Joe P releases cinema-worthy single 'Don't Wanna Love U'

After his alluring 2022 EP, French Blonde, alt artist Joe P returns and kicks off his new era of music with the cinema-worthy single, ‘Don’t Wanna Love U’. Lyrically, the song is a melancholic one, pulling from the heartbreaking experience of loving someone you shouldn’t. “Basically, it’s the saddest song I’ve ever written dressed up in a happy song’s clothes,” the New Jersey native shared. 

The “happy clothes” in question: an edgy, vibe-setting guitar riff, an indie-influenced vocal rasp, and a standout chorus build up that is destined for blasting on an obscure highway with all four windows down. While it isn’t technically to say, ‘Don’t Wanna Love U’ just feels like the first track on a fleshed-out fall playlist. It sets a transformative tone as we transition from summer to fall.

In addition to the the sonically aesthetic appeal, the single is admirably vulnerable all the way to the end where Joe P sings “oh please come back”, before bouncing back into the chorus one last time, speaking in circles with the contradicting lines “I don’t want to love you” and “I can’t help but love you”. 

Joe P pairs the new release with his fall tour announcement, traveling from Maryland to his hometown of Jersey City while hitting a whopping six stops in California along the way.

Cover Photo: Jimmy Fontaine