Jay Som - Belong

Letting the half-decade of life and work since releasing 2019's Anak Ko filter not only into her songs but also her process, Melina Duterte, aka Jay Som, has opened up her music to herself and her memories, writing songs that revisit the sounds of her youth with the benefit of her experience as a musician, producer, and performer. No previous Jay Som album sounds quite like Belong, a gripping 11-song set about self-definition and, well, belonging, that floats between supercharged power-pop hits and hazy ballads, between electronic curiosities and lighters-up anthems.

Growing up with alt-rock radio outside of San Francisco, Melina memorised the hits of early ’00s pop-punk and emo as a teen. Fittingly, that is Jimmy Eat World’s Jim Adkins, one of those childhood heroes, offering background vocals on "Float" whilst Hayley Williams lends soft harmonies on the arcing “Past Lives”, and Lexi Vega, of Mini Trees, contributes to "Cards On The Table", these three are Jay Som’s first-ever guest vocalists, representing Duterte’s push to try new things with people she trusts.