It’s an intriguing tale, the rebel with a cause. But 17-year-old Jaicko [pronounced Jay-ko], has long been the author of his own destiny. Though he’s matter-of-fact about his forthcoming album on Capitol Records –“It’s life through the eyes of a 17-year-old”– this is an artist with a lot to say.
In fact, the native of Barbados is very much culling the classic American story: an immigrant who comes to our shores armed only with the best intents and an idea he believes has currency. The plan: “Caribbean-infused music: it’s a bit of Barbados brought to America. Music fans will want to listen to me all day. Caribbean fans will want to listen to me all day.” In this vein, Jaicko is a far cry from the current wave of teenybopper talents; no skin-deep musical charlatan, he writes and produces much of his own music. He and his father Phillip Forrester, a longtime nightclub musician in Barbados, comprise a formidable songwriting duo. “My dad has always been a good friend, and a creative partner, so it’s never really been difficult to work as a father and son team,” Jaicko notes. “We write a lot of our songs together; most of the songs that got me my deal were songs we wrote and produced.” Indeed, under Phillip’s tutelage, Jaicko has been performing on stage since the tender age of nine. Yes, nine. And recording in studios since age ten. So while a 17-year-old’s gripes about the struggles inherent in the music industry may at first warrant a sidelong glance, further inspection reveals an earnest and unfazed artist.
“Around that time I was actually rapping,” he reveals. “I always knew I could sing but I never took it seriously. Back then, if you were a rapper, you couldn’t be a singer. That’s changing now though.” Jaicko first stepped onto the stage at a club called the Ship In, one of many establishments lining the famed St. Lawrence Gap, a hub of Barbadian culture and nightlife. Response was instant and unilateral. Jaicko went on to cut an independent album that sold 6,000 copies islandwide—“a good number,” he reminds, “considering our population is under 300,000 people.” Jaicko scaled the nation’s two Top 40 radio stations, “sandwiched between Justin Timberlake and Jay-Z,” he jokes. He opened for Ne-Yo when the latter made a tour stop in Barbados. Jaicko has also been nominated for numerous Barbados Music Awards, including five last year, often pitted in the same category as breakout Barbadian Rihanna.
Indeed, the island queen has quickly become the face of the small Caribbean nation. And her exploits are respected both home and abroad: “We were always seen as apart from the rest of the world,” Jaicko asserts. “It almost seemed impossible for a Barbadian artist to get a record deal. I was pursuing this before Rihanna, but seeing her success made me believe more I could do it, it removed whatever doubt was there.”
In looking at Jaicko, doubt seems a foreign concept. In hearing his music, it’s a word utterly stricken from the lexicon. He’s concocted an intoxicating island brew that washes over the listener as readily as a Caribbean swell. Leading the charge is “Oh Yeah,” an effervescent anthem boasting an infectious hook and Jaicko’s tongue-in-cheek sensibilities. The bouncing beat + Jaicko’s lightly-lilted vocals = this song is a no-doubter.
Also of note is the throbbing sing-song “Two Piece,” orchestrated by the talented production team Stargate (Ne-Yo, Beyonce). Gifted writer Robert Allen (Chris Brown, Rihanna’s “Disturbia”) contributes the smoothly sweet lyrics and deft hook. Jaicko describes the ditty thusly: “We don’t need all the fancy things in life, all the glitz and glamour, to be happy. All we need is each other.” Seems a good theme to adopt given the state of the economy. Look also for the driving “Will You Be There?” from the artful hands of producer Jim Jonsin (Lil’ Wayne’s “Lollipop”) and Wayne Wilkens. Jaicko flexes his silver pipes while invoking what he terms the song’s double meaning: “Will you be there when the darkness covers the sky/Will you be there when the Earth stands still and there’s nothing left but pride.” A disciple of Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson, Jaicko is intent on infusing his music with sophistication and sentiment. “Will You Be There?” stands as ample testament.
More battle cry than waxing ballad, “Can I” is Jaicko’s most personal offering. It’s also marvelously catchy and yet mature. The surging chorus brims with uplift. “I really express myself in “Can I,” he notes. “It’s the story of my coming here, being here—my struggle with broken promises in music and in my personal life. That song speaks most to me. I was in a frustrated place when I wrote it; the whole song was an accident. We were working on something else, and my father stepped out for a few minutes, and in that time I wrote this song. The beat itself tells a story; the beat indicates what the song is going to talk about. The beat inspired me to write my own story. It was a marriage between my emotion and the music.”
Indeed, Jaicko personifies harmony: between cultures, genres, ages, genders. His particular brand of music is set to shove aside the driftwood on American airwaves. “My lane,” he grins, “is wide open. This is something that I have been trying to do for years, to break out internationally. I built a fanbase back in Barbados so it’s a good feeling to take to the States and the rest of the world now.” Soon, the rest of the world will know that very good feeling, too.”
