J Appiah’s “Look Back”: A Journey Through Time, Roots, and Resilience
Cradling his guitar and delivering a rhythm reminiscent of the golden age of blues, enriched with vibrant flashes of rock and R&B, J Appiah released his new single, “Look Back.” The British singer-songwriter seeks to carve out his place in the competitive music world with a powerful message of resilience, belonging, and perseverance.
As a second-generation Windrush child—those who migrated to Britain to aid in the country’s post-World War II reconstruction— J Appiah grew up surrounded by music. His household was filled with the songs of Ghana, his mother’s homeland, creating a deeply ingrained connection to his roots.
“Look Back” is the first of three tracks on J Appiah’s EP, That’s the Thing About Time. This introspective collection emerges from a period of deep self-reflection, which brought the artist closer to his heritage through melancholic yet uplifting lyrics.
J Appiah reveals that the album’s opening track was inspired by a trip to Ghana:
“I was sitting on a balcony staring at trees and thought about nature or home calling us back. ‘Don’t turn your back on the trees.’ It was a reminder of the importance of keeping moving forward. It was also an important trip for me to go back to my roots after I had been on a long stint of traveling the world working. Sometimes living in the fast flow of life can be chaotic. The trip to Ghana grounded me and brought me back to earth and an overall feeling of calm,” he shares.
The single is accompanied by a music video featuring the London native riding horseback, dressed as a cowboy against a backdrop of a setting sun. Interspersed with scenes from his childhood and snapshots of people from diverse backgrounds, the video serves as a tribute to human diversity.
“The ‘Look Back’ visual is about me playing ‘Jesse the cowboy.’ Cowboys have always been intriguing to me. The idea of being a bandit or an outlaw—someone who operates outside the norm and isn’t afraid to break some ‘rules.’ Being that the song ‘Look Back’ was written in Ghana, this idea of journey was central. ‘Look Back’ is a song about moving forward with your life, regardless of the bumps and bruises you may pick up along the journey,” Appiah explains.
For J Appiah, 2025 will be a pivotal year as he concludes the creative cycle of his EP. The artist highlights Japan as a place of introspection that reconnects him with his creative roots, a process he plans to share with his audience through a short documentary.
J Appiah is far from a newcomer in the music scene. In 2022, he toured with Damon Albarn’s renowned band, Gorillaz, performing across 24 countries in Europe, Australia, and North America. However, That’s the Thing About Time marks his first EP release since 2021, following singles like Breathe, Where’s Your Heart Gone, and Bitter X Sweet.
Looking ahead, the singer has his sights set on making a definitive leap into the United States in 2025. He aims to establish himself there, a goal that, if achieved, would place him among the trailblazers as a Black artist building his music and performances around the guitar.