Culture

When asked to explain the inspiration behind the title of her latest EP, Jozzy shrugs, saying Songs for Women, Free Game for N—as is exactly as the title suggests; the Memphis native makes music for women, but if men listen they’ll probably learn a thing or two. “When I’m talking to a girl, [men] always stare,” she says. “It’s not a trick to it, it’s not game. It’s just understanding who and what a woman is.” 
Released in late February, Songs for Women is Jozzy’s first project since signing to Love Records, the label created by Sean “Diddy” Combs to highlight R&B talent (Roc Nation and Hallwood Media are handling management for the singer.) It’s her biggest release as a singer, following years of success as a songwriter who has worked with artists like Billy Ray Cyrus, Chlöe Bailey, Beyoncé and Timbaland.

Featuring production credits from Diddy, Stevie J and others, the 10-track project is full of adoration and longing for women, from the “Free Game” interlude that features Eartha Kitt’s viral laughter and unflappable response when asked if she’d compromise for a man to “Replay,” the mid-tempo offering about the memories that remain after a relationship has ended. The project isn’t just a debut for Jozzy, though; as the first signee on Love Records, Jozzy’s EP represents a beginning for the label, signaling the type of sound we might come to expect from the Diddy’s latest venture. The mogul pulled no punches when it came to promoting his newest signee, introducing her as the “R&B Biggie” onstage at the 2022 Billboard Music Awards and co-directing her first music video. 

Jozzy says she signed with Love Records because Diddy understood and accepted her identity  in a way that previous collaborators had not. In the past, she says her appearance and sexuality (“I was gay, I was a masculine woman”) perplexed people who didn’t think she should be making vulnerable R&B music. “When they heard ‘Alone,’ a lot of people were like ‘she doesn’t sound how she looks,” she notes, adding that she wants people to look past their biases and stereotypes to give the music a chance. 

Diddy didn’t see those hang-ups, though. “Puff is good at seeing positive and good things in people … Notorious B.I.G. wasn’t the most handsome guy but he saw it in him and then boom, everyone else saw it,” she says. “If Puff says it’s cool, it’s cool,”

“Jozzy is a very special and dynamic talent that only comes around once in a generation, so I’m excited to see how her music sets a new standard for R&B,” Diddy told Billboard in an emailed statement about the singer. “Her skills as a writer and performer, matched with her style and energy has the potential to make her one of the greats and I’m proud to play a part in shaping the next chapter of her career.”

At the foundation of Jozzy’s artistry is her ability to craft songs that capture a distinct feeling or moment and make them feel universal. She’s been doing this for other artists for years, long before she got an opportunity to do so for herself on a big stage. Jozzy co-wrote Billy Ray Cyrus’ verse on Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” and has multiple credits on Latto’s 777 album, including for the single “It’s Givin.” Recently, she landed songwriting credits on SZA’s no. 1 album SOS for the song “Low” and on Chlöe’s forthcoming solo debut album for the song “Pray It Away.” “I can be anybody as a songwriter,” she says. “Like the song I wrote with Chloe, ‘Pray It Away.’ [I wrote] ‘Fuck n—a, fuck n—a, I just learned to hate from a fuck n—a.’ I would never say that. It’s like being in a movie. I can be any character.” 

Last year, just before Beyonce’s Renaissance album was released, she learned the singer had transformed a demo she’d co-written and titled “Right Here, Right Now” into the six-minute disco track “Virgo’s Groove.” “Beyonce turned that s–t into a masterpiece,” Jozzy says, noting the original production sounded like Houston R&B. “We had a great song, but the way she colored it … it’s crazy.” 

Jozzy says she now has the management and legal team to help ensure she’s being fairly compensated for her work with other artists, but she still laments the idea that songwriters should be “ghostwriters” or underpaid. “There [are] people trying to fight for us, but we need a union. There are a lot of songwriters that are struggling,” she says, noting she believes they should be paid on the frontend, even if it’s only a couple thousand dollars, in the same way that producers are. 

“These songwriters are broke. It’s sick. If you don’t want songwriters, just put the beat on the radio and see how it goes,” she quickly adds. “I tell people I work with, ‘Are you going to be on the right side of history or the wrong side of history? Because I’m telling. I’m calling your name out.’”

Lately, she’s been working hard to save some of her songwriting magic for her own releases, too. While attending the Wireless Festival in London last year, when she got an idea to film the visuals for the reflective single “Alone.” In the video, which was co-directed by Diddy, she wanders the dark streets in Paris ruminating on her desire for companionship. At one point, she performs on a sidewalk with the Eiffel Tower — a singular symbol of Paris that for forty years was the tallest structure in the world — behind her, before being joined by Diddy for his signature dance, the Diddy Bop.

Jozzy says she wanted to use the Eiffel Tower as a symbol of the isolation she was feeling both in the song and in her own personal life at the time. “If you look at the Eiffel Tower, it sits alone. But it’s so beautiful,” she says. “It’s the irony of being in Paris and I was really going through some s–t with a girl. Who wants to be alone in Paris? Shawty was supposed to be out [there] with me.”

The year has certainly started off on a high note, but Jozzy is always looking forward to her next songwriting credit and her next project as an artist. She hopes to release a new project before the end of the year and she’s been working with famed choreographer Laurieann Gibson to prepare for future live performances.

But, for now, she’s just hoping to keep bringing attention to Songs for Women. “I just want to continue to get more ears on it, she says. “Keep getting new fans.”