He sings, he dances, he screws! Is there anything this heartthrob can’t do?
By Brandon Voss
If you had asked J. a few months ago to divulge the meaning behind his infectious new single, “Rise & Fall,” he might have fed you some bullshit about wanting to keep the message intentionally vague. J. now gladly lays it all out on the table. “It’s about getting high and having sex,” he admits — which explains why he’s wearing a poppers bottle around his neck in the liner photos. “I like poppers, so I taped myself doing it, took whatever came out of my mouth and made a song out of it.”
This refreshing honesty seems fitting considering J.’s new outlook on music and life. “My last album, Animal, was intense and dramatic, dealing with drugs and abuse,” he explains. “Now I just want to party and sing happy songs.” Before embarking on a cross-country tour, J. celebrates the release of “Rise & Fall” on Sunday, September 26, at Avalon; the charming Adonis will perform in the Chapel and have plenty of CD giveaways on hand.
Giuseppe D approached J. about doing the radio remix of the new single because he was such a fan of the one-lettered wonder, but in order to ensure rotation, the DJ was forced to edit out a few of the raunchier lines. “There’s a part where I go, ‘Don’t cum yet,’ and he took it out!” J. says with a laugh. The single also features additional mixes by Bill Hallquist and MYSTR E, who lend the track a tribal spin and a Euro sensibility, respectively.
A forthcoming remix album of his hit dance singles, including last year’s anthem “So High,” will bridge the gap until another full length album surfaces next year. In the meantime, fans can expect to see more of the performer. Lots more. With the upcoming release of hardcore Michael Lucas videos Auditions Vol. 2 and Manhattan Heat, J. has taken the term “crossover celebrity” in a whole new direction, but a segue into porn was a bit of a shock even for him. “I didn’t mean to do it,” he swears. “I went to Michael Lucas because I wanted him to direct my video.” After the lothario asked J. to show him the goods, Lucas made our young crooner an offer. “I wasn’t sure if it was the right choice,” J. admits, “but I finally said, ‘Okay, let’s fucking do it.’”
Some programmers have already dismissed J. simply because he openly courts the gay market. “I’m gay,” J. explains. “It’s a fact. So what? Why can’t someone just be who they are and make it work? Do I have to be Ricky Martin?” But this multi-talented stud doesn’t worry that a triple-X turn will hinder his music career, hoping instead that the videos will attract curious new fans. “Besides,” adds J., “it’s just fucking sex.”
With that attitude, it’s surprising to learn that in filming the act, J. doubled the amount of people he’d had sex with in his entire life. “I love sex, but I’m just so busy! People usually need more attention than I can give them,” he confesses. Potential suitors should be warned: “With my recording career and porn? That’s a lot for a new boyfriend to take on.”
Busy as he is, J. still hits the dance floors at SBNY, Avalon, and Roxy, counting Peter Rauhofer, Chad Jack, and Junior Vasquez as his favorite DJs. But until Alegria earlier this month, J. was a circuit virgin. “It was sooo fun!” he gushes. “I was just dancing and the next thing I knew I’m up on the platform, pants down, yelling ‘DJ!’ — I was going ca-razy! But I should have some fun, right?” From the sound of his hot new single and the looks of that breathtaking bod, he’s certainly earned it.
HX, September 2004.
Photo: Lucas Entertainment