The pop-R&B artist extraordinaire has come out with his latest EP, and just like he’s at home, we see James Reid at his most transparent yet.

Synonymous to the record’s title, Reid has touched base with his roots with this feature, combining experiences from his past and reliving through the perspective of the present. Released last November 29, the EP is a mellow pop embodiment of the hitmaker’s coming to his own, as he detailed during the EP’s launch. “I feel like I am so comfortable in my own skin right now. I’m so happy with the people who are around me, the relationships that I have, I think this EP is a reflection of that.” In this light, the six-track feature is a warm homecoming, raw and transparent with his honest thoughts.

This sentiment is perfectly reflected in the EP’s fourth track, “Hurt Me Too,” which explores an unseen side to the artist. There’s a brutal honesty to the song, one that brings out the conflict in love and hurt. Here, Reid doesn’t shy away from putting himself at his most vulnerable: “It’s scary for people to really see you, and I think the special thing about writing a song like ’Hurt Me Too’ or ‘Sandal’ or anything like that, it’s scary that people might actually see you and know how you feel.”

In a previous exclusive interview held with Billboard Philippines, the artist delved into the meaning of “Hurt Me Too”, “The main sentiment I came up with was, ‘I swear I gave you my best.’ ‘Cause sometimes, you really give your all even though they may not see it. You try your best and it’s just not enough. Sometimes, it just happens like that. It’s just not enough. That relationship or that friendship, whatever it is, comes to an end.”

The new record also features a number of songs written in Tagalog, like “Mirasol,” “Sandal,” and “Pauwi Na.” In these tracks, James Reid revisits his roots in writing Filipino music. He mentioned that it was random — but somewhat timely — that his 2015 release, “Randomantic” began to trend again. When people would ask him if his current creative direction was geared by the explosion of popularity the song saw, he would admit that most of jgh had already been recorded by that time.

Another song that exemplifies how Reid has come into his own is “Sandal,” where he offers the listener a place of sanctuary and comfort. “That was a very special song for me. And I wrote it, at the time, for someone who really needed to hear it, who really needed someone to open up to, a shoulder to cry on, to rely on. Outside of music, the song meant a lot to me,” the hitmaker noted. Co-written with PLAYERTWO’s very own Luke April, the song portrays a nuanced side to Reid’s signature mellow pop sound, and blends his past with his present.

By no means is James Reid new to the local music and show business scene. His first television stint dates back to 2010 when he was commemorated as the winner for his season of Pinoy Big Brother, and his musical debut followed soon after in 2013 with his Filipino single, “Alam Niya Ba.” Nevertheless, he left acting in 2020 to pursue music at a higher degree, flying to LA to work with various producers and artists. He added that he even flew to Korea for the same purpose.

With all the growth he had experienced, he tied his roots to a fresh perspective in jgh. To him, the record forms a new home to him, “More than just a place that’s a comfortable, more than just a place to put down your things and kick your feet up, more than family, my sense of home is being happy with myself and being comfortable with myself. I feel like, with that feeling, I can take it anywhere.”

This may be just the start to this side of James Reid. During his EP launch, he also mentioned another album expected to come out next year that he already started recording. In his own words, “I realized I have so much more to give with music, and I feel like I’m just getting started, actually.” With more than ten years of experience and stardom under his belt, Reid assures that there’s more of him to uncover with his upcoming releases.

Listen to jgh here: