Robbie Jay : R&B Soaked Singer/Songwriter

So, I was listening to "Unorthodox Jukebox" (Bruno Mars) again today and thinking about how much it reminds me of Prince and Michael Jackson. Not saying that it isn't a great album, but the influence is so clear. A song called "When I Was Your Man" (Bruno Mars), almost reminded me of "She's Out Of My Life" (Michael Jackson). Nevertheless, it's a great tune and I decided to check out some covers on Youtube. And of course, by doing so, I came across an incredible artist called Robbie Jay. This skinny guy's got a voice that's so full of soul and passion that I could sit and listen all day. Check out this sweet cover of his.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pw_Ih2LcACs

Great, isn't it? Now, with Robbie's cover you can really hear that Michael Jackson influence! Something about the way Robbie accents his lyrics and hits notes is so reminiscent of him. However, he does have something incredibly unique about him, including his look and style. Overall, it's a brilliant cover, that led me to subscribe to his channel, which I'd advise you to do as well! This guy knows what he's doing and his channel looks awesome too.

He's got a good deal of covers on his channel, including one of Jason Mraz's "Living In The Moment." Off his album "Love Is A Four Letter Word," I felt this song was so underrated and was shocked to find this incredible singer/songwriter covering it. So often, you come across people covering people's "greatest hits", and by doing missing out on what might be their more inspired songs. So, I've got to say, Robbie's a genius for really listening to the artists he likes, not just the hits. There's some advice to you too. Listen to each and every song by your favourite artists. They'd appreciate it. And I'd appreciate it if you checked out this awesome cover now!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_76wBd8o60w

Love how Robbie made this song his own. With his melodic and sweet voice, he gives the song a funkier sound, almost hitting a reggae edge with that guitar rhythm underneath it all. And, besides the stunning performance, you've got to give this guy credit for giving us the most simple, raw and realistic cover he could. No overdubs, no crazy editing. Just one acoustic guitar, and one beautiful voice. If you don't dig this guy's sound, you must be crazy, but hey, to each his/her own. I like Robbie's sound! 

So, this R&B soaked singer/songwriter doesn't just cover some beautiful tunes, he writes a bunch too. An original entitled "Summer Skin" can be heard on his channel's homepage and just oozes with inspiration and stunning influences. You can hear Mraz, Mayer and Mars in there, as well some classic Prince, which I'm loving. I mean, think back to "When You Were Mine" (Prince) and all those tracks. I can imagine this song being on the radio at that time. There's a timeless sound to Prince, and Robbie's got that same timeless sound too. Lucky him, and lucky us! So, don't forget to subscribe to his channel and "like" his Facebook page for updates. Check back tomorrow for another fantastic artist.

http://www.youtube.com/user/r0bbiejayy

Alex Hamel