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J Terrell Unleashes Genre-Defying Track "Cowboy Tango" and Shares the Vision Behind This Bold New Sound


Person in a white shirt and bejeweled hat poses against an orange backdrop, exuding confidence. Bright lighting highlights their face. J Terrell - The Cage, a music blog powered by Cage Riot
 Photos provided by: J Terrell

By: Staff



J Terrell’s "Cowboy Tango" is a fearless masterpiece that redefines musical boundaries with unmatched creativity.



Get ready to dive into the world of groundbreaking sounds and boundary-pushing creativity with the latest release from J Terrell, “Cowboy Tango.” This track is unlike anything you’ve heard before, a fearless blend of R&B, funk, rap, soul, and a touch of country that defies genres while capturing the essence of what it means to take risks in music. We recently spoke with J Terrell to get the inside scoop on the inspiration behind this dynamic track and the larger-than-life journey that led to its creation.


“Cowboy Tango” is more than just a song; it’s a celebration of freedom, fun, and creative rebellion. We dug deep into how J Terrell’s musical evolution has shaped this bold new direction, how the song’s eclectic mix reflects both personal growth and experimentation, and what makes this track a perfect introduction to his upcoming album.


From exploring his roots in Dallas to embracing imperfections as a true foundation for musical excellence, J Terrell opened up about what it takes to break from tradition and make music that speaks to both the heart and the soul. There’s a lot more to this artist than meets the eye, and the answers to our questions only made us more intrigued.


So, don’t miss this interview, get ready for a glimpse into the mind of one of the most exciting voices in music today!



Man wearing a white shirt and cowboy hat with fringe, posing confidently against a pink background. Edgy and vibrant. J Terrell - The Cage, a music blog powered by Cage Riot


Here’s how it went:



Begin Interview:

Hello J Terrell, we’re thrilled to have you here for this interview! We've had an amazing time exploring your music and diving into your creative journey. Now, we’re even more intrigued to get a deeper look into both your brand and your personal and professional inspirations.


Q: OK, first off we just want to say that this is a truly innovative and one-of-a-kind album. The style, musical arrangement, and especially your exceptional vocal delivery are outstanding. Is this something you consider your very own style and has been your style, or is it something you’ve recently or at some point evolved into?

A. To start, thank you very much for the compliments on my album and arrangements. The style really pays homage to a large sum of the inspirations I pull from, along with the goal of it being a journey. I am an artist that yields to the musical project, that helps me be a chameleon to adjust to all of the musical fields. It just takes away the limitations I had put on myself before, so flexibility is my evolution.



Q: What was the turning point when you transitioned from music being more of a hobby or side project to sharing it with a worldwide audience, setting the stage for the powerful and viable career we’re witnessing now?

A. Music has always had a large amount of stock in my navigation of this world and facilitated my victories to meet me in spaces of defeat. Although it is something I took so seriously, I felt undeserving, I had to finally bet on myself after a long time of counting myself out.



Q: While all of your tracks are fantastic, we can’t help but feel like the opening track “Shark” is a standout. You have an R&B element that you’ve completely retooled into something fresh and different, especially the vocal presentation. Can you tell us a little bit more about this song and what it means to you?

A. Shark is the opening track to let the guest know that we are starting the adventure. There’s comedy, nuance, nods to the past shoved into the present. It means a lot for me to open with a confident song, showing a big change in my relationship to music. It is supposed to be funk, soul, simple and obvious. That’s the point of the full project: it's supposed to bring a large lightheartedness. Because what better way to start a guided trip, than with a Shark.



Q: Where does the magic of your music production begin? Do you kick things off in your home studio, or do you team up with an outside producer? And when it's time to wrap things up, do you handle the mixing and mastering yourself, or bring in someone to help perfect it?

A. So I selected music production projects that were almost final or finalized since production is something I used to do often I was able to alter and modify after licensing for the songs to meet my needs and timing I had planned. The formatting, mastering and of course the writing and composition are mine.



