Jesse Boykins III has been out of the spotlight for a few years, but the multifaceted artist has been getting busy behind the scenes. He founded a “Creative Sanctuary Agency” named New Growth Creative Activities and has flexed his talents as a creative director on Masego’s self-titled album. Jesse is ready to reclaim his position, however, and returns with a new single “No Love Without You,” a new video, a new moniker and a new mission.
Boykins actually first premiered “No Love Without You” with a performance of the song for COLORS in October 2021, and he’s finally releasing it to start his next chapter. Love has ahold of Jesse on “No Love Without You” and even has him singing falsetto. He’s all in as he croons, “I been seeing you deep in my dreams / You’re taking over my mind / I can’t explain, baby, too much / You just stay stuck on the brain,” on the lead verse. He continues professing his love and desire throughout the song, making it clear on the chorus, “I wanna be with you, whoa, whoa.”
Jesse continues to express himself in the visual, which he also directed. He’s joined in early scenes by his hairstylist Kyla Evans, and they take turns tending to each other’s hair – he greases her locs while she gives him a scalp massage – in an outdoor courtyard. A shot of Kyla picking Jesse up and holding him in her arms further shows their bond.
The rest of the video focuses mostly on the singer and his hair. We watch him wearing different fashions and rocking a variety of hairstyles from braids to Bantu knots to ponytails. The capture ends with Jesse seated in the courtyard and his hair growing to extreme lengths.
Boykins includes some surprises in the visual. In a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment, he quickly flashes a graphic with the words “How To Be A Good Man-Muse” on screen with the following list: “1. Brush Your Teeth. 2. Be An Avid Listener. 3. Wash Dishes After She Cooks. 4. Dance With Her. Anywhere, Anytime. 5. Ask Her What Her Favorite Scent Is, Then Smell Like It.”
Before the video fades to black, he shares more messages with his fans. “THIS IS THE REIMAGINATION OF JESSE BOYKINS III, ALSO KNOWN AS HALO JUNE, FORMERLY KNOWN AS BARTHOLOMEW,” he writes, unveiling his latest moniker Halo June. He gives even more insight into his mission on the final clip, writing in part, “JESSE, OR AS HE WOULD LIKE TO BE CALLED – HALO, IS HERE TO BRING OUT THE BEAUTY IN AFRO-NATURALISM.”
Jesse Boykins III is back, and he’s clearly got a lot left to do and more to say as Halo June. Dive into his latest chapter when you listen to “No Live Without You” and watch its video and his previous COLORS performance below.
