THE CJ is a singer, artist, and musician from Great Falls, Montana. They are hitting the music scene strongly with a cover of Christina Perri’s famous song “Human”. In this release, THE CJ is channeling the power behind Christina’s voice while also making it their own. This is the first of many songs to be rolled-out by THE CJ, future music being all-original!
Was there anything that stood out to you during the creative process when making your cover of ‘Human’? Did you encounter any unexpected challenges?
Human was a favorite song of mine growing up. Singing it was both easy and difficult to do. Parts of the song were slightly out of my vocal range and we had to find ways to get around that and adjust it to fit my voice.
Can you discuss any upcoming projects that you’re excited about? What can your fans anticipate in terms of new releases?
There’s already new stuff in the works. I’m not sure what I can share, but my social media will keep you posted on all of the details!
How do you stay creatively inspired and avoid creative blocks? Are there any practices or strategies that help you overcome creative challenges?
Honestly, exploring other new music helps me avoid creative blocks. I’m heavily inspired by a lot of other musicians and I always love finding new music to take inspiration from.
How do you see your music evolving in the future? Are there any specific directions or experiments you’d like to explore?
I definitely want to head in the direction of more rock style music. Because that’s the kind of music I love. I kind of want to be in the middle ground between pop and rock because it suits my image and my personality.
What do you hope listeners take away from your music? Are there any messages or emotions you strive to convey?
The music I write is mostly about real life and real experiences. I hope I find an audience who finds comfort in my music and can relate to it. I strive to be a role model and show off the good and bad sides of life through my music.
Photo Credit: Ricky Stokes
At what age did you realize music was a passion of yours?
I’ve loved music all my life. I’m not sure the specific age when I realized I wanted to be a singer, but I was really young. No older than 6 or 7. I just loved to sing and loved to perform.
How do you interpret the messaging behind the lyrics to ‘Human’?
There’s a lot of ways to interpret ‘Human’. Overall, to me, it’s about survival and overcoming hard things, even when it hurts.
What emotions do you hope to convey through your cover of ‘Human’?
Anger is a big emotion for me when it comes to ‘Human’. My anger at the world and what it’s put me through. But joy at the fact I’ve overcome it all and gotten to this point is also there.
How do you strike a balance between pursuing your artistic vision and adapting to the ever-changing tastes and trends in the music industry?
Trends come and go, and old trends even come back around. I know what I want to be when it comes to my career. So, I’ll continue to be myself, because that’s what’s important to me. And I feel like that’s a big part of it for audiences too. They like to see stars being themselves.
Can you share any behind-the-scenes stories from your music career that you haven’t previously discussed?
Behind the scenes, I suppose I’m just a person from a small town who got really lucky. But I also worked hard to get here. I had to put it all on hold for a year due to my mental health. But I’m at it now, and in it for the long haul.