Q: How does performing these songs live compare to how you present them in the studio?

A. During the draft of Cowboy Tango, I got the opportunity to perform live and it really did elevate the lyrics and helped me kind of amplify the impact and see how crowds receive the ideas, messages and themes. It was a really rewarding experience to see people reflect the lighthearted energy of the music and also enjoy themselves.



Q: You’ve described your sound as a mix of R&B, funk, rap, soul, and even country. Who were the trailblazing artists before you that have helped define this sound that we are calling out early as a definite standout and creative and award-winning sound?

A. There are so many trailblazers that you really wouldn't think to put together in community through this project. There’s not only obvious references to champions like Stevie Wonder and Rick James who elevated sound beyond R&B, there are sound staple sentiments from Cee Lo Green, T Pain, Anderson Paak, Kid Cudi, Usher and so much more even beyond Fleetwood Mac and Garth Brooks. I'm influenced by what I hear now from independent artists like LEON and Hozier and even Maggie Rogers. The past and present are all at our limetless disposal so it's only fair to see the influence is shared.



Q: "Cowboy Tango": The title "Cowboy Tango" suggests a blend of contrasting elements. What was the inspiration behind the album name, and how does it relate to the themes of the project?

A. The cowboy tango is a nod to the blend of items and contrast on the album. It also hints at what to expect, with several songs that make you want to move, the journey of the project is like a cowboy. And of course having upbeat and slow country songs shining through the projects as the most obvious songs. - The title comes from a song that is fun and suggestive, Backstroke…



Q: Your album is described as a journey of storytelling through sound. How do you approach storytelling in your music, and how do you balance narrative with musical experimentation?

A. I love lyrical double entendres to help guide the listener to hear some ambivalence. Words are fun! The musical production sets the tone and mood now all you need are the words for the script or story to let the listener have a full immersive experience. I balance it well by layering it, yielding to the musical tone and sometimes either skating around it leaves the listener thinking or just wanting to listen again.



Q: You mention that Cowboy Tango is about having fun with music. We can attest to that! How do you incorporate playfulness into your work, and why do you think it’s important for listeners to experience that joy?

A. This project was fully about fun with boundaries on music and how I wanted to show up to really connect it all. I play with sound first, then I play with the message. While some items of the project should feel familiar, nothing is completely expected or mundane. Even the songs that take less risk vocally, have really rich lyrics with light or deeper messages. It is so important for artists to feel joy in musical projects because music should take you to where they have felt it- or bring them to where they need to feel it. Music is a tool to warm up those heart strings to ease them or pull on them.



Q: "Juice" and "Punch" as Singles: With tracks like “Juice” and “Punch” setting the stage for Cowboy Tango, how did those singles serve as a preview of what’s to come in the album? What role do they play in establishing the album’s overall vibe?

A. Juice and Punch set the ink for the map of the full Cowboy Tango project. In spite of the titles being close in theme, the messages are different, and so are the sounds. One song is filled with camp confidence, humor and is light, while its sibling is completely romantic, yearning and fun. But that tells the listener that the family of songs they are being introduced to branch out and lets the listener give up expectations.


Juice, for how ridiculous it is, it is the most established of the entire album and is actually a more honest song. As an artist there is an inflated idea from presentation and want to execute and it rubs people the wrong way, but that was a song that was scrapped the most times- much more than any other I had written because as a human confidence is and was a battle fought often.



Q: You’ve stated that Cowboy Tango is meant for “dreamers, dancers, new trips, and old stories.” How do you strike a balance between creating music that appeals to a broad audience while staying true to your personal vision?

A. I keep honest to my vision as an artist by not very limiting myself or my audience. When I’m not out saving the world from the villains of music, my job is to keep and hold a vision that sees everyone. Every time I have musically excluded myself I found myself loving the challenge.



Q: You’ve described your music as experimental, especially with "Cowboy Tango." We feel more like this translates into you being a creator of new sounds, and that is proof in this album. Do you start off with an idea of a sound or does it travel down a road in your mind?

