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.”
air
Jaicko Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Alright there where you are, can stop looking at you
You look so good to me, oow
And I don't have to lie, you'll be on your tools
You are my fancy
Ooh, lovely as you are, you're such a stare
The sky can't shut you down
Ooh baby, you take me higher, higher, higher
You don't have to look around
You don't have to put your head down
Just look up, up in the sky, yeah
'Cause girl, you know you got me
You knocked me right out of my feet
Show me how to fly in the air, in the air, in the air
(Ooh)
In the air, in the air
(Ooh)
Girl, you know you put me in the air
In the air, in the air, in the air
(Ooh)
In the air, in the air
(Ooh)
Ooh, I'm waitin' for you in the air
Damn it, don't matter the day of the weather
Girl, I want you right here, ooh, you take me higher
My sweet freaking flyer
Baby, do you want my, what ever you want
Baby, I got it, just tell me, baby
And I'll be right there for you
Ooh, nothing matters, ooh, that you my lady
The lyrics of Jaicko's song "Air" seem to be about a person (presumably a woman) who makes him feel high and free like he's flying in the air. He says that he can't stop looking at her because she looks so good to him, and he doesn't have to lie because she's really that amazing. He calls her his "fancy" and says that she's lovely and that the sky can't shut her down. He's so taken by her that he just can't let her leave.
Later on in the song, Jaicko talks about how this person takes him higher and he doesn't have to look around or put his head down. All he has to do is look up in the sky because she's got him. He says that she's knocked him right out of his feet and shows him how to fly in the air, which seems to be a metaphorical representation of how she makes him feel. The chorus repeats that she puts him in the air and that he's waiting for her there.
Overall, the song seems to be about the feeling of being lifted up and carried away by the presence of someone special. The lyrics focus on the sensation of flying and being weightless, which represents the freedom and euphoria that come with being in a state of infatuation.
Line by Line Meaning
Alright there where you are, can stop looking at you
I'm happy just looking at you, no need to change a thing
You look so good to me, oow
You have a great appearance that attracts me
And I don't have to lie, you'll be on your tools
I'm not being dishonest, you have the ability to achieve greatness
You are my fancy
You're more than just a crush or infatuation, you're my ideal partner
Ooh, lovely as you are, you're such a stare
You're so captivating that I can't stop looking at you
The sky can't shut you down
Nothing can stop you from shining or reaching your goals
The factor all over me, I just can't let you leave
Your presence and influence is all around me, I can't bear to let you go
Ooh baby, you take me higher, higher, higher
You elevate me emotionally and spiritually to new heights
You don't have to look around
You don't need to search for anything when you have me
You don't have to put your head down
You don't need to feel ashamed or embarrassed around me
Just look up, up in the sky, yeah
Just focus on the endless possibilities and opportunities ahead of us
'Cause girl, you know you got me
You have complete control of my heart and emotions
You knocked me right out of my feet
You made me fall deeply in love faster than I ever imagined
Show me how to fly in the air, in the air, in the air
Teach me how to reach my full potential and soar with you
(Ooh)
Instrumental
Girl, you know you put me in the air
You motivate and inspire me to achieve greatness
Ooh, I'm waitin' for you in the air
I'm eagerly anticipating our next venture or adventure together
Damn it, don't matter the day of the weather
No obstacle or challenge can stop us from pursuing our dreams
Girl, I want you right here, ooh, you take me higher
I want to be close to you because you make me feel alive and fulfilled
My sweet freaking flyer
My amazing and adventurous partner
Baby, do you want my, what ever you want
I'll do anything and everything to make you happy
Baby, I got it, just tell me, baby
I'm capable and ready to provide for you in any way you need
And I'll be right there for you
I'll always be there for you whenever you need me
Ooh, nothing matters, ooh, that you my lady
Nothing else is as important as you and our relationship
Contributed by Kaylee I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.