Jubël Refreshes Ne-Yo Classic "So Sick"
Swedish pop duo, Jubël (Sebastian Atas, Victor Sjöström recently released their reimagining of the R&B staple, “So Sick.” The 2000s hit that was originally performed by Ne-Yo takes on a new life with Jubël’s signature ‘feel-good’ sonic style. It’s been a fan-favorite in the duo’s live sets for a few years, and it was finally time to make a studio version available. The record nods to the original’s R&B roots while not straying away from the familiar sounds Jubël is known for. Pop Nerd Lounge had the opportunity to speak with Sebastian and Victor about the release, and they gave us a peek into what to expect for new music.
The Ne-Yo R&B classic ‘So Sick’ is such an iconic 2000s hit! What inspired you guys to give your reimagination of the record?
Victor: We love the original and it's been with us since our teenage years, being heartbroken and listening to it on repeat. A couple of years ago, I think it was in 2018, we were in the studio for a late-night session, drinking whiskey to help the creativity (laughing) and was about to do our first live show ever. We didn't have enough music for the set so we started to talk about songs that have been meaningful to us and Sebbe was jamming on “So Sick.” I (Victor) said let’s do something with it. Sebbe was a bit hesitant at first since it is such an iconic song and perfect exactly how it is, but this release is an homage to Ne-Yo and to this great song. We are fanboying Ne-Yo 100%. After performing it at the show – the response was really great – and we have been playing it live ever since. It’s been with us ever since, natural on our set, and since we now FINALLY will get back to touring again we just wanted to do something for the fans who have been with us for years and dming us to release it.
Your EP, 6115 Orange St, was full of dynamic records. Is there something that sonically marks ‘So Sick’ as your next era/chapter of music?
Sebastian: There is a lot of new music coming out this year and “So Sick” kickstarts this new chapter. The sound will be a bit different from track to track but still with the Jubël touch to it. We hope that the ones liking our music can hear the Jubël sound in our releases. I think someone in our team referred to it as a “feelgood vibe” and I think it kind of sums it up.
Your last cover, “Dancing In The Moonlight” went viral. Do you feel any pressure for this release to have a similar outcome?
Sebastian: Not really, of course we always want our music to be heard by as many as possible and going viral helps achieve that. We try not to compare songs to previous releases, they all have different stories and that's the fun part with releasing new music. The day we start feeling that we have to achieve certain things we will start losing the reason why we are doing this. It is all about passion, love for music and playing with the production. We are songwriters, artists and producers and are living with music 24/7. We will always create and work with music, there is no Plan B. This is what we live for.
If you could turn “So Sick” into a feature with any artist who would it be?
Victor: Would be awesome to actually have Ne-Yo on it! Ne-Yo HIT US UP! DM, call, message us. And we hope you like our version, if not – don’t let us know.
Which song would you rather give your own twist to, “Sexyback” by Justin Timberlake or Usher’s “Yeah?”
Sebastian: ”Sexyback” for sure, we love that Timbaland era! Everything about that song is just perfection, especially the production.
What can we expect for the next Jubël project?
Victor: A lot of new music with very exciting collaborations and also a Europe tour is coming up. Looking forward to finally going out and seeing our fans. We love to see who is listening to our music and also get direct feedback from the audience during shows. We often play unreleased music during live sets to see the reaction as we decide on new singles. We are really excited to release music more frequently this year. We have so much music to share and can’t wait for everyone to hear it!
Special thanks to Jubël for the interview, listen to “So Sick” wherever you stream music.