Will Jason Mraz Be Coming To Malaysia Any Time Soon? We Ask The Man Himself
The 'I'm Yours' singer is set to release a new album in August.
By Samantha Khor — 29 Jun 2018, 11:26 AM
It's been a while since we've heard from Jason Mraz
Often cutting a familiar figure with his trusty guitar and occasional fedora onstage, Malaysian fans would fondly remember the singer-songwriter for bringing his chill vibes to Kuala Lumpur in 2009 and 2012.
Though the Mraz has somewhat kept a low profile since wrapping up the tour for his fifth album Yes!, which was released in 2014, the I'm Yours singer is set to step into the spotlight again as he prepares for the upcoming release of his sixth studio album, Know.
In a phone interview with SAYS, the I'm Yours singer caught us up on what he's been up to in the past few years and dropped hints about a possible concert in Malaysia next year:
SAYS: Hi Jason! First off, would you mind catching us up on what you've been up to since wrapping up the Yes! tour?
Jason Mraz (JM): Wow, that's a big question. It's been about three years since I finished that tour, but basically I finished that tour, went and got married, and took some time off to just be a good husband.
JM: I also spent some time, lots of time writing and exploring and reading... and diving into many personal interests. Many things, so that I could write a new record, which is kind of the culmination of that time. I did some time on Broadway (as Dr. Pomatter) in Waitress, and then I finished the record and I'm putting it out this year!
It seems like there was a big gap but I've stayed pretty busy.
SAYS: It seems like such a short time has passed, but it's been 10 years since I'm Yours came out! How has the evergreen popularity of the song been like for you?
JM: Wow, that song has reached so many ears. The thing I hear the most is that people walk down the aisle to it, or the first dance at their wedding... and I love that. That what they're hearing in the song, is that they're giving themselves over to something new, that they're giving themselves over to someone else.
I've gotten so many letters and met so many people who've said that it's their wedding song, and that's a beautiful thing. That's a beautiful thing.
SAYS: Now let's talk about your new single, Have It All, which we heard was inspired by a conversation you had with a Buddhist monk. How did that come about?
JM: It's a very long story. There's gonna be a movie coming out about the story, coz it's gonna be too long to mention. I actually wrote it back in 2013 and forgot about it. But only because I write a lot of songs, and I'd put it in the pile and just... forgot about it.
I rediscovered it in 2017, and then myself and (long-time collaborator) Raining Jane, we brought it up to speed, recorded it, and now we're sharing it with the world! It's coming out in a time where I think we're ready for a song like this - to remember to cheer each other on, because life is tough, and not compete with each other, to want to give to one another.
SAYS: You've just announced that your sixth album will be coming out on 10 August. What can we expect from the new record?
JM: It will sound very similar to albums you've heard before. It gonna include songs you might have heard before from live shows.
It's an album about love and knowledge, and that's why the album is called Know. You have a big heart on the front cover because knowledge is power, and the heart is a flower.
SAYS: So you've been to Malaysia twice, though we're kinda sad that you didn't stop by when you went to Singapore in 2014...
JM: *laughs*
SAYS: ... With the new album coming up, and we're assuming you're gonna be touring for that as well, are there any plans for you come back to Malaysia in the near future?
JM: Oh, definitely. Yeah, we're working on that right now. It'll probably be some time in early 2019, trying to figure that out right now.
