Manchester LGBTQ+ star Jsky is marking Valentine's Day by showing a different side to himself on his new EP. The EP, called Celfie, is inviting fans to fall in love with their own 'inner Célfie.'
Singer-songwriter Jsky, real name Jason Warner, says Celfie is "honest, sassy, relatable and with a level of perspective that can only come from living and breathing life on the Manchester scene" and he says it shows "another face to Jsky", who was one of the body positive influencers on the groundbreaking Channel Four reality show Naked Beach in 2019.
The song Club plays with the idea of intersectionality, access and discrimination within the queer community, and it draws on Jsky's early experiences of Manchester's Gay Village where he says he encountered racism.
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"When I was first coming to terms with my sexuality and saw shows like Queer As Folk set in Manchester, I had this rosy idea that once I accepted who I was, the community would instantly accept me too. That was not my experience, however," he said.
"Most bars and nightclubs wouldn’t even let me in. I was often told 'members only' by doormen or that the venue was full whilst I watched other white men enter without membership or scrutiny.
"If I did ever gain entry to some places, I was mocked by the drag queens performing, made the butt of racist jokes, and ignored by bar staff when trying to order a drink. It was also common to be rejected by people who would confidently say I wasn’t their 'preference' or that they weren’t attracted to black guys before advances were made or even considered."
He added: “In the end I decided to make a name for myself on the straight scene. It’s only in recent years I’ve been able to feel more comfortable.”
Jsky, who hosts BBC Radio Manchester's The Dead Good Show on Wednesdays and presents on Gaydio, the largest LGBTQ+ station in the world, explained about the song: "I had this idea for a song that would welcome everyone who didn’t necessarily fit into the idealised stereotype of what it means and often looks like to be a happy, beautiful and successful homosexual man.
"A song which celebrates all factors of the queer umbrella, equally and unequivocally…trans, pansexual, lesbian…whatever it may be…a club that was a safe space and a celebration of love in all its forms." He added: "I didn’t want to alienate anyone. I know what that feels like.”
Jsky, 35, also sings a tribute to Deansgate on the new EP with a Manchester anthem featuring Salford rapper Fabz. The song, called Deansgate, is an ode to his yesterdays on the Manchester scene.
The track Again talks about the lingering pain from his past that "still stings despite success", and how it has shaped the person he is today, while Legs celebrates one of his best assets.
Last year he performed the main stage at Manchester Pride and was selected to carry The Queen's Baton in July on its journey across the Commonwealth. Jsky became the first person to perform this feat in heels and the fashionista carried the symbolic baton at MediaCityUK in Salford.
He was chosen to represent the north west of England for his contribution to the arts, charity and for inspiring through fashion and the media. He said he wanted to show the "power of femininity" and raise "pride visibility" during the proud moment.
He ran from the Lowry Theatre to the BBC at Quay House in a pair of strappy white high heels. Cheered on by his proud mum he became the first to ever participate in heels since the first Queen's Baton Relay in 1958.
In December he was honoured to be asked to perform a spoken word piece with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra at their annual Christmas concert with BBC Radio Manchester. This month he was shortlisted for Major of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham's Artist of the Month with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.
His latest collection boasts elements of modern pop, R&B, afrobeat, reggaeton, house and electronic music. "This is a record that celebrates who you are, and where you are from...what you have been through and what you deserve," he said. Célfie is released on all major streaming platforms on February 14 via WorldofJsky Records and is now available to pre-order.
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