Fresh off of a stellar performance at the VMAs with Julia Michaels, JP Saxe has released new single “A Little Bit Yours.” For those who are fans of the Canadian singer, it’ll come as no surprise that Saxe is a truly gifted singer-songwriter that doesn’t shy away from emotional, soul-bearing lyrics. But on this new track, Saxe confesses to the most devastating truth – holding on when you should’ve been letting go of a lost love. It’s the sad soothing ballad you didn’t know you needed, but we all deserve.
“A Little Bit Yours” proves yet again that Saxe excels when it comes to delivering confessional, emotion-driven tracks. Whereas his previous single “Hey Stupid, I Love You” was a refreshing and upbeat tune, it’s the way in which Saxe expertly handles heart-wrenching honesty that makes him stand out as an artist. Accompanied by a simple piano melody, the song communicates vulnerability and heartbreak. “I let myself want you, I let myself try, I let myself fall back into your eyes / I let myself want you, I let myself hope, I let myself feel things I know that you don’t,” JP sings in the chorus, a sense of disappointment and resignation coded into the lyrics. And while Saxe certainly isn’t unfamiliar to writing songs about breakups and moving on (see his EP), this ballad shows a renewed commitment to radical honesty.
Whereas most of the songs on his EP Hold It Together incorporated a sense of self-deprecating humor, “A Little Bit Yours” feels a little more raw. “Maybe if I’d said the right things, it’d never gone this way / but maybe that’s the problem, ‘cause I still kinda think it was up to me, when I never could’ve made you stay,” JP Saxe laments. The line shows a maturity that is sometimes missing from other songwriters trying to tackle the same topic. The subtlety’s in the fact that while the song relies on Saxe’s ability to emote, not once does the track slip into making excuses. There is no simple resolution, and there are no pointing fingers – rather, Saxe shows off how heartbreak is unforgiving, in the most gentle of ways.
Because instead of exploring how the relationship has affected Saxe, it’s an in-the-moment reflection of how difficult it can be to truly get over someone. “We outgrew the love we knew, but I still wish we had it,” the bridge builds into a swelling chorus that not only shows the lyrical skill of Saxe, but also his vocal ability. It’s certainly more vocally challenging than what he’s released previously, but it fits him like a glove. In fact, the added grit offset by the soft and vulnerable pre-chorus only serves to deliver a mean, emotional punch in the gut.
So if 2020 has got you in a mood and you want to stare at a wall whilst listening to sad songs that somehow highlight that life can be beautiful – it just isn’t right now; “A Little Bit Yours” is the perfect addition. Let JP Saxe pull on your heartstrings, and you’ll find that you’re now a little bit his too.