If you follow PJ Morton on social media (which you should be doing, by the way), then you've no doubt seen him posting clips from the studio, snippets of new songs and using the hashtag #WatchTheSun over the past few months. It didn't take a genius to ascertain that he's been hard at work on a new album. PJ confirmed our suspicions today with the official announcement of his forthcoming new album Watch The Sun.
Watch The Sun will be released on Friday, April 29th on PJ's own independent label Morton Records. He's already shared the first two singles from Watch The Sun – the apologetic ballad "Please Don't Walk Away" and the anthemic bop "My Peace" featuring JoJo and Mr. Talkbox. Both tracks showcase PJ at his best, which may have something to do with where and how he decided to record this project.
PJ needed seclusion, and he went deep into Louisiana to make the album at the legendary Studio In The Country located in Bogalusa. If the studio sounds familiar, that is where Stevie Wonder recorded his 1979 album Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants. Morton channeled his inner Stevie while recording Watch The Sun, which is said to feature some of the finest songwriting and production of his career.
Morton chose to isolate himself from the chaos of the world not just to make music but to make a way. "With the world changing so quickly in the last couple years, it called for a bunch of reflection. I reflected on what I wanted to change in my life. What I wanted to keep the same. What was left to say as an artist," PJ shared via press release. "I think these last couple years taught us to identify what is truly important. It was important for me to tell an honest story on this album. The album is an unapologetically soulful painting about the true challenges in life and love."
PJ Morton's Watch The Sun is on the horizon and our radar. Watch the album's trailer with scenes from its recording below (including a cameo by El DeBarge!), and mark the album's April 29th release date on your calendars.