(New York, NY-November 23, 2018) — Australian recording artist and social media sensation Jai Waetford is pleased to announce today the release of his new single, “Friends,” available now on all digital service providers worldwide via Sony Music Australia. CLICK HERE to listen to the song from the budding pop star that has amassed a combined social media following of 2.2 million, achieved 405 million worldwide streams, scored an ARIA-Gold certified top 10 hitwith his debut single, toured alongside international superstars Selena Gomez and Little Mix, and headlined his own sold out tour in his home country. Jai Waetford is poised for a breakout year as “Friends” marks his first official single to be released in 2018.
“Friends” is co-written by Jai with James Angus (Carmouflage Rose, Tigerilla, Tkay Maidza) who also produced the record. “James and I were trying to find a sound that mashed urban drums with pop instrumentation and vocal melody,” explains Jai of the collaboration. “We then stumbled across this beat James had made a while back, ran with it, and ended up really digging the result.” “‘Friends’ was inspired by situations where the online world and the real world collide. Often people say things online that they wouldn’t say in real life, and ‘Friends’ is about that scenario.”
Not satisfied with simply staying within the realm of music and television, Jai Waetford, the digital savvy 19-year-old recording artist hailing from Australia, has been building his ever-growing online empire that now encompasses more than 880K YouTube, 655K Facebook, 510K Instagram, and 200K Twitter followers. He currently boasts 355,000 monthly listeners on Spotify.
After supporting international superstars Little Mix on their Get Weird Tour in May 2016, and Selena Gomez on her Revival Tour that same year, Jai embarked on his own headlining Australian East Coast tour in 2017, showcasing his infectious pop sound and charismatic stage presence to sold out audiences night after night. Jai is poised for a breakout return to the stage in 2019, and earlier this year gave fans a taste of what’s to come from him musically sharing two new tracks, “Lost In You” and “Get Over.” The moody and melodic R&B songs showcase the now 19-year-old’s musical evolution with the lyrics revealing his vulnerabilities and emotional maturity.
Jai rose to fame at the age of 14 when he finished third on the fifth season of The X Factor Australia, earning recognition from stars like Justin Bieber who said, “I haven’t been impressed like this in a long time.” Jai’s appearance on the show subsequently landed him a recording contract with Sony Music Australia in 2013 and saw his debut single “Your Eyes” hit the top 10on the ARIA’s Singles Chart and go on to become certified Gold by the ARIA. His self-titled debut EP released that same year charted in 16 countries and peaked at #21 on the ARIA’s Albums Chart. EPs Get To Know You (2014), Shy (2015), and Heart Miles (2016) followed, solidifying Jai as a musical force. In between musical projects, Jai secured a recurring role on the Australian soap opera Neighbours.
Jai Waetford’s latest single, “Friends,” is available now on all digital service providers worldwide.