Hi everyone, it’s your host Jrake, the founder of Dulaxi and today I have with me EYE OF TJ from Mobile, Alabama, United States. EYE OF TJ is here to share more light about his musical career, while diving into his latest upcoming single, “Letting Go of You“, an acoustic version of the original single that was premiered last year on 7th October 2025. In EYE OF TJ words, “This acoustic version is the ‘silence’ that followed. By removing the wall of distorted guitars and heavy drums.” “Letting Go of You” is set to be released on February 13, 2026, Valentine’s eve a very symbolic day for a symbolic release, as the title presents “Letting Go of You.” The timing of this release speaks volumes, as the world celebrates love. What does it mean for EYE OF TJ to release this intriguing title? Are listeners called to reflect on the kind of love they hold onto or the kind they need to release? Let’s find out.
Welcome, EYE OF TJ. Before we begin our interview, here is what you need to know about this talented artist. EYE OF TJ is a genre-blending, boundaries-pushing modern artist who connects raw human vulnerability with digital vocal identity to create an “inventory of unspoken moments. His Debut Album, “Everything I Didn’t Say,“ had a groundbreaking success within the first few months, surpassing 33,000 streams alongside his internationally acclaimed single “Tonight, I Miss You” (featured in Karl Is My Unkle and Radio Armazém), cinematic alt-rock project. EYE OF TJ returns with a vulnerable new chapter.
EYE OF TJ wrote “Letting Go of You” when his world fell apart. The original track, according to EYE OF TJ, was a screaming heavy stadium-rock realization of a nine-year relationship reaching its snapping point. EYE OF TJ is a vessel for his stories, and he exists in the silence after the final word is spoken.
Having this brief Introduction, I’m sure new and current fans must be excited about our Interview today.
Interview
Jrake: Before we dive deeper into the music, can you describe how living through the end of a nine-year relationship reshaped your emotional world, and how that personal loss continues to inform the honesty behind the Eye of TJ project?
EYE OF TJ: Honestly, I never envisioned that relationship ending. I had built a blueprint for the rest of my life around that person, and when that blueprint was torn up, it forced a total internal restructuring. It was a devastating loss, but it ultimately cleared the noise and allowed me to find my way back to myself. Without that breaking point, EYE OF TJ wouldn’t exist. The “honesty” behind the project comes from having nothing left to hide; when you’ve lost your “forever,” you stop being afraid of what people think of your truth. It’s the catalyst that turned my private notebooks into a public inventory of unspoken moments.
Jrake: Eye of TJ operates through a unique blend of human vulnerability and a digital vocal persona. On a personal level, how has creating music through this hybrid identity changed the way you process pain, memory, and self-expression?
EYE OF TJ: I’ve been a songwriter since I was eleven years old, but I wasn’t blessed with the physical gift of a singing voice that could match the grit and intensity of the stories I wanted to tell. For years, my songs stayed trapped in notebooks. AI was the bridge. It allowed me to bypass biological limitations to reach emotional truth. Creating through this hybrid identity has changed everything—I can finally “hear” my pain back in a way that sounds real and cinematic. I am incredibly selective about the textures of the “Digital Voice”; it has to feel human, it has to feel lived-in. It has turned my process from a silent struggle into a visceral, externalized reality.
Jrake: With Everything I Didn’t Say surpassing 33,000 streams and international press momentum building, how are you mentally navigating this growth while staying grounded in the deeply personal reasons you started making music?
EYE OF TJ: The growth has been a whirlwind—crossing 36,500 Spotify streams this week. Mentally, I navigate it by looking at the data not as “numbers,” but as “Family.” When I see that my latest cinematic short has a 233% average watch time, it tells me people are looping these moments because they see themselves in the story. I stay grounded because I’m still that kid with the notebook. The goal isn’t just to scale the numbers; it’s to scale the connection. If the music stops being personal, the project dies.
Jrake: “Letting Go of You” was born from a real emotional breaking point. At what moment did you realize that this experience wasn’t just personal, but something that needed to be documented and shared through a song?
EYE OF TJ: It was the first song I wrote after the breakup. For a long time, the ink had run dry, and when I finally started writing “Letting Go of You,” I felt the life coming back into me. I was hesitant to release something so raw, but I started posting small previews and the response was immediate. People didn’t just “like” it; they were messaging me, asking for the release date, and telling me their own stories of walking away. That was the moment I realized my personal inventory of unspoken moments was actually a shared experience. It needed to be heard because it belonged to more people than just me.
Jrake: The original version of the track was a loud, aggressive rock “scream.” What specifically led you to revisit the song and explore the opposite emotional space, and the silence that followed?
EYE OF TJ: The original was the “fight”—the wall of distorted guitars and heavy drums represented the external chaos of a nine-year relationship reaching its snapping point. But there is another side to that story: the aftermath. Once the screaming stops and the door closes, there is a heavy, ringing silence. I wanted to revisit the song to explore that quiet space. The acoustic version isn’t just a “softer” song; it’s the sound of the air being sucked out of the room. It’s the realization that follows the explosion.
Jrake: You’ve said this acoustic version brings the song back to how it sounded the night it was written. How did recreating that moment influence the arrangement, pacing, and vocal delivery?
EYE OF TJ: The night this was written, there was no production—just a raw feeling. In this arrangement, we stripped everything back to a 2000s-inspired acoustic grit, reminiscent of the stripped-back work of Nickelback or Daughtry. The pacing is much more unhurried. The vocal delivery is more intimate; you can hear the “unspoken” weight in the breaths between lines. I wanted the listener to feel like they are sitting in the same dark room where that first notebook page was filled
Jrake: By stripping away distorted guitars and heavy drums, the lyrics are placed in a much more exposed setting. Were there any lines that felt different or heavier when heard in this raw form?
