Featured Image: (Pacer Graphic / Darby Self)
Contemporary R&B is a widely popular music genre that blends the sound of funk and jazz with elements of hip-hop and blues. It features sultry, smooth vocals that bring a feeling of serenity to the listener.
Some notable artists considered pioneers of this soulful sound include Lauryn Hill, D’Angelo, Erykah Badu and Jill Scott. These artists made the genre uniquely their own and pushed boundaries during the late 1990s to early 2000s, when social media wasn’t as prevalent. Fast-forward to the present day—social media is considered a key to success, a luxury that the new generation of artists is lucky to have.
Christian Berishaj, known professionally as JMSN (pronounced “Jameson”), is a multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter and record producer from Detroit, Michigan. He utilized the popular social media platform TikTok to his advantage when promoting his music, which heavily features the sound of contemporary R&B. Before delving into the strategy behind the promotion of his hit single Soft Spot, it’s worth examining how he became a multi-faceted musician.
JMSN was born in Dallas, Texas, with a family heritage traced to Albania through his father. The family eventually moved to Detroit, where JMSN found his love for music. At the age of 12, he began practicing the guitar—a skill that was initially difficult to master but one he eventually got the hang of. JMSN then shifted to learning other instruments and producing his own music, quickly mastering the creation of songs from scratch. He signed his first major record deal with Atlantic Records at age 17 as part of the band Love Arcade. Before rebranding as JMSN—not to be confused with the alcoholic beverage—he was also known as “Snowhite” and “Christian TV.”
After his venture with the band and issues behind the scenes with record labels, he transitioned to the moniker JMSN and started his own record label, White Room Records. He released his debut album Priscilla in 2012, which explored loss, heartbreak and self-doubt using live instruments such as strings, synths and horns. In 2014, he released a self-titled album that featured the single ’Bout It. The song received critical acclaim from audiences on TikTok years after its release, thanks to its atmospheric and ethereal production handled by JMSN himself.
This ties into how JMSN promotes his music without the backing of a major record label. He spent the second half of 2024 promoting the remix of his single Soft Spot, which featured rapper Sada Baby. When JMSN created a music video for the song—showcasing him dancing at a house party in a white tank top surrounded by others wearing the same attire—he consistently posted snippets of the video, which sparked attention on TikTok. But did his consistency work on the University of Tennessee at Martin students?
On Oct. 22, 2025, I conducted interviews with three students to get their thoughts on JMSN and Soft Spot. I played a brief segment of the track and received mixed opinions. Out of the three, only two recognized the song from TikTok.
“I’ve heard [the song] before on TikTok. I believe I like it, but I’m not a fan of the music video because of the strobe lights, and everyone looks like they might be on something. However, I like the song in general,” said Valerie Gardner, a sophomore Criminal Justice major.
Gardner compared JMSN to singer Justin Timberlake.
“I think [the artist] has a smooth R&B vibe with this song, which kind of reminded me of younger Justin Timberlake for some reason,” she said.
Fabiana Andres-Martin, a junior majoring in Mass Media and Strategic Communications, also discovered the song on TikTok, where it became a widely popular sound on the platform.
“I’m pretty sure it’s a sound on TikTok, but I like the song because it’s kind of catchy,” she said.
Martin added that she would give the song another listen because she enjoyed its overall vibe.
Skylar Galloway, a junior Chemistry major, had never heard of the song or the artist. However, she thought the track was pretty chill, and JMSN’s vocals were solid.
“It doesn’t seem like something I’d listen to particularly. If it came on again, I would probably give it a listen but wouldn’t avidly go searching for it,” she said.
JMSN is still actively using TikTok to reach a wider audience, and it seems to be working well in his favor. With notable collaborations under his belt with artists such as Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, The Game and Kaytranada, his rise in popularity is only beginning.
RECOMMENDED WORKS: ’Bout It / Addicted / All Apologies / Soft Spot (955 Remix) ft. Sada Baby
