Trevor Jackson has returned with his new single “James Dean.”
On the self-penned track, the singer and actor reflects on his journey to stardom, from his early beginnings in Indiana to making a name for himself in Hollywood. The song is titled after the actor, also from Indiana. (Dean tragically died from a car accident in 1955 at age 24.)
Jackson sings in the first verse: “I know that I come a long way / It took some patience, yeah / Living out here in LA / You don’t know what I done saw, yea / Every single night I pray / And thank Him that I made it this far / In my space coupe still chasin’ the stars.”
“‘James Dean’ was a reflection on how far we’ve come from the country roads and cornfields of Indiana,” Jackson exclusively tells Rated R&B.
He continues, “[It’s] a badge to self that represents all of the challenges that had to be overcome to get to where I am now. With all of good and the not so great, no matter how many experiences we have in between it’ll always come back to my roots.”
“James Dean” arrives ahead of Jackson’s upcoming EP, due later this year It’s Jackson’s first official song release since his 2022 EP Show Me Diamonds. The four-song project was a fusion of R&B and drill music.
“With all due respect to the culture of drill music, I felt the inspiration to add it. That space has turned into ‘drill&b’ and people are loving it,” said Jackson. I had a great time making this project and I wanted my fans to feel the same energy I felt when I made it as they listen in. Here’s a little treat before the holidays.”
While it’s been nearly two years since Jackon put out a project, he’s kept his fans engaged with viral renditions of popular songs like Victoria Monét’s “On My Mama,” Tyla’s “Water” and Coco Jones’ “ICU.”
Jackson released his debut album, The Love Language, in 2021.
Check out Trevor Jackson’s new song “James Dean,” and the official video, below.