For Maroon 5’s PJ Morton, having the support of his father means everything.
“It’s one thing growing up in church, that’s one pressure,” he said during a recent interview on TODAY. “But then me being my father’s son, being a preacher’s kid.”
Morton’s father is Bishop Paul S. Morton, a pastor, gospel singer and author.
“But he took a lot of the weight off of me, you know, allowed me to be exactly who I was,” Morton explained. “I think once he realized I wasn’t just being rebellious, but I was actually, like, trying to walk in my purpose and really use my gift. He became my number-one supporter. And it’s kind of like, once he was with me, I didn’t really care what anybody else felt.”
He added, “I was like Superman after that.”
Related: Maroon 5 Member PJ Morton Releases First Gospel Album
Morton is currently promoting his latest solo project, a double album titled Saturday Night, Sunday Morning.
“I was always made to choose,” the artist said in a statement about the album. “Growing up in church, I loved gospel music. You could feel it in your soul. But R&B and soul music, that got me too. There was always an unspoken rule that you had to choose one or the other.”
Morton continued, “But is that a true reflection of life? Are we all one thing all the time? Is the soundtrack the same for having a worship experience with God as it is for falling in love? I’ve been fortunate enough to exist in many of these spaces authentically. I was the same person when I wrote ‘Let Go Let God’ as I was when I wrote ‘Say So.’ I didn’t want to choose this time. I’m both Saturday Night and Sunday Morning.”
Speaking to Billboard about Saturday Night, Sunday Morning, the artist explained, “I’ve been auditioning for this album my whole life. Gospel gave me my start, so I have a deep respect for it; I’m a preacher’s kid, so I literally grew up in that space.”
“Those artists know me and have seen me, so when I decided that I didn’t want to do gospel music as an artist, I was always mindful of keeping my tribe. I always let them know that I’m gonna make music we love the same way my dad would play Anita Baker or Stevie Wonder in the house. This is in the tradition of that,” Morton continued. “It’s not stepping away from God; this is admitting that God is the biggest creator. He can inspire a love song, just like he can inspire love itself. I’ve always been careful with that balance.”
Saturday Night, Sunday Morning is now available to stream and purchase.
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