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.”
Perfect
Jaicko Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tryna figure out a way
To make you understand
I can't go on another day
Or maybe I was wrong
Been confused and led astray
Please give me one more chance
Cause I can't take what's happening
Have you ever lost someone?
Tryna take it back but the damage is done
The thought of loosing you makes me feel so sad
How am I gonna sleep when I feel this bad?
I know enoughs enough
It's gonna be tough to get through this...
I'll never be perfect
I'll never be cool
I'll always be nothing
Unless I'm with you
Cause you make me perfect
Tell me what can I do?
The pieces are missing
When I'm not with you
You make me peerfectttt
Perfect
Perrfreectt
Perrffeecttt
I know that I deserve it
But have you really lost all faith?
You know inside that we're worth it
There's so much more for us to say
Or maybe I was lost
Or maybe I was just afraid
Could you please forgive me
And hold me back in your arms again... (yeaaah)
Have you ever lost someone
Tryna take it back but the damage is done
The thought of loosing you makes me feel so sad
How am I gonna sleep when I feel this bad
I know enough's enough
It's gonna get though to get through this
I'll never be perfect(perfect)
I'll never be cool
I'll always be nothing (nothing)
Unless I'm with you (with u)
Cause you make me perfect
Tell me what can I do
But the peices are missing(missing)
When I'm not with you (with you)
You make me peeeerfect
Peeeeeerfect
You make me peeeeerfect
Peeeeeefrect
You make me
Con't say nothings perfect cause it isn't true
Everything I see so clear with you
Everything I dream is so clear with you
Everything I need appears with you
Everything can be so
Everything can be so....
Perfect
Peeeerfect
Oh
I'll never be perfect
I'll never be cool
I'll always be nothing
Unless im with you (with you oh)
Cause you make me perfect
Tell me what can I do
The pieces are missing
When I'm not with you
You make me peeeeeeeerfect
Peeeeeerfect
You make me peeeerfect
Peeeeerfect
You make me
Peeeeeeerfect(so perfect)
So perfect peeeeeeeerfect
Oh baby you make me perfect
The lyrics of Jaicko's song Perfect are about a man who made a mistake in his relationship and is now trying to make it right by asking for forgiveness and a second chance. He admits that he is not perfect and that he needs the other person to feel complete. He talks about how much he misses the person when they are not around and how being with them makes him feel perfect. Despite his mistakes, he knows that he and the other person are worth fighting for and that there is so much more to say between them.
The singer is expressing his vulnerability and need for acceptance from his partner. He is aware that he has made mistakes and that he cannot go back in time to change them, but he is willing to work hard to make their relationship work. The chorus of the song, "I'll never be perfect, I'll never be cool, I'll always be nothing unless I'm with you. 'Cause you make me perfect. Tell me, what can I do?" clearly shows that the singer acknowledges his imperfections and that he requires his partner's presence to feel complete.
Overall, Jaicko's lyrics are an honest portrayal of the struggles of maintaining healthy relationships and the need for forgiveness, love, and acceptance from those we care about.
Line by Line Meaning
I nearly lost my mind
He was filled with confusion and anxiety.
Tryna figure out a way
He was trying to find a solution to his situation.
To make you understand
He wanted the other person to see his perspective.
I can't go on another day
He couldn't bear to carry on living like this.
Or maybe I was wrong
He acknowledges the possibility of him being mistaken.
Been confused and led astray
He was conflicted and potentially swayed by outside influences.
Please give me one more chance
He is pleading for another opportunity to make things right.
Cause I can't take what's happening
He was unable to cope with the current situation.
Have you ever lost someone?
He was reflecting on the feeling of losing someone.
Tryna take it back but the damage is done
He wished he could undo past mistakes but knows it's too late.
The thought of loosing you makes me feel so sad
The idea of losing the other person brings him sadness.
How am I gonna sleep when I feel this bad?
His emotional distress is hindering his ability to rest.
I know enoughs enough
He realizes that their relationship has reached its limit.
It's gonna be tough to get through this...
He anticipates the road ahead will be difficult.
I'll never be perfect
He acknowledges that he is flawed.
I'll never be cool
He is aware that he might not be considered 'cool'.
I'll always be nothing
He feels like he is not important without the other person.
Unless I'm with you
He feels complete and significant when he's with the other person.
Cause you make me perfect
The other person completes him and makes him feel whole and 'perfect'.
Tell me what can I do?
He is seeking advice and looking for ways to improve their relationship.
The pieces are missing
Without the other person, he feels incomplete and like something is 'missing'.
When I'm not with you
He means that he only feels complete when they're together.
Can't say nothings perfect cause it isn't true
He acknowledges that perfection does not exist.
Everything I see so clear with you
The other person brings clarity to his life.
Everything I dream is so clear with you
He envisions a future with the other person.
Everything I need appears with you
He feels like the other person is all he needs to be content.
Oh baby you make me perfect
He attributes his happiness and sense of completeness to the other person.
Contributed by Samantha B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.