John-Robert Makes His Major-Label Debut With “Urs”
John-Robert first popped up on my radar in early 2019 with the haunting “Adeline.” At the time, I felt the song had more in common with James Blake and Bon Iver than the growing horde of emotional singer/songwriter dudes — and that’s equally true of “Urs.” Today (March 10), the 19-year-old makes his major-label debut via Nice Life/Warner Records — displaying craftsmanship and conviction that belies his age and the subject matter. (“Urs” is essentially about a teen crush).
“But devotion’s like an ocean that’s swallowing me, swallowing me whole,” the Virginia native sings on the chorus. “And I can’t fight the feeling that I want to grow, I want to grow old with you.” He then waves the white flag. “I’m yours,” John-Robert belts. “So do whatever… you want with me.” What inspired the track? “I wrote [it] when I was a 17-year-old delusional romantic who couldn’t express himself and did nothing but sit around writing severely biased narratives, actively participating in wishful thinking,” the newcomer admits. “It’s not a love song, it’s a case study.”
Watch the intimate and unexpectedly surreal “Urs” video, which was directed by Spencer Ford, below.
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