New Artist Review: Jacob Whitesides, Singer-Songwriter

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I discovered a delightful singer-songwriter prodigy on Spotify the other day. You might have heard his ad that plays on stations similar to his. If not, I'd like to share him with you.

His name is Jacob Whitesides; he's a young Tennessean. He's got a voice like John Legend meets Jack Johnson meets a less-annoying version of John Mayer.

When I called him a prodigy above, I was serious.

Whitesides taught himself how to sing and play guitar at the age of 13 — quite early in the context of modern lifespans. Prodigies in Mozart's day blossomed at 4 and lived to be 40, if they were lucky. (Mozart wasn't lucky.)

Four years after picking up that first guitar, Whitesides has kept going. And going. He has 1.58 million Twitter followers, multiple other high-traffic social media channels, and an EP. He still doesn't have a record deal, but, NBD, he created his own label, JW Records.

It seems like he doesn't need the traditional methods, if you ask me.

Here's one of the six songs on his EP. It's about youthful yearnings to communicate your love in a way that will be understood and received.

"Words," by Jacob Whitesides, age 17

I wanna tell you you're beautiful,
In a way that you have not heard before,
But I don't think it's gonna work,
Cause I'm not good with words.

I wanna tell you you're the reason why,
The earth spins and the stars hang in the sky,
But I don't think it's gonna fly,
Cause I'm not good with words.

If only I could find a way,
To say it like them poets say,
Sing a sweet and simple serenade,
Directly to your heart.

If only I could speak aloud,
Just what I feel when you're around,
I'd finally confess my love in verse,
But I'm not good with words.

If I was just like Shakespeare,
Whispering sweet sonnets in your ear,
I'd tell you everything you want to hear,
But I'm not good with words.

If only I could find a way,
To say it like them poets say,
Sing a sweet and simple serenade,
Directly to your heart.

If only I could speak aloud,
Just what I feel when you're around,
I'd finally confess my love in verse,
But I'm not good with words.

Sentences or conversation,
Oh words they only bring me complication,
And when it comes to love,
I'm useless just full of bad excuses,
And confessions gone unheard.

If only I could find a way,
To say it like them poets say,
Sing a sweet and simple serenade,
Directly to your heart.

If only I could speak aloud,
Just what I feel when you're around,
I'd finally confess my love in verse,
But I'm not good with words.

This song speaks to that still-scared place inside many adults that wonders, "Will I be accepted just as I am?" and "Are my methods good enough?"

I think we all go through these phases, whether in adolescence, or over and over in adulthood.

Thanks to Jacob Whitesides, we have another voice in the music world affirming we are not alone.

I can't wait to see the places you'll go, Jacob. Your talent and heart — and even your looks — remind me of my little brothers. God bless you on your journey.

Connect with Jacob Whitesides

If you want to buy his EP, you can visit Whitesides' beautifully designed website, JacobWhitesides.com. He also is on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Vine. (This "old lady" is getting tired just linking to all these sites!)

Share your feedback

Have a listen to his other music on YouTube. I'd love to hear from you: Which song(s) do you like? Why?

Read more of my blog posts about music here.

About Post Author

Rachel E. Watson

I think, read and write. I might mull on music, spin original poems, share insights or tell stories, but you can be sure whatever you read here comes from a thoughtful and considered place within.

Rachel E. Watson