A. It’s hard to pick what foundation I build on for a song, sometimes it is a melody that is an earword until you give in and write it, other times the story arrives first. With Juice it was a feeling of kicking doubt in the face: I knew it had to be funky, the chorus came first and I built it around that. Then had so much fun framing it together.



Q: You’re based in Dallas, but your music draws from a wide array of influences. How do your roots in Dallas shape your music, and how do you incorporate your personal experiences into the stories you tell through song? Does Dallas have a strong music scene?

A. So- I am actually not a native to Dallas, I have moved many times. For example the song juice is a nod to the movie juice, which stars the late Tupac, who went to the Baltimore School of the Arts, which is the city I was born in. Dallas was actually my first real-full go as an Artist beyond production, mc’ing and writing. And my influences come from other musicians and places I have been and also places I want to go. But Dallas does have a very strong music scene especially for upcoming artists, I mean on a map the roads look like a spider web, a full network.



Q: The "Cowboy Tango" is described as an imperfect dance, done on purpose. This is the perfect explanation and the most unique we have heard to date. Plus, we feel imperfection is the true foundation for musical excellence. How do you approach imperfection in your music, and why is it something you embrace rather than shy away from?

A. If I only communicated perfectly I wouldn't be a human, communicating imperfectly got us slang, new communication, bigger networks and sub communities. It's also not just a great foundation for how we as a society establish community, Imperfection is a real sweet starting point. I can only grow in communicating myself better with time, with knowledge. Imperfection is also honesty. That's how we got most bedroom pop or odds and ends in hiphop.



Q: You mention that the album challenges listeners to let loose, laugh, and get lost in the music. How do you think music, specifically your music, can serve as an outlet for joy in people's lives? Should it be a shared experience?

A. My music, my album pulls on so many different sides of joy. The feeling of celebration, hope, humor and pulls no punches in presenting the listener with different ways to find joy. My album is full of some ridiculous songs, some fantasy themes, you can laugh at me, with me. It's all guiltless guilty pleasure, some obvious, some not. Music is set to be shared.



Q: Now that your fans have had a chance to learn more about your project, we want to dive into something that’s just as important: your name. For those meeting you for the first time, is J Terrell your given name or a stage name? As we’ve seen, your fans are sure to become deeply invested in your music, and they’ll be curious about the meaning behind everything that makes up your artistic journey. So, when it comes to your artist name, how does it connect with the music you’re creating? What’s the story behind it, and what does your name represent to you and to the fans who are just getting to know you?

A. J. Terrell is a big nod to my given name. J, comes from my first legal name, its of course simplified. Then of course Terrell also comes from my birth name. From my middle name, that is in my family from my late uncle. The name is like any other name where it holds history and feels very present. I struggled with my name a large amount on my artistic journey. I know a name is everything and I fought with certain concepts of presentation , should I be one name like “Prince or Cher” or should I have a completely different name entirely. This is the only name that ended up feeling like mine, while allowing my family to be there for me kinda. I had always let other people choose my name or even how they see me. This was a choice I made that felt honest for where I am in my heart with my journey as an artist.



Q: And finally, what’s next? We can't thank you enough for sharing these intimate details! Can you give us the inside scoop on your upcoming projects and what fans should be excited about? We'd love to be the first to share the news!

A. So with me there's usually more, there will always probably be a glimmer, a lead, a sound and inspiration. I have another project currently on the way. I am excited for all that will go into the final cuts-since I am a lyricist and always writing. I actually am planning for my next release, a campy, steamy, halloween themed song ahead of the holiday. It is set to be a funk-rock song. I am excited to see how it is received but there is a lot of work in the works…itll be magical to say the least.



J Terrell, thank you so much, we appreciate you taking the time to talk to us!



End Interview



We’re happy to have shared J Terrell’s exciting journey with you and uncovered such inspiring insights about their creative process.


Now, click the links below to experience this incredible work firsthand!








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