EYE OF TJ: The verses, definitely. In the rock version, the energy of the track carries you through, but in the acoustic version, there is nowhere to hide. Every word feels like it has a physical weight to it now. It’s almost uncomfortable how personal the verses became in this raw form.
Jrake: Silence plays a major role in this acoustic reimagining. How did you intentionally use space, restraint, and minimal instrumentation to let the emotion breathe without overexplaining it?
EYE OF TJ: Restraint is much harder than power. We intentionally used the decay of the acoustic guitar notes and kept the arrangement minimal to represent the emptiness of a house after someone moves out. We didn’t want to over-produce it with strings or keys because the story didn’t need it. The silence is a character in this song. We let the “dead air” stay in because that’s what heartbreak actually feels like.
Jrake: Releasing the song on February 13th positions it as an “Anti-Valentine” anthem. How important was that timing in shaping the emotional context of the song for listeners?
EYE OF TJ: It was vital. My fans on TikTok and social media is incredibly open with me, and I see so many of them struggling during this time of year. Not everyone has a “Valentine.” For many, it’s the first time they are spending this day alone in years, or it’s the day they finally decide to let go. I wanted to give them a sanctuary—a song that acknowledges that letting go is an act of strength, not just sadness. It’s for the ones who are spending February 14th choosing themselves.
Jrake: When someone finishes listening to the acoustic version of “Letting Go of You,” what feeling or realization do you hope stays with them in the quiet moments afterward?
EYE OF TJ: I hope they feel a sense of peace. The original was about the anger of the break; this one is about the acceptance of the end. I want them to realize that the silence after a final word isn’t a void—it’s a clean slate. I want them to feel like it’s okay to finally stop fighting for something that was already gone.
Jrake: Across your catalog, you focus heavily on “the silence after the final word.” How does this acoustic release further define that philosophy within the Eye of TJ universe?
EYE OF TJ: It is the literal embodiment of that philosophy. The whole project is about the inventory of things we were too afraid or too hurt to say. The acoustic release proves that you don’t need a “scream” to be heard. Sometimes, the most powerful things are said in a whisper. It defines the EYE OF TJ universe as a place where the smallest emotional details are treated with the same cinematic importance as a stadium rock anthem.
Jrake: Sonically, your work blends 2000s-inspired alternative rock with modern, cinematic elements. How do you decide when a song needs power and volume versus intimacy and restraint?
EYE OF TJ: It all comes down to the narrative arc. If the story is about the struggle and the external friction, we lean into that aggressive, 2000s wall of sound. But if the story is about the internal realization or the moment of healing, we strip it back to its bones. I view my music as a movie soundtrack—the volume should match the emotional stakes of the scene.
Jrake: With international recognition from outlets like Karl Is My Unkle and Radio Armazém, how has outside validation influenced the way you view the future potential of this project?
EYE OF TJ: It has been a massive validation of the “Digital Voice” concept. To see high-end press in the UK, Nigeria, and Brazil treating this as a legitimate evolution of the genre—rather than just a technical gimmick—gives me the confidence to push even deeper. It shows that the “Human Soul” of the project is what people are truly hearing. It’s not about the tech; it’s about the truth.
Jrake: The acoustic version serves as a lead-in to the Deluxe Edition arriving March 13th. How does this release prepare listeners emotionally for what the Deluxe Edition will reveal or expand upon?
EYE OF TJ: The Deluxe Edition is about the transition. If “Letting Go of You” is the act of walking away, the new track “What Love Should Be” is the act of looking forward. The acoustic release allows the fans to process the grief one last time before we move into the more “Healing and Strength” focused era of the project. It’s the final deep breath before the next chapter.
Jrake: Looking ahead, how do you envision Eye of TJ continuing to evolve, both sonically and conceptually, as you push deeper into storytelling, technology, and unspoken human moments?
EYE OF TJ: Conceptually, we are moving into a “Healing/Strength” era. Sonically, I want to keep pushing the cinematic realism—making this feel like someone you could sit on a park bench with and have a real conversation. We’re going to continue bridging that gap between the digital and the deeply human. The future of EYE OF TJ is about making sure that no “unspoken moment” stays silent anymore.
Check out the preview release of the acoustic version
Having a close listen to this emotional masterpiece, here are my thoughts
“Letting Go of You (acoustic version)” is an intimate track that strikes deeply into the emotions of the listener. and EYE OF TJ was very strategic when he removed all the screaming heavy stadium-rock instruments, this allowed the vocals shine more powerfully. The blend of the acoustic guitar and the voilin at the begining was exceptional. The acoustic guitar is warm, relaxed and emotional and when mixed with the track’s powerful singing, it moves the listener to tears.
The Visual representation of the track is remarkable as its truly captures the emotional naunaces in the story EYE OF TJ is telling. The lyrics of “Letting Go Of You” remains thought provoking, as it creates a sonic environment where the listener can feel the emotional pain and agony of the artist, While hope and optimism are softly lulled into the listener’s thoughts. “Letting Go Of You” is a track that lets you pour all your emotions out without holding back”.
Jrake – Dulaxi
Finally to our audience, I urge you to presave and check out “Letting Go Of You, (acoustic version)”, add if you wish to listen to the original version, CLICK HERE. Get ready for this release coming all the way from Mobile, Alabama. EYE OF TJ is set to take the world by storm on Valentine’s Eve, February 13t,h 2026. And on behalf of Dulaxi, I like to say thank you to everyone. See you at our next interview.
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