CJ Wiley questions ideals in eclectic alt-Americana ballad “People Please”

Hazy guitars and bold drums set the tone for the song along with an eclectic mist of sound that immediately compels. CJ’s sultry tones slip into the mix, bold and unwavering. “I’m tired of giving too much” they crone, the expert vocals skipping across the treble clef, pointing to the hoops people pleasers have to jump through to be seen. CJ flips the script on their oppressor singing “people please me,” as the distorted soundscape seems to swallow them within, anger and resentment filling the spaces where fulfillment should be. With piano keys tip-toeing across the scale, the song points to the battle people pleasers feel to live up to certain expectations, even if the resulting neglect of themselves leads to a slow downfall.

“‘People Please’ challenges the music industry’s ideals of who I should be and what success looks like,” CJ says of the track. “For too long I let others dictate my sound, my image, and who I was supposed to be. But I’ve realized I need to create art that truly represents me. It’s about being fed up with people trying to put you in a box and fighting to reclaim your authenticity.”

While this was written as a personal story, CJ says the feeling is universal: “This song is for anyone who’s been told they weren’t good enough, felt the pressure to change to succeed, and lost themselves in the process. I’m committed to being myself, even if it means risking failure. I’m done trying to please anyone — people please me.”

Smooth and compelling with its warm edges of R&B, this Broken Social Scene-inspired single is just one track off Toronto-based CJ’s debut LP So Brand New. Inspired by the likes of Elliot Smith and Radiohead, the new album explores topics of gender identity, love, addiction, and healing. A balance between sober truths and playfulness, it comes imbued with CJ’s signature contemporary Americana sound that combines ‘90s slacker rock, grunge, and contemporary pop. From the questioning of capitalism in “Get Paid”, co-written with Tokyo Police Club's Dave Monks, to exploring gender fluidity in “Growing Out My Hair”, the album explores topics across the board that entice CJ as both an artist and individual.