GRAMMY PREVIEW Q&A: PJ MORTON

Four-time Grammy winner PJ Morton shares his thoughts on his star-studded R&B/soul opus, Watch the Sun (EMPIRE/Morton).

What would it mean to you to earn a Grammy nomination for Watch the Sun?
It always means so much to get a Grammy nomination. Watch the Sun is a body of work that I really had to dig deep to make, so it would be awesome for that time to be felt and recognized.

You had a number of high-profile guests on the album, including Stevie Wonder and Jill Scott. What was it like to work with them?
Recording Stevie Wonder’s vocals was a full-circle moment for me. He’s a big reason I’m doing what I’m doing as an artist.

Watch the Sun seems to focus on theme of self-reinvention. What were you going through emotionally when you wrote it?
The biggest thing I was going through was the pandemic. I was figuring out the things that really mattered to me and what was truly important in my life.

You’ve had an amazingly diverse career. What are some of your takeaways from being a longtime member of Maroon 5?
Being in Maroon 5 taught me to always be open to new things, to always be willing to grow and reinvent. For a band to last as long as we have takes all that.