“Sage Advice” Is the Soul-Cleansing Gut Punch You Didn’t Know You Needed from Taylor Jules

Some songs whisper wisdom. Sage Advice speaks it loud and clear.

Los Angeles singer-songwriter Taylor Jules returns with a soul-stirring single that cuts deep and lingers long after the final note. Out July 16, “Sage Advice” is a richly layered R&B track that explores the kind of heartbreak that most people don’t often discuss. It is about losing someone who felt like family and realizing you saw the red flags all along.

Produced by Stefan Lit and Dylan Chambers, the track opens with a simmering groove and warm keys that immediately set an emotional tone.

But it’s Taylor’s voice that delivers the knockout. Her vocal performance is marked by aching, grit, and quiet strength, moving effortlessly between vulnerability and clarity. She doesn’t just sing about betrayal. She confronts it, processes it, and rises above it.

“This song is an ‘I told you so’ to myself,” Jules explains. That line becomes especially powerful in lyrics like, “That’s the thing when you say goodbye to one you never thought to doubt.” The hook, “Never compromise your sage advice,” is not just a lyric. It’s a reminder never to ignore your gut, even when your heart is all in.

What makes “Sage Advice” stand out is its emotional maturity. Taylor does not play the victim or paint the other person as a villain. She tells the truth with honesty and grace. The song resonates with anyone who has ever silenced their intuition to protect a bond that was already on the verge of breaking.

Taylor Jules has no interest in chasing trends. Her sound blends classic soul textures with modern R&B and emotionally intelligent songwriting. She is building a name for herself not just as a vocalist but as a storyteller who tells it like it is.

If this single is any indication, the project will be one worth sitting with, crying to, and healing through.

“Sage Advice” is about losing a close friend. What was the turning point that inspired you to write this track?

The turning point that inspired this particular song was the realization that this friendship was entirely over. I finally accepted the fact that this person would never let me back into their life, even after years of dedicated close friendship.

I was filled with anger, sadness, and disbelief that a person I held so close could abandon our many years and memories together. These heart-wrenching feelings, combined with the deep-rooted realization that I should have seen this coming, culminated in the emotionally explosive and cathartic song called “Sage Advice.” 

How did working with Stefan Lit and Dylan Chambers shape the sound of this single?

The genius minds of Stefan Lit and Dylan Chambers allowed me to bring my feelings and musical ideas to light. We shared our favorite songs and artists, as well as many laughs, to establish a shared understanding of our styles and sound for this project.

We talked truthfully and openly about my inspirations and sore feelings about the topics of “Sage Advice,” and re-worked the chorus chords to reflect the angst, regret, and soul-searching this song explores. With their magical ears and genius instincts, Dylan and Stefan helped me marry my words and music to give the most honest and poetic version of my thoughts and feelings in song. 

You call this song an “I told you so” to yourself; how did you balance self-blame with self-love in your lyrics?

Personally, my songwriting is all about expressing the feelings I struggle to put into words. Sometimes a feeling is so gut-wrenching and all-consuming, and there is truly no way for me to admit it out loud until I write it in song. As much as “Sage Advice” is an “I told you so” to myself for not trusting my instincts about a person I held closely to me, it is also a cathartic release of a build-up of frustration and emotions I couldn’t otherwise share. The verses are full of vulnerability and reflection on the way I let myself be treated.

At the same time, the choruses explode with anger, as I “dropped everything” for years to help this friend who was never going to return the favor. I balance self-blame and self-love by holding myself accountable for having real doubts and not acting on them, while recognizing that I did everything in my power for years for this person. I balance this self-blame and self-love by knowing I honestly did everything I could for a friend I loved, and realizing that those deep-down doubts will eventually come back to haunt me. 

What advice would you give to someone currently going through a similar betrayal?

My best advice— or better yet, “Sage Advice”— is not to blame yourself. As a sensitive person, I tend to take everything to heart and blame myself for minor behavior changes and others pulling away. The biggest lesson I’ve learned from writing “Sage Advice” is that, no matter how close a friend is, if their actions repeatedly show you they are not on your side, don’t push that feeling down for the sake of comfort with one another.

That tugging feeling of doubt is not going away until you admit it to yourself. After previewing an older version of “Sage Advice” live, I realized you can be fervently irate while simultaneously mourning a friendship. I even had instances where I regretted writing this song on the off-chance that my friend would come running back to me, only to realize I had written these harsh truths for a reason. Stop being the person who gives excellent advice and start taking some of your own. Always keep your “Sage Advice.”

Can you tell us more about the upcoming EP and how “Sage Advice” fits into the bigger picture?

I am thrilled to announce my upcoming EP, featuring “Sage Advice” as its first single release. This song sets the tone for an honest and soulful self-exploration of the best and worst parts of my life over the past two years.

“The Good, the Bad, and the Ugliest” is an EP that explores highs and lows and how we decide to navigate the mess of our own minds. With influences from neo-soul, R&B, soul, and funk, I combined everything I know and love into one brainchild. This EP is an honest display of my inner thoughts, joys, and doubts I otherwise could not express, combined with the help of super-human producers and writers who brought it to life.

This project is for people who feel the ups and downs of life deep in their soul: the highs will resurface, the lows will dissipate, and we will get through this together.