JP Saxe has been extremely busy as of late. He’s been writing hits with artists like Sabrina Carpenter, has released a collaboration with Camilo, and he’s also been on the road with none other than John Mayer. Today, the Canadian artist has added a new lead single to his list of accomplishments, with the release of the breezy “I Don’t Miss You.” One thing’s for sure, we’re glad we don’t have to miss new JP Saxe in our playlist no more!
Co-written by John Mayer, who also plays guitar on the recording, it’s clear that the two artists have really connected with one another. It shouldn’t be surprising, considering that both singer-songwriters have a real tenacity for acoustic soul-pop arrangements. And while “I Don’t Miss You” certainly has a lot more contemporary production by the hands of Malay, there’s still the same vulnerability in the text. It’s playful, too – with smooth vocals by Saxe overlaying the mid-tempo track as he confides in the listener. “It’s not fair to anybody but I just can’t get you off of my mind,” Saxe croons in the chorus.
It seems rather apt that the percussion is reminiscent of Puff Daddy’s “I’ll Be Missing You,” considering that the song is about denial in the face of missing someone. As much as you might tell yourself that you’re definitely, completely, wholly over a person; that might not really be the case. Saxe says as much when he sings that he doesn’t miss them, he just “thinks about them all the time.” Cognitive dissonance is a powerful subconscious defense mechanism in the face of heartbreak, and well captured by Saxe’s immaculate lyricism: “I can’t help it how I dream / as if you’re painted on the back of my eyes.”
When speaking on “I Don’t Miss You,” Saxe said that it was an interesting track – exactly because it seemed almost paradoxical to him. “‘I Don’t Miss You’ is me trying to lie to myself about my feelings — how I distract myself from them, how I compartmentalize them, and how I ultimately lose to them,” he says. “My guiding principle in my songwriting is ‘am I’m telling the truth’, so a song that’s lying to itself may seem a tad antithetical, but the truth is, trying to hide from how I feel about people is a common and futile adventure inside my head, and I’m excited for this song to bring people into that with me.”
In the accompanying video, Saxe also shows a more conceptual take on the song. Each virtual room represents a different way in which people tend to lie or distract themselves. For example, Saxe explains that it’s very easy to escape your feelings through drugs and alcohol. “You can’t miss someone you’re not supposed to if you’re not you anymore, life hack.” Similarly, “if you’re starting at hot strangers for five seconds at a time on TikTok and Instagram, you can’t be thinking about your ex. At least not consciously.” And while he lets it slip that his own algorithm also includes basketball, Stephen Colbert and whales, he’s also aware that it’s nothing but a distraction technique. Numbness is another tactic that Saxe is well acquainted with, as he adds that “sometimes I nap cause I’m tired – sometimes I nap cause I’m just exhausted by being conscious.”
It’s a subversive take on how far we’re willing to go to kid ourselves, and how harmful that might be in the long run. Moreover, it requires a lot of vulnerability and bravery to explore the grey area and liminal land of post-breakup territory. Sometimes, our heads, heart, and actions are completely misaligned. According to Saxe, perhaps it’s those moments that make us so painfully human.
So embrace denial for now, plug your ears with headphones, shut out the rest of the world, and listen blissfully to “I Don’t Miss You” right here on Spotify: