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Jai’Len Josey and Xavier Omär are currently on the road together, and the contemporary R&B duo made a pit stop in California’s scenic Alabama Hills on Friday (Dec. 5) to deliver an intimate performance of their soulful “Painting the Stars” collaboration, which serves as the first installment of Feeture’s COLLABs original series.
The weathered mountains coupled with an amber sunset made for a picturesque backdrop. Seated on tree logs with friends circling around as if Josey and Omär were the center of a smoldering bonfire, instead of embers, though, the duo’s honeyed vocals filled the crisp air of the Cali plains.
“My work with Xavier fine-tuned my R&B palette in the best way, and my time with Feeture expanded how I see the art of collaboration which I believe is the highest form of art,” Josey told Billboard. “Joining forces for our first collab on the Feeture platform felt like merging two worlds into something bigger than us, and now we get to bring that to life on tour.”
Further exploring the connection with a romantic partner, “Painting the Stars” landed on Xavier Omär’s HunnyMoon Mountain project earlier this year, and the evocative live performance gave the soothing tune a second life, with some help from friends serving as back-up vocalists.
“Working with Jai’Len was a privilege for me,” Omär added. “She has such a natural feel for the way a song should progress and her verse hit every mark that I needed for the song. The opportunity to have her join the tour was a no-brainer for me. As a live performer, she is an absolute force and I can’t wait for my fan base to see that.”
The San Antonio-bred crooner will continue his North American trek with Josey providing support. Next up, the pair is set to perform in Atlanta on Saturday (Dec. 6) before heading to New York City’s famed LPR, Dallas and San Francisco later this month.
“As an artist, I know the magic that happens when you share a stage and bring a record to life with someone you respect,” shared Feeture co-founder and CCO Ed Ponton Jr. “That’s the spirit behind COLLABS. Feeture was created to make moments like that possible, and launching with Jai’Len Josey and Xavier Omär feels like the perfect beginning.”
Watch the “Painting the Stars” performance below.
