Swims, whose real name is Jaten Dimsdale, says that heโs been fortunate to have that kind of support along with the latitude to express himself, something that he hopes to encourage others to do, as well.
โIโm so lucky that I get a safe space to feel and that my feelings are OK and Iโm valid and understood. I hope to create that for somebody else,โ Swims says.
โBeing vulnerable and being honest is truly the most strong thing you can do,โ he continues. โI think in order to bring peopleโs walls down, you have to first bring yours down. I hope that I can maybe put some sort of inspiration to somebody to just let it go and know that itโs going to be OK.โ
‘I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 2)’
On the heels of his debut record, Swims recently released his sophomore studio album, โIโve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 2).โ
Since โPart 1โ was primarily written about a former, and largely toxic, relationship, Swims says he wanted his second record to serve as an epilogue of sorts.
โI think that was the point of naming it โPart 2.โ I wanted … after I tried therapy and fell back in love, getting ready to be a dad and having some success … I think I wanted to show people and myself, too, that it gets better if you just stay on the course. It gets better and better,โ he told Carson Daly and Craig Melvin during a segment on TODAY.
With his single โBad Dreamsโ already charting on the Billboard Hot 100, Swims tells TODAY.com that the song that feels most personal on the new album is โNorthern Lights,โ a testament to finding closure in the aftermath of a breakup.
โItโs really about being grateful for the time youโve had with somebody because when you end something, itโs so much easier to think about the place youโre in and the heartbreak you were in,โ says Swims.
โIt took a long time to be grateful for that time that I spent with someone, and just being grateful for those good times and the person that it made me.โ
โI like to see myself as a football coach down the lineโ
With a Grammy nomination, new album, tour and baby on the way, Swims has much to be grateful for and says that heโs doing his best to be present for all of it.
โIโm trying to learn the thing of knowing that where I am right now is where Iโm supposed to be, in the best place I could be in,โ he says.
As someone whoโs always been driven to โgo, go, go,โ Swims says he hopes that becoming a father will help him be better about staying grounded in the moment.
โIโm really looking forward to being with the baby and saying, โIf Iโm doing nothing at all right now, this is the best, most productive thing I can be doing,โโ explains Swims.
โI think my home, family life, is going to be more present, more focused. And I think my work life is going to be more present and more focused as well. And learning the balance between those is something Iโm really looking forward to.โ
Swims, a former football player in his home state of Georgia, says he also looks forward to one day taking the field again.
โIf Iโm having a little boy, thatโs what I would like. I like to see myself as a football coach down the line,โ he says.
If itโs a girl, Swims hopes to coach her in soccer or any other sport or activity she wants to participate in.
Either way, heโs ready for it.
โI just want to be back on the field, to just be able to scratch that itch and watch a kid be something, I canโt wait,โ he says. โThatโs what Iโm looking forward to more than anything. I always wanted this so bad, and I still want this so bad. … but I think I want that way more.”
