“I’m not somebody that likes to not be doing a million things at once,” said pop singer Jake Brewer, who wears a ton of different hats: NYC resident, recording/touring musician, content creator, 9-5er. “That’s where I’m at right now. It’s actually my New Year’s resolution to sleep more.”

Despite his hectic schedule, Brewer has a lot to look forward to. After the release of his song, “soaring,” just a few months back in October, he’s got another one locked and loaded called “loverboy”, with live shows planned to celebrate.

Brewer, who has moved around from Seattle to San Francisco to Boston and now, for the moment, settling in New York, embraces paying his dues in the big city.

“Apparently, I go out to all the lame spots where all the new transplants go,” he said with a big smile. “But I have no shame in that. I see it as a rite of passage.”

While he may now be accustomed to gigging around New York and Sunday morning coffee on the Lower East Side, he feels like a different artist than he was even two years ago, both before his move to the big city and before COVID hit. “I feel like I shifted into a new genre once the quarantine aspect started,” he said. “I did an album two years ago and, already, I feel like I don’t even know the person who made it anymore.”

Moving back home at the start of COVID, and the stillness of the world at that time, allowed him to reset. “I think I learned so much when there wasn’t a ton of distraction and the only thing I had to do was wake up and work on music,” he said. “That was a gift and privilege that I’ve never really had before. It pushed me as an artist and gave me a lot of clear headspace to focus on it all.”

He then returned to Boston, met his current producer, and began writing the music that he has been trickling out as of late, which is all part of a bigger project.

Brewer, who is long-winded in the most self-aware, thoughtful, and analytical ways possible, has a clear, vivid idea of what he wants his new music to be.

“A lot of the music we’re doing right now has to do so much with recognizing yourself getting older,” he said. “Kind of how you look in a mirror and see yourself differently in good ways, bad way, and ways you want to improve yourself.”

In every aspect, his progression as an artist from earlier projects, such as his Boys Do Cry album from 2019, until now, is notable. But even so, Brewer views all his music as a necessary part of his journey and is able toeffortlessly recount the process behind any song from his discography. “Every single time you write something you feel like it gravitates a little bit more towards what you were meant to create,” he said. “I think that is the most exciting and thrilling thing.”

Despite living through a time in which maintaining your mental health is so vital, you won’t find many songs by contemporary male artists that really show their emotional side in a genuine, authentic way. A few exceptions would be “Purpose” and “Life Is Worth Living” by Justin Bieber, and, more recently, “It’ll Be Ok” by Shawn Mendes. Brewer, who grew up in a family of artists he describes as “comfortably vulnerable,” has always felt like he could put his heart out there for the world to see and hear in his music.

“I think that sort of expression, like, that there is no need to ever hide those feelings, was such a foundational element for me,” he said. “I think once I left that comfortable environment, I realized that not everybody felt. It was, at first, very isolating. There were times I couldn’t turn to people and be that openly emotional person that I very much am, and then songwriting became that outlet. I think that taught me that that is a safe space, from the very beginning.”

From the edgy pop anthem, “Slowly Fell Undone” to the emotional release of “soaring” to the upbeat and exuberant “pilot,” Brewer’s music shows that he is unafraid to tell his story in his own way. That openness allows his listeners to connect in ways he didn’t even think possible.

“You never have that physical reaction, you never witness somebody listening to your song,” he said. “It still blows my mind that I can hop on a stage and people know the song that I’m singing.”

His newest song, “loverboy,” which showcases some of his best vocals yet, is a comedic take on repeatedly getting pegged as “the nice guy” when pursuing a relationship. It is done in a similar vain to Taylor Swift clapping back at her critics with a self-aware wink on “Blank Space.” Instead of trying to be someone he’s not, Brewer takes the nice guy label with a grain of salt.

“Sometimes I don’t always want to be, ‘nice,’” he said with a smile. “The song really documents my time moving to New York and entering a new environment. I can play a character for one night just to see how it feels and then move past it.”

He sings about being called “her favorite guy” and the age-old trope that “nice guys finish last,” playing into the whole idea that he’s never seen as anything more than just a friend, or even a best friend. He’s the guy she’ll take shopping with her or the guy she’ll FaceTime when she wants to spill some tea, but there’s hardly any romance there. His goofy, carefree yell of “OHHHHHHHH YEAH” at the start of the chorus reflects the lighthearted attitude of the song, sort of to say “Welp, I’ve been down this rabbit hole before but let’s see what happens” after being friend zoned once again. Even if everything changes, he’s down to be there in the moment; “I’ll cry tomorrow, I’m her loverboy tonight.”

Some people just seem to have it all figured out. Brewer, who moved to NYC during the confusion and uncertainty of the pandemic, is most definitely one of them, but he’ll never admit to having all the answers. While his days are packed with a variety of different undertakings including music, starting a media company, and being a social media influencer, there isn’t one specific thing he sees himself dedicating himself to.

“I just choose to remain flexible,” he said. “I’m somebody that has always tried to have their hands in multiple things and working in a bunch of different areas. Whatever works out, whatever is making me happiest at the moment…. that is what I’m going to work on.”

“I’ll hold open as many doors as I can, but I’ll never do something I don’t love. Whatever I’m doing, I’m always happy, so I don’t feel like I need to change anything.”

You can listen to “loverboy” now, wherever you stream music. And be sure to follow Jake Brewer on social media via the links below.

Twitter / Instagram / TikTok / YouTube / Website

Buy tickets to his show at Avenue A here.