Jay Wrighteous is stepping outside his comfort zone with the upcoming release of his project, A Day in the Life Part 2, on September 11.

The release continues the conversation he started in the first instalment, aiming for a fresh, love-focused and commercially flavoured direction. “It was only natural that we had to continue a sequel,” Wrighteous said of the decision to return to the concept with producer Lelo. “The first one was more like matters of the heart and faith, diving deep into one’s comfort zone. The second one is more love-related, more commercial-related, with two or three songs that are commercially branded. I’m trying to step out of that comfort zone.”

Read more: Jay Wrighteous chronicles faith and street reality with A Day in the Life EP

The tracklist moves through different moods, starting with Hit Me Back, which reflects on a past relationship. “I realise I did my wrongs. I realise I stumbled and fumbled here and there, but we up now. So hit me back.”

Just You is dedicated to a new flame who has long been in his life, with Wrighteous explaining it was a matter of choosing between relationships and music. Trap energy arrives on In My Bag. “Lelo came with a trap sound. As soon as I heard it, I was like, nah, I’m getting in my bag; it’s just me letting people know that we here. We’ve been in the underground scene, but commercially we here.”

Eastside, which he performed at Just Another Rap Show earlier this year, connects back to the same person celebrated on Just You. The most raw moment comes on 13 Louise Way with Shea. “It’s something the game needs. Getting out of my comfort zone of writing such lyrics is actually a little bit tricky. This is me without the music. It’s a soundtrack for self-affirmation – to keep going. Don’t lose focus.”

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Wrighteous says his personal situation has improved since the first project. “Things are finally at a point where it’s okay, you can breathe now. I finally made it out the water. Not completely. My neck is sticking out. A homie can breathe now. I was drowning before. The growth is amazing. Fan base is growing. The love from people out there is genuinely immaculate. I thank God every day.”

Cover art and sequencing were handled by Lelo April. “Shout out to my brother. He came up with the whole concept, the whole edits, the track list. I was actually in awe.”

A Day in the Life Part 2 releases on September 11 across all digital platforms. Wrighteous already has more work lined up, including a project with UK producer Southbound and a debut album curated by Fixinator before the end of the year.

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