Hot New R&B Artist Jalen Parker Produces 14-track Album Despite Lockdown (releases Aug 1st)
18-year-old R&B singer, songwriter, and producer Jalen Parker is set to drop his first full album on August 1st despite the ongoing coronavirus lockdown in many parts of the world, proving that perseverance and creativity are key to making it in show business.
The album is called “Divergent,” so named because not only is it more mature and highly polished than anything he’s previously released, but because few artists his age are releasing full albums in this age of singles and EPs.
Evoking both new sounds ala Chris Brown and Trey Songz with touches of silky, throwback bedroom R&B like Jodeci, D’Angelo, and Boyz II Men, the 14 track album is a fresh take on the genre with a style all its own. You will understand when you give it a listen.
“Divergent is meant to shock you and take you on a journey,” according to Jalen.
It’s available for pre-order now and releases August 1st independently on all platforms. Guest performers include Tori Kay, Olivia Cella, Anniston, Shaylin, Matte Martinez, and Jovan Armand – all rising Southern California breakthrough artists.
One of the things which set Jalen apart is his complete involvement with every aspect of his music, from producing and mixing to choreographing his music videos. Being hands-on is Jalen’s way of fully embracing his vision and bringing it to fruition, and is something he recommends to all artists – rather than always let a “team” do everything.
Another surprising fact is that Jalen can sing in Spanish, and likes to explore different genres such as country music. This love of different kinds of music can be attributed to his upbringing, where he was exposed to all styles of music from rock, gospel, R&B, and more thanks to his parents – especially his father.
Rounding out his talents is Jalen’s growing acting resume. Inspired by shows such as Nickelodeon’s Victorious and The Disney Channel’s That’s So Raven and The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, Jalen started taking lessons at “Millie Lewis of Savannah,” a talent agency. This served him well when he moved from his native Savannah, Georgia to Hollywood, and began booking roles, including “Dance Moms”, “Straight Out of Compton”, “Clash Of Karts” on Disney Channel and more.
The release of Divergent is only one of many accomplishments that portend a very bright future in show business for Jalen parker. I am excited to see what comes next!
