Los Angeles-based pop singer-songwriter JORDY had a special person in mind while making his latest album, "BOY": his younger self.
The 28-year-old artist, who rose to fame in 2020 after building a prominent presence on TikTok, just released his sophomore album, which he said is for "that inner-child, the little JORDY that just wanted to feel seen and heard and free."
The newly released 12-track project follows his debut album "Mind Games," which he dropped in 2021.
"The older I get, the more growing pains I feel, and I feel like a lot of the songs were inspired by those growing pains," he said while discussing the new album with "Good Morning America."
"By the end of this collection of songs, when I kind of had them all together, I was trying to figure out what was the bridge between all of them," he said. "And after a lot of therapy this year, and a lot of self work, and just like inner child digging, I really realized that a lot of these behaviors and feelings that I'm having as an adult are deeply rooted in that inner child."
He said that reflection led him to his album title. "Whether it's being an adult, but feeling like a kid at heart, or my social anxieties, or my familial relationships, or heartbreak -- whatever it is -- I feel like all of those feelings were so deeply rooted in this little Jordy that just wanted to feel seen and heard and free," he said.
As a gay man, JORDY said that growing up, he didn't always feel seen in pop music.
"I didn't have a lot of queer artists to listen to, as a kid," he said. "I didn't have the luxury of turning on the radio and hearing myself in the songs that I was listening to."
He said the absence of this visibility led him to create "BOY."
The new album features his hit "Story of a Boy," a reimagined version of Nine Days' 2000 hit "Absolutely (Story of a Girl)". JORDY released the reimagined version of the classic in January 2023 and saw an amazing reaction with its release.
"I have these memories of listening to that song because I heard it everywhere and kind of internally changing the lyrics to fit my perspective," he explained of his process."So I would whisper 'boy' to myself or think it in my head, and it was kind of like my little secret."
The song resonated with the LGBTQ+ community and inspired a viral trend on TikTok, prompting many within the trans community to share their own experiences in videos set to the track.
"When I originally uploaded this sound on TikTok ... little did I know that a lot of trans creators on the platform would use it to showcase their transition from 'This is a story of a girl' to 'This is a story of a boy,'" JORDY explained.
The trend has since racked up millions of views and created a community among trans creators who have been able to see others showcase their stories as well.
"It's a simple love song. But it's enough for the queer community to hear and feel seen and heard," JORDY said. "I think at the end of the day, we just want to hear those simple love songs that we get from so many straight artists, but from that queer perspective."
Speaking with "GMA", Lucas Woods, a creator who participated in the TikTok trend, said, "I saw one of my mutual friends on TikTok, who is also a trans man, participate in this trend. I liked the song and what it represents so I decided I wanted to participate."
JORDY said he hopes his music continues to elevate the LGBTQ+ community and help them feel seen.
"I think the best music is authentic and honest music and so, you know, I'm not going to hide a thing. Any song that I write is inherently queer in my experience, and through like my lens, and I'm very proudly gay and very open about it," he said.
He added, "I'm super happy that it helps speak out for my community and, you know, people in the community are able to hear themselves in the music."