NO MORE YOU
Jaicko Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't walk straight without you on my arm, I've lost my charm
I don't know how I made it before
Cause you were my future for sure
And now that its over I don't know how
I'm going to get by when no more you
No more you
With no more you
To see me through no more you
What am i gonna do
With no more you
Can't believe theres no more you
I look at my past and just sigh
And theres nobody to ride with me for life
It feels like the end I lost my friend
I can't sleep at night because your side ain't occupied
The tears in my eye won't go away I'm in so much pain
Cause no more you
No more you
What am i gonna do
With no more you
To see me through no more you
What am i gonna do
With no more you
Can't believe theres no more you
Don't know if I can make it or not
Everybody sees that I'm going through a lot
Its hard being low when I used to be on top
I cry for you theres no more you
Stop for a minute and I pinched myself
I can't believe I'm here by myself
Oh girl, I need your help
I cry for you theres no more you
No more you no more you
What am I gonna do
With no more you
To see me through no more you
What am i gonna do
With no more you
I can't believe theres no more you
No more you
No more you yeah...
The lyrics to Jaicko's song "No More You" suggest a deep sense of loneliness and despair that comes from losing someone who was once a significant other. In the first verse, the singer looks in the mirror and realizes that being alone does not suit him. He no longer walks with confidence and his charm seems to have disappeared without this other person by his side. The second verse describes the singer's hopelessness and inability to move on from the past, as he reminisces about all of the good times he shared with his former lover.
The chorus is a plea for help, as the singer wonders how he can possibly go on without this person in his life. The repeated refrain of "no more you" emphasizes his sense of loss and refusal to accept that their relationship is truly over. The bridge of the song reveals just how much the singer is struggling, with everyone around him noticing how much pain he is in. He feels like he has lost his way in life after previously being successful and on top.
Overall, the lyrics of "No More You" illustrate the emotional turmoil that comes with losing love and feeling utterly alone in the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Just one look in the mirror and I know I don't like seeing me alone,
When I look in the mirror, I realize that I don't want to be alone.
I don't walk straight without you on my arm, I've lost my charm
I feel like I'm no longer as attractive or confident without you by my side.
I don't know how I made it before,
I can't remember how I managed to live without you before.
Cause you were my future for sure
I thought that you were going to be in my future for a long time.
And now that it's over I don't know how,
I don't know how to cope with the fact that we're not together anymore.
I'm going to get by when no more you
I don't know how to move on without you in my life.
What am I gonna do with no more you
I don't know how to handle the fact that you're no longer with me.
To see me through no more you
I don't have you to help me through tough times anymore.
I look at my past and just sigh
When I reflect on my past with you, it makes me sad.
And there's nobody to ride with me for life
I don't have anyone to share my life with anymore.
It feels like the end I lost my friend
I feel like our relationship has ended and I've lost a close friend.
I can't sleep at night because your side ain't occupied
I have trouble sleeping because I miss having you next to me in bed.
The tears in my eye won't go away I'm in so much pain
I'm still grieving and experiencing a lot of emotional pain.
Don't know if I can make it or not
I'm not sure if I can get through this difficult time without you.
Everybody sees that I'm going through a lot
My friends and family can see how much I'm struggling without you.
It's hard being low when I used to be on top
I used to feel successful and happy, but now I feel like I'm at a low point.
I cry for you there's no more you
I'm still mourning the fact that we're no longer together and it makes me emotional.
Stop for a minute and I pinched myself
I sometimes can't believe that I'm really without you and think that I might be dreaming.
I can't believe I'm here by myself
I can't believe that I'm alone now without you in my life.
Oh girl, I need your help
I really miss having you in my life and wish that you could help me through this.
No more you
I'm struggling to adjust to the fact that you're no longer in my life.
Contributed by Hunter F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@scarlettpark7729
Just one look in the mirror
And I know I don't look the same being alone
I don't walk the same without you on my arm, I lost my charm
I don't know how I made it before
Cuz you are my future for sure
And now that it's over I dont know how I'm gonna get by
[Chorus:]
With no more you [x2]
What am I gonna do?
with no more you
To see me through,
with no more you
What am I gonna do?
with no more you
Can't believe there's no more you
I look at my passenger side
And there's nobody to ride with me for life
It feels like the end, I lost my friend
I can't sleep at night,
Because your side ain't occupied
The hurt in my eyes, won't go away
I'm in so much pain
[Chorus:]
With no more you [x2]
What am I gonna do?
there's no more you
To see me through,
with no more you
What am I gonna do?
there's no more you
Can't believe there's no more you
Don't know if I can make it or not
Everybody sees that I'm going through a lot
It's hard being alone,
When you used to be on top
Call for you, there's no more you
I stop for a minute then I pinch myself
I can't believe I'm here by myself
I can't do anything without your help.
Call for you, there's no more you..Ohhh
[Chorus: (x2)]
With no more you
What am I gonna do?
there's no more you
To see me through,
with no more you
What am I gonna do?
there's no more you
Can't believe there's no more you
No more you
What am I gonna do,
there's no more you
To see me through,
No more you..
What am I gonna do,
there's no more you
Can't believe there's no more you [x3]
@pollyannetutuila2991
2022 and still jamming this song. I'm 21 turning 22 this year and this song just gives me memories mayn
@ghettocowboy1028
Rest In Peace my little brother Owen, never gonna heal after you left me😞🕊fly high Tokoua💙
@illylolaka1727
Whose listening 2018 🤗🍾💙
@daggerd6317
2022 yall time is flying and the 2000s is gna come to an end it is gna be up to us now peace everybody
@NeTei-hi9ew
2023🎉❤
@uwutrazh
Finally, i found it 😭❤️
@onionsuop
great song
@maxneemia9576
2020💫
@nathanbooysen2929
Needs more recognition ..
@tzzobaayaa6412
NYC one