Jason Mraz: Love is a 4-letter word

MANILA, Philippines – “Love is a 4-letter word,” proclaims Jason Mraz in his new album. But the award-winning singer-songwriter is quick to note that he makes it sound so trivial in order to highlight how truly great and grand it is.

“Love is every single thing you could think of. It’s mind-bending trying to define it, or grab it, or own it. It can make you say some things you shouldn’t be saying,” he told Rappler in a phone interview.

Compared to his previous albums “Waiting for My Rocket to Come” (2002), “Mr. A-Z” (2005), and “We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things.” (2008), “Love Is A Four Letter Word” mellows down and banks on pure emotion. It highlights raw, acoustic sounds that evoke a variety of moods: longing, joy, sadness, and — ultimately — love.

“Each song is inspired by completely different things,” he explained. “Writing is something I love to do, something I love doing. The album is a labor of love. Life inspires the album.”

“93 Million Miles,” a soulful and light tune speaking of a special place called home, is particularly close to the singer’s heart.

“It’s a different song about peace of mind, being at home wherever you are, and just choosing to stand still and being grateful for your journey — knowing that wherever you are, you’re home,” he said.

“I love that it just feels so good to sing that and be that and have that as a mantra.” 

Watch the video for ’93 Million Miles’ here:

Art and activism

If anything is to be said about Mraz’s music, it’s how effectively his songs pierce through and leave long, lasting imprints on his listeners.

“My songs come from the same place dreams come from,” Mraz said when asked where he hides his reservoir of hits.

“There is no formula for it. The only thing you can do is write from your heart and have fun — have fun singing it and have fun writing it, and if it’s catchy, share it with someone else,” he said.

“You just want everybody to get on board with this happy melody that you found.”

This is how Mraz intends to change the world: by spreading his infectious tunes and mixing the power of his art with the passionate drive of his activism.

The Jason Mraz Foundation helps sustain organizations that advance the values of human rights, promote human equality, fight for environment preservation, and value arts and educaton.

“If you care about the world, you’ll hopefully be in service to others. My service happens to be music so I can be an activist. A song can change the world,” he said.

Back to Manila

Mraz held concerts in the Philippines in 2004, 2006, and 2011. What keeps him coming back is the vibrant energy of the Filipino crowd. He vividly recalled his 2006 show where he performed acoustically for the first time. 

“I’ve never done an acoustic show that was as large and exciting as that,” he recalled.

“It was wild, intimidating, joyous, and challenging. Going back on that tour, that season in Manila was definitely a standout. It was my favorite show of the year.”

This time around, Mraz is joined by homegrown YouTube star Zendee Tenerife, who rose to fame through a viral video of her singing karaoke in a mall. 

Mraz personally chose the young Filipina to join his concert. He was impressed with her version of his hit duet with Colbeit Caillat, “Lucky.” 

Listen to Jason Mraz’s latest release, ‘The Woman I Love,’ here:

– Rappler.com

Jason Mraz is performing in another Manila concert on May 14. For ticket information, visit Ticketnet or call 911-5555.