Jay Som’s “Cards On The Table” Is a Hypnotic, Heartfelt Comeback

Jay Som is back, and she’s coming for your heart. “Cards On The Table” is the second taste of Belong, her first album in over six years, and it’s pure electronic pop bliss — think shimmering synths, glitchy drum patterns, and the soft ache of vocals that sound like they’re whispering right into your headphones. Lexi Vega (Mini Trees) joins in, adding a featherlight harmony that makes the song feel even more intimate.
It’s about the messy, sometimes brutal side of friendship — the fights, the misunderstandings, and the cycle of people leaving and reappearing in your life. But instead of going big and dramatic, Duterte keeps things low-key and hypnotic, letting the beat pulse like a slow heartbeat under everything.
Belong, due 10 October via Lucky Number, is shaping up to be Jay Som’s most collaborative and adventurous record yet. After her acclaimed 2019 album Anak Ko, Duterte stepped into a producer’s chair for some of indie music’s most celebrated names — from boygenius and Lucy Dacus to Troye Sivan and beabadoobee — while quietly expanding her sonic toolkit. The album will feature guest spots from Hayley Williams, Jim Adkins, and Lexi Vega, adding new voices to her lush, genre-shifting sound.
If “Cards On The Table” is your first dip back into Jay Som’s world after six years, it’s a warm — if slightly melancholy — welcome to a record that promises to be worth the wait.

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