SBTRKT debuted in 2009 with remixes of artists like Radiohead, M.I.A, Basement Jaxx (‘Scars’) and Franz Ferdinand (‘Send Him Away’). These remixes gained the attention of radio DJs and tastemaker blogs, leading to more releases on Brainmath label, Ramp and Young.
His 2011 eponymous debut SBTRKT was critically acclaimed, featuring starmaking turns from artists like Jessie Ware and Sampha. Jerome's collaboration with Sampha had begun in 2010, with the two working to hone their music production skills together in Jerome's London apartment. The creative bond would extend across all of the subsequent SBTRKT albums. Jerome followed up his debut album with 2014's Wonder Where We Land, featuring contributions from Caroline Polachek, A$AP Ferg, alongside Ware, Sampha, and Vampire Weekend's Ezra Koenig.
SBTRKT's third project -- 2016's Save Yourself -- saw Jerome tackling xenophobia, political corruption, and the toils of being an artist under capitalism. Featuring contributions from Shelley FKA DRAM, The-Dream, and Sampha, the project was initially positioned as a rejection of the traditional album format, with Jerome writing upon release that "this is not an album" and that "culturally, albums now feel like a means to prove you are a "real" artist. To release an album, you turn yourself over to traditional label cycles and the end of increasing sales, leaving behind the creative spirit that brought the music to life in the first place."
After releasing Save Yourself, Jerome took an extended hiatus, returning in 2023 with his fourth project The Rat Road. Again inspired by the dire sociopolitical context, Jerome sought to send up the idea of the "rat race," while also stepping more fully into the spotlight and reclaiming his artistry and the narrative surrounding the SBTRKT project. In the lead-up to the album's release, Jerome discussed his South Asian heritage, how the initial anonymity of the SBTRKT project alienated him from his art, and how during his hiatus from the project he sought to hone his skills. The album was released on May 5, 2023.
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PROBLEM
SBTRKT Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's a problem where your thoughts were my own
And I can't talk like this with anyone else
I can't talk like this with anyone else
If you ever wanted to be the one
The one to solve it, well it's already done
I can't talk like this with anyone else
I can't talk like this with anyone
Ooh-ooh-ooh
I figured you ought to know
That part of a problem solved
As long as we're both involved
Its part of a problem solved
And it feels like we've been here before
But you ought to know
Yeah, you ought to know
I'm sorry if it took a while to explain
But now you're here, well I'll say it again
Don't wanna talk like this with anyone else
Don't wanna talk like this with anyone
(Anyone but you)
Ooh-ooh-ooh
I figured you ought to know
That part of a problem solved
As long as we're both involved
Its part of a problem solved
The song "Problem Solved" by SBTRKT ft. Jessie Ware is about a problem that the singer can't seem to leave alone. The problem seems to stem from the fact that the singer's thoughts are intertwined with someone else's, and they can't talk about it with anyone else except that person. The lyrics suggest that the person listening to the song is the one who can solve the problem, and that their involvement in the problem-solving process is crucial.
The chorus, "I figured you ought to know / That part of a problem solved / As long as we're both involved / Its part of a problem solved" suggests that the problem will only be solved if both parties are involved in the process. The singer seems to be relieved that they can finally talk to the other person about the problem and doesn't want to talk about it with anyone else. The repetition of the phrase "I can't talk like this with anyone else" emphasizes the importance of the other person's involvement in solving the problem.
Overall, "Problem Solved" is a song about the importance of communication and working together to solve problems. The lyrics suggest that problems cannot be solved alone, and that involving others is crucial to finding a solution.
Line by Line Meaning
Had a problem, I can't leave it alone
I have a problem that keeps bothering me and I can't seem to let it go
There's a problem where your thoughts were my own
I have a problem that relates to the way I think about you
And I can't talk like this with anyone else
I feel comfortable discussing this problem only with you
If you ever wanted to be the one
The one to solve it, well it's already done
I can't talk like this with anyone else
I can't talk like this with anyone
(Anyone but you)
If you wanted to be the person to help me solve this problem, then you have already done it. I can't talk about it with anyone else, only you
Ooh-ooh-ooh
Instrumental
I figured you ought to know
That part of a problem solved
As long as we're both involved
Its part of a problem solved
I want you to know that by discussing this problem together and being involved with each other, we are already on the way to solving it
And it feels like we've been here before
But you ought to know
Yeah, you ought to know
It feels like we have discussed this problem before, but I want you to know that we can still solve it
I'm sorry if it took a while to explain
But now you're here, well I'll say it again
Don't wanna talk like this with anyone else
Don't wanna talk like this with anyone
(Anyone but you)
I apologize if it took me some time to explain, but now that you are here, I want to reiterate that I don't want to discuss this problem with anyone else but you
Ooh-ooh-ooh
Instrumental
I figured you ought to know
That part of a problem solved
As long as we're both involved
Its part of a problem solved
I want you to know that discussing this problem together and being involved with each other is already helping solve it
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Amethyst Amelia Kelly, Ariana Grande, Ilya Salmanzadeh, Martin Karl Sandberg, Savan Harish Kotecha
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind