JAY SOM RETURNS WITH A GUT-PUNCH OF NOSTALGIA AND GROWTH ON “FLOAT” FT. JIM ADKINS

After six long years away from solo releases, Jay Som is back—and she’s not just dipping a toe in. With “Float,” the first taste of her upcoming album Belong (out October 10 via Lucky Number), Melina Duterte emerges sounding sharper, more expansive, and more emotionally locked-in than ever before.
Featuring none other than Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat World, “Float” is a euphoric gut-punch of emo-adjacent indie-rock, steeped in early-2000s nostalgia but never content to coast on aesthetics alone. Duterte’s layered production and Adkins’ unmistakable tone weave together like memory and muscle, recalling the golden era of rock radio without being shackled to it.

But this isn’t some cutesy reunion tour of past influences—Jay Som sounds like someone who’s weathered the in-between years, both in her personal life and professional career. “This song is about desperately trying to hold on to past versions of yourself,” she says. It shows. There’s vulnerability in the bones of this track, offset by a confidence that comes from growth, not posturing.
The return of Jay Som isn’t just exciting—it’s essential. If Float is any indication, Belong is going to be the kind of record that marks a new chapter not just for Duterte, but for the genre at large. She’s no longer proving herself—she’s owning it.