INTERVIEW: “We Influence Everything”: PJ on The South’s “Sauce” and Opening for J. Cole
The multi-genre songstress gears up for her new album, I Hate You Marcus Johnson
If you were lucky enough to score tickets to either of J. Cole’s State Farm Arena shows this weekend, chances are you had the opportunity to watch opener PJ crush it onstage. The rising star has written for a laundry list of your hip-hop, R&B, and pop artists, and she’s featured on “Legacy,” a fan-favorite track from J. Cole’s latest project, The Fall-Off. Ahead of the show, Art Seen ATL sat down with PJ to talk about her journey, new music, and the significance of this monumental tour.
Like many artists, PJ refuses to limit herself to one genre. “I think the base of everything is ‘Come-Up Music’ and about wanting to be the best version of yourself,” the singer shared. “I think I make inspirational, relatable music and then it has different colors.” She pulls from a variety of sonic realms, but much of her sound was shaped by growing up in the South. Raised in North Carolina and later relocating to Atlanta after a stint in Los Angeles, PJ asserts that the region has a unique “sauce” and “bounciness” to all they do. “I love everything about being from North Carolina and I love everything about being in Atlanta,” she smiled. “We influence everything. There’s a bounce and a rhythm here that you can’t find anywhere else. I say that proudly and I wear that proudly.”
PJ’s latest single, “To the Ones” is an exploration of loss, grief, and rebirth at the end of the relationship. When analyzed on a deeper level, the track spreads awareness for issues like domestic violence and femicide, experiences PJ has seen the effects of in her own life and those of other women in her world. The singer aims to empower women to seek support in these scenarios and know that there is freedom on the other side: “I feel like my music does raise your self-esteem because I feel like it raises mine. [...] I feel like the more self-confidence and self-awareness and self-worth that women have in general, the less likely they are to be in those types of situations.”
Whether writing for Wiz Khalifa, Charlie Puth, Usher, or herself, PJ uses her way with words to bring clarity, healing, and hope to listeners. The songs become a vehicle for her to come to terms with important truths about herself, and she invites others to participate “Sometimes, I kind of ‘big brother/big sister’ myself in my music,” she explained. “Like, I’m practicing the lesson, but I haven’t officially learned that lesson. Even for me, ‘To the Ones’ was a lesson that I hadn’t fully graduated to [when I wrote it], but now it’s kind of aligned. I’m officially over it and I am the one who got away.”
These themes often translate over into the visuals that accompany PJ’s music. For her January EP, Why Do Feelings Matter Anyway, much of the marketing was done in black-and-white. “To the Ones” on the other hand, embraces a richer, warmer look with brighter—but mature—tones. I asked PJ how this evolution mirrored her journey as an artist, and she said that the new era has prompted a deeper dive into presenting the most “vulnerable” and “honest” versions of herself. Moreover, it’s presented a chance for her to experiment with new looks and vibes. “The other artists I look up to are Missy [Elliott] and other people that have left-of-center type visuals, so I always want to dig deeper into that a find a creative way that you haven’t seen before,” she remarked. “I feel like my music is so visual, so it’s going to be movie after movie after movie. That’s what I’m looking for.”
Touring with a collaborator like J. Cole has been a massive accomplishment in PJ’s career thus far. The singer gushed about the chance to share her work with audiences across the country, many of whom would be experiencing her art for the first time. “Being on tour with J. Cole is like God threw me the craziest Hail Mary, and I caught it and I’m running with it,” PJ laughed. “I feel like I’m bringing something that music has been missing, like picking up the ball where Lauryn Hill and Mary J. Blige left off—the ‘umph’ and in-your face [sound].” It’s a moment worth celebrating, and something PJ continues to remind herself to treasure, rain or shine. “I’m most proud of not giving up, embracing the uncertainty, and releasing my urge to be perfect,” she nodded. “All I gotta do is give my all onstage. Sometimes, I might not get a soundcheck, the sound might not be everything, but I’m excited to become better at walking in my purpose and putting that as the overarching thing above everything else.”
2026 has already been an eventful year for PJ, with the release of Why Do Feelings Matter Anyway and this exciting touring opportunity—but she’s just getting started. The singer is gearing up for the release of new single “Two Steps” from I Hate You Marcus Johnson, her next album inspired by “classic” projects with unique sounds on each song. “When people hear it, I just want it to sound like a movie, and I really want to change the sound of music in general,” she explained. “I would like to leave an impression the way that the artists that I looked up to left on me, you know?”
