Acclaimed R&B singer-songwriter PJ has officially released her brand-new single and accompanying visual for “Two Steps.” Produced by Grammy Award-winning hip-hop heavyweight J. Cole, the emotionally charged track captures the exhaustion of navigating a relationship that continuously moves backward.
The single serves as the thematic introduction to the emotional cycle at the center of PJ’s highly anticipated forthcoming project, I Hate You, Marcus Johnson.
While the track initially presents itself as a narrative about romantic frustration, PJ explained that the song evolved into a profound moment of self-reflection and personal accountability.
“The dope thing about ‘Two Steps’ is that I wrote it about a man, but somewhere in the process I realized it was really about me. It’s about breaking old habits, recognizing the cycles that keep pulling you backward, and choosing not to repeat them. Sometimes the hardest person to walk away from is the version of yourself that keeps taking you back to situations that don’t serve you.”
“Two Steps” continues a highly successful collaborative streak between PJ and J. Cole. In addition to producing the track, Cole makes an appearance in the song’s official black-and-white music video, directed by Kiyana C.
The new single directly follows PJ’s recent stint on the road, where she further cemented her rising status as an elite live performer by serving as the opening act on the North American leg of J. Cole’s The Fall-Off Tour. The two artists previously collaborated in the recording booth as well, with PJ delivering a standout feature on the track “Legacy” from Cole’s seventh studio album, The Fall-Off.
The release of “Two Steps” arrives on the heels of PJ’s emotionally tender recent release, “To The Ones.” Produced by T-Minus and Steve Bilodeau, the poignant track was specifically written to inspire women navigating toxic and abusive relationships, ultimately earning a high-profile placement on the season finale of Showtime’s hit series The Chi.
Before stepping fully into the spotlight as a solo artist, PJ established a formidable reputation as one of the industry’s most in-demand songwriters. Her elite pen game has secured major writing credits for a diverse roster of musical heavyweights, including Usher, Chris Brown, Latto, Charlie Puth, and Wiz Khalifa.
“2 Steps” is available to stream and download now across all major digital platforms, with the official music video available to view on YouTube.