personal growth and pursuing one's dreams. The singer acknowledges the loneliness their partner might feel, but emphasizes the importance of finding their own path and keeping their ambitions alive. He declares his intention to go to a new city, but reassures his partner that he won't be leaving their relationship behind entirely. The lyrics reflect the difficulty in balancing personal goals with the desire to maintain a relationship, but ultimately prioritize the former.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "let me go, go away," expressing that the singer needs space and independence to achieve his goals. He acknowledges that leaving is not easy, but is necessary for both him and his partner to fulfill their dreams. The lyrics focus on the idea that the singer's departure may be temporary, and that he intends to return to his partner when he is ready to start a family with her.
Overall, JRDN's Go Away depicts a bittersweet farewell that prioritizes personal growth over a relationship, but encourages the hope of a future reunion. It is a relatable song for anyone who has struggled with balancing their own ambitions and the desires of those they care about.
Line by Line Meaning
I can see just what your thinking, yeah
I can sense your thoughts and feelings
And I can feel that lonely vibe, yes I can
I can understand the lonely atmosphere
But I've got to go and find my own way
I need to discover my path
Gotta keep this thing alive, but I'm leaving here tonight
I need to keep moving forward, even if it means leaving now
There's not much more that I can do here
I've done all I can here
So much more I know is out there to see
There are many opportunities to explore
Guess there's a part of me that you complete
You're an important part of me
So I'm taking all your love with me
I'm taking your love and support with me
If you can let me go, go, woahh (I wanna go)
If you can allow me to leave
Where I can do (what I gotta do)
Where I can fulfill my dreams
What's best for me and what's best for you
What's good for both of us
And make our dreams a reality
And bring our aspirations to life
I'm going to a brand new city, yeah
I'm moving to a new city
But I'm not changing all my friends
I'll still keep my friends
All this is, is a new beginning
This is just a fresh start
A new chapter in my book but not a means to an end
A new episode of my life, not just the end of it
This won't work if I start growing (oh no)
This won't work if we don't grow together
Both in love is what we need
We require mutual love and support
I spend my days and nights just knowing
I spend every moment thinking about us
That one day you'll be with me and we can start our family
We can be together and start a family
And I don't wanna go but this path that I chose
I don't want to leave, but I have to choose this path
Girl it leads me away from you
It leads me far away from you
But it's not your fault you did nothing wrong
It's not your fault, you haven't done anything wrong
I just wanna, wanna thank you for being so strong
I just want to express my gratitude for your strength
You, you and me girl
You, me and our love
Contributed by Brayden P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.