Jackson Breit’s new album “Covers 2” isn’t just a sequel—it’s a full-circle moment that manages to say something bold about artistry, individuality, and evolution without ever saying a word directly. The Virginia Beach-born soul-pop talent has always had a way of standing out, not just for his genre-blending chops but for the heart he brings into everything he touches. And in “Covers 2,” you hear all of it—the jazz, the blues, the hip-hop beats, the late nights of production experimentation, and, most of all, the unmistakable stamp of someone who knows exactly who he is, even when he’s singing someone else’s lyrics.
To fully appreciate the depth of “Covers 2,” you have to understand the weight of what came before it. Jackson’s first Covers project turned heads and turned casual listeners into fans, amassing over 50 million streams. That’s no small feat for a self-produced, genre-defying take on songs that already had their place in the world. But Breit’s approach has never been about imitation. It’s been about reinvention—breaking something familiar down to its emotional core and rebuilding it in his own sonic language. And with “Covers 2,” he takes that mission even further.
The new album is a tightly curated set of 8 tracks, each one carrying its own emotional punch and stylistic twist. And yes, that’s System Of A Down you’re hearing in one track, followed by the soft, heartbreaking edges of a Gracie Abrams cover, only to then be swept up in a swagger-infused Jack Harlow moment. If it sounds chaotic on paper, it’s anything but in practice. Jackson’s voice—mellow but present, smooth but never lazy—acts as the binding agent. He reshapes each song with purpose, finding new meaning and texture in every vocal run, every guitar pluck, every kick drum programmed in his home studio.
The production, as always, is entirely Jackson’s own. There’s a particular intimacy in knowing that what you’re hearing has passed through only one set of hands before reaching your ears. It’s raw but not rough, polished without being sterile. There’s an energy in each track that feels like you’re being let in on something—like you’re sitting beside him in the room while he’s building it layer by layer. That feeling of proximity, of honesty, is part of what has made him such a compelling figure in the independent music space.
What makes “Covers 2” different from the original Covers project isn’t just the growth in production and vocal control (though that growth is obvious and impressive). It’s the maturity. Jackson is older now, and it shows in the way he approaches the material. He’s not just flexing vocal skills or production tricks—he’s storytelling. He’s interpreting. And maybe that’s the magic of this project: even though the lyrics may have come from someone else’s pen, Jackson finds a way to make them feel like journal entries pulled from his own life. It’s genre-blending with intention, not for novelty but for connection.
Also worth noting is how the sequencing of “Covers 2” builds a kind of emotional arc without needing to announce itself. The contrast between the tracks works like a playlist made by a friend who just gets you—one minute you’re nodding along, the next you’re staring out the window contemplating everything. That balance between head and heart is something Jackson has always been good at, but here, it feels especially refined.
It’s also impossible not to mention the fact that Jackson has been deaf in his right ear since childhood—a detail that often gets buried under his musical achievements but adds a layer of inspiration to his already impressive story. It’s a testament to his determination and instinct that his music is so sonically rich, so carefully layered. Every choice, every blend, every unexpected genre twist in “Covers 2” feels like it was made with deep listening—even if half the sound world isn’t available to him in the conventional sense.
For longtime fans, “Covers 2” is the continuation they’ve been waiting for, a worthy follow-up that doesn’t try to outdo the original but instead builds upon it thoughtfully. For new listeners, it’s a welcome mat into Jackson Breit’s musical world—a place where soul meets experimentation, and where the familiar gets a fresh, deeply personal twist. This album isn’t about playing it safe. It’s about taking what already exists and turning it into something honest, something unpredictable, and above all, something Jackson.
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