Pop artist Jakk Fynn is feeling comfortable in his skin.

The transmasculine Los Angeles-based artist, whose music covers topics from activism and injustice to breakups and everything in between, debuts his EP, Can’t Look Back, May 19. Fynn recently spoke with Tracy E. Gilchrist of Advocate Today about his latest single, “Take My Heart,” which explores his relationship with his family and his gender identity.

Advocate Today | Jakk Fynn

The video for “Take My Heart” was directed by Candice Dalson and filmed by Jacob Alvarado, and sees Fynn playing both roles as bride and groom — an artistic choice intended to inspire everyone to think of gender presentation “a little bit more fluidly.” The video’s concept allowed Fynn to