The California indie rock and bedroom pop multi-instrumentalist is back with her first album in six years. Taking a break from her solo endeavours to hone her production skills, contribute a key tune to the soundtrack of I Saw The TV Glow, and tour with boygenius’ backing band after capturing her first Grammy for her work on their outstanding 2023 return, Jay Som’s Belong comes accompanied by a fitting title.

As she returned to her original project with new perspectives and a developed set of skills, she found that the musical landscape didn’t wait around for her, constantly shifting as usual. Jay Som will tell you that stepping back in initially proved to be a daunting task, but luckily, with a new penchant for collaboration and a renewed reverence for her childhood musical influences, the community around her helped her find that sense of belonging once more.

With lyrics of self-analysis and coming to terms with who you really are—for better and for worse—Belong invites guest vocalists onto a Jay Som project for the first time, whether its former tour-mate Hayley Williams or childhood idol Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat World. The latter is present because part of Jay Som’s self-searching led her to rediscover that key part of the identity of many—the sounds that made her fall in love with music in the first place. Oscillating between a 2000s rock edge befitting her guests, complete with delightfully anthemic choruses, and her pristine bedroom-pop tones perfect for the cooling weather, Jay Som proves that even when searching for a place where she can snugly fit in and belong, she’s still truly one of a kind.