Why Jaysin Voxx's "Out of Breath" Opens With "Get Naked"

 Short answer: it's about the vocal booth. Jaysin Voxx, an independent pop artist on World Movement Records, told Zak and Matt that when you're recording there's no audience and no one feeding you energy. That can get lonely. Opening with "get naked" was a way to tap into something deep and "jump out of my own skin." He hopes listeners do the same when they press play.

That's the heart of this ZHZ Podcast conversation. It's for independent musicians, singers, songwriters, and producers who want to hear how someone makes real choices instead of cookie-cutter ones.

Who Is Jaysin Voxx?

Jaysin is a Bay Area native now working in LA. Zak introduced his sound as high-energy pop dance and new disco, with what Jaysin describes as an "American K-pop" identity. His current release, "Keep It Real," comes with a video built around carnival and masquerade imagery and a lot of red. Michael J. Calhoun produced it. Jaysin shared that Sony Music and The Orchard came on as partners for the release.

Conversation Highlights

Own your sound. Jaysin credits his late mentor Keith Martin for a simple rule: "If you own your sound, you own the stage." Keith found him performing at Bay Area art and wine festivals after he'd been asked to leave his church choir for not blending in. Jaysin's takeaway is to stand in your truth instead of bending to other people's wills.

Write your own words. For Jaysin, every word has to be crafted. He's not a fan of songwriting-camp pop where lots of songs come from the same one or two writers. These are his opinions, and he sums them up as "we're always authentic in the Bay."

Learn some engineering and production.** Keith gave him Logic and told him to learn it. That meant that when Jaysin was in the studio without Keith, he could take vocal production credit. He also says it helps you notice when someone isn't doing their job. He has an MXL mic from Guitar Center that he says he'll never replace.

An honest look at ghostwriting. Jaysin was approached to ghostwrite for K-pop groups. He calls it a stepping stone and good experience, but also a road to nowhere when you get no credit. Zak's take is that it's a paycheck, and you have to know where you leave it.

Show and tell. Jaysin showed backstage passes from the Urban Music Awards in Sacramento, a print-up of his Billboard chart run with "Cause Every Time," and his number one on the DRT International charts with "Hands on Me."

Soundtrack To My Life and Rapid Fire

His three picks were "Hands on Me," "Out of Breath," and "Keep It Real." In Rapid Fire, he picked ska as the sound that deserves more attention, and said music is what changes first when he gets into performance mode. He also told a story about being a hired gun in LA, singing at bar mitzvahs and corporate gigs.

Practical Takeaways

- Make the song true to you, even when the line feels risky.

- Learn enough production to protect your own work.

- Check who is on your team and whether they have your best interests in mind.

- Read contracts closely. Jaysin warns about long auto-renew terms in talent-contest deals.

The ZHZ Takeaway

Zak and Matt kept coming back to one idea. Being real is the harder road, and it's also the one that lets you handle whatever comes next. The booth story is a good reminder that vulnerability is a skill you practice, even when nobody's watching.

Connect With Jaysin Voxx

Website: https://jaysinvoxx.com. TikTok: @yaboyvoxx.

Watch or listen to the full conversation at: https://zhzpodcast.riverside.com.