By Christian Breen

Troy Junker exhibits exceptional personal and artistic growth in his new album, The Path. On July 29th, Junker released the official music video for the album’s first single, “The Juice.” His new upbeat song intends to motivate and provide guidance for people overcoming their life struggles. “The Juice” is an ode to believing in yourself and never losing sight of your goals. In the single, Junker promotes the idea of ignoring negative opinions and being grateful for what you have.

 

 

“The Juice is for the days where you feel like giving up, but you know you can’t quit. It’s about knowing yourself and not letting other people’s opinions taint your vision,” Junker explains in a press release.

Junker talks about the inspiration behind “The Juice” when reflecting on what helped him when overcoming personal struggles. 

 “I think that by digesting the good messages from hip hop, I was able to overcome the struggles I faced and leveled up into who I’ve become today,”  says Junker acknowledging the power of positive music in an interview with V13.

The Music Video

Junker adds that he embedded deeply personal things into “The Juice,” since he feels that many of his fans can relate. 

 

Before The Path, Junker felt his musical growth was stilted by his explicit content. Junker realized that he needed to  make music that was positive, empowering, and suitable for all audiences. Junker took the spotlight away from glorifying drugs and partying when making his 2020 EP.

So Junker’s desire to create music that inspires youth influenced the drastic pivot in his style and theme choices. In an interview with V13 media, Junker reveals the source of his positive musical influence while reflecting on his difficult childhood as a Métis in Prince Albert (PA), Saskatchewan:

“Where I’m from, there’s not much opportunity in music and it was my biggest interest… Growing up in PA, it’s easy to get sucked into shit and I remember only listening to artists whose messages were positive and encouraged you to do better for yourself.”

In the past, Junker has always done his own recording, mixing, and mastering. To create his vision, Junker got outside help from experts who aided in shaping the album. He says that this greatly added to his performance and the overall outcome of the album.

“I wanted to work with someone who will bring better performances out of me and have a sound team who would really hone in on where they shine. It was a great decision because along the way, I learned so much,” says Junker of the creative process.

You can listen to the whole EP below on Apple Music.