The definition of home varies from one person to another. For some, it goes beyond the physical structure and is manifested in the people who make up that space. Otherwise, it’s that feeling of comfort, safety, and satisfaction that doesn’t necessarily have to be anchored to a certain place or person.
In his latest album, “Honey, I’m Home,” James Reid goes through the different definitions of home—from a place to a person he loves, and finally, himself.
“My whole life, I’ve been dealing with never really belonging. Back in Australia, I wasn’t fitting in because I’m half Filipino. Even in the Philippines, I went to school here; I could speak Tagalog, but they thought of me as a foreigner,” shares Reid during an early access listening party for his album.
“I’ve recently come to the resolution that I can be all these things. I can do it all,” he adds. “I can be who I want to be, and if that includes all these different things, then so be it.”
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Home as a person
For Reid, “Honey, I’m Home” represents his years-long journey to finding the sense of belonging he sought. As part of his reflection, he found that home isn’t necessarily tied to a place—it’s something as simple as being with someone you love.“A place that makes you feel safe, a place where you feel loved, a place where you can be yourself,” he explains.
And this alludes to someone other than Reid’s long-term partner, Issa Pressman, whom he describes as: “The main inspiration behind all of it. She made my music mean something more than myself. I thank her because she gave my music purpose.”
Going through the 10-track album, “Honey, I’m Home” features several songs alluding to that specific definition of home.
In “Attention,” Reid talks about the role attention plays in relationships. “Where your attention grows, love grows. Sometimes the greatest thing you can give someone is your full presence.”
Meanwhile, the country-inspired “Indiana” references conversations between Reid and Pressman, particularly about their hypothetical child together. “We loved this imaginary person who doesn’t even exist yet, so much, and they’re not even here.”
The couple also directly collaborate on “On My Way,” which Pressman describes as a “story about the journey of two people making their way to each other and meeting at this point where they are now.” The track was originally supposed to be released under Pressman, which she describes as the fastest song she’s ever written, but they later felt that it fit better with Reid’s album.
During our brief interview at Reid’s listening party, Pressman also talked about how it felt to have the album dedicated to her. “I’ve never received this many love letters. It really speaks to my heart. I have no words.”
Home as himself
“As I was finishing the album, it became something different. My idea of home became more about learning to be just comfortable in my own skin. At first I thought home was a person, and then I found that home was myself,” Reid shares, explaining the other definition of home he discovered in the album-making process.
“What if nothing was really missing in the first place? What if I just wasn’t home with myself?”
In “Sunny Side” with Luke April from PlayerTwo, Reid talks about the various forms of criticism he’s faced throughout his career. While he once let these hold power over him, he’s since learned to simply block out the noise. “Don’t let anyone mess with your peace of mind. Even if everything is out of control, you can always still control how you feel. Never let anyone take that sunshine away from you.”
“I learned a long time ago that I can’t let other people decide who I am,” he adds. “Once I figured out how to be in control of who I am, I felt untouchable in a sense, that they can’t take my peace of mind away.”
And in “Unbecoming,” Reid closes out the album with a reflection of his past and current selves. “Throughout this whole journey of self-discovery, it became less about trying to be more, but actually becoming less—to undo a lot of the things, the baggage I’ve put on, and the ideas and roles I’ve played. This was an undoing of everything, to realize that nothing was missing in the first place.”
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James Reid at his most vulnerable
Looking back at the different albums Reid has released, the different roles he’s played, and the different career choices he’s made, it’s clear that everyone has an idea of what Reid should be. The lover-boy OPM music he should be releasing, the leading-man with an accent, and even the label executive—he’s been all that and more.
And now, for once, it’s clear he isn’t being directed by some industry trend or voice telling him to act differently.After all, he quite literally wrote a song about his unborn child. That much is new, and “Honey, I’m Home” is James Reid at his most vulnerable.