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Jesse McCartney talks New York show, ‘Wasted,’ fans and Halsey (Includes interview)

On his new single “Wasted,” McCartney said, “We wrote it on a really hot day in Los Angeles over cold beers. It felt like this feel-good, fun and energetic pop song. It is about a guy who wants more out of a relationship than just a booty call. It was incredible. We wrote it in 2.5 hours, and it just flowed right out of us. ”

His song’s music video was directed by Jason Lester. In the video, McCartney plays several different characters, and he co-stars with actress Katie Peterson. “The video was a lot of fun,” he said. “I never really did a comedy music video before. In real life, I am a total goofball, and I thought it was time to show that side of me.”

On January 21, McCartney will be performing at the PlayStation Theater in New York City, as part “The Resolution Tour 2019.” “I am very excited. I’ve never played there, but New York is obviously my hometown. It’s where I got my start in the business. I will be on tour through mid-February.”

Speaking of New York, in August of 2014, McCartney performed at The Paramount in Huntington on Long Island. “That a while ago,” he recalled. “I love New York. I love the people and the fans there. New York is very special to me from a sentimental standpoint.”

Each day, McCartney is motivated simply by making music. “Getting up every day and working on new music. As much as I love singing the old songs, seeing how the audience reacts to my new songs, that’s the biggest motivation.”

On his New Year’s resolutions, he said with a sweet laugh, “I am trying to cut back on those Christmas cookies. I have a cookie problem. I just love cookies, so I’m trying to lay off the cookies and lay off the sugar.”

McCartney listed Halsey as his dream female duet choice in the music scene. “I love Halsey. Her voice is so fresh and I just love it so much. It would be great to work with her in some capacity,” he said. “In the hip-hop community, it would be fun to work with Chance the Rapper. He is so talented and I love his lyrics.”

The pop singer-songwriter would give the following advice to his 18-year-old self: “Stop and smell the roses. Enjoy every second of it. Really appreciate everything. Take it a day at a time, and live in the present. Don’t overwhelm yourself with what is going to happen next.”

Digital transformation of the music industry

On the impact of technology on the music business, McCartney said, “We don’t have a choice. We are in the age of digital streaming and a few months ago, the Music Modernization Act passed, which is great. These songwriters, a lot of whom I’ve worked with, couldn’t afford to live and eat. They have written some of the biggest songs in hip-hop and pop music. Some of these songs have over 100 million streams, and they have difficulties feeding themselves. It was totally wrong for a long time. I was pretty upset, up until they got fairly compensated.”

McCartney added, “It is still going to take time before we see the full effects of this law, but it’s a start. I just hope the music industry, as slick as it is, doesn’t find another way around it.”

For his die hard fans, McCartney said, “The fans are the heart of what I do. I wouldn’t be able to tour and make music if it wasn’t for their support. They allow me to do the one thing that I love the most. I am eternally grateful to them. The fans are the most invaluable part of my whole career.”

McCartney defined the word success as “Doing something that you are proud of, and making music that you want to sing every night, and that you can play for your mother.”

His latest single “Wasted” is available on iTunes and on Spotify.

For more information on pop singer-songwriter Jesse McCartney and his music, check out his official website.

Markos Papadatos
Written By

Markos Papadatos is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for Music News. Papadatos is a Greek-American journalist and educator that has authored over 20,000 original articles over the past 18 years. He has interviewed some of the biggest names in music, entertainment, lifestyle, magic, and sports. He is a 16-time "Best of Long Island" winner, where for three consecutive years (2020, 2021, and 2022), he was honored as the "Best Long Island Personality" in Arts & Entertainment, an honor that has gone to Billy Joel six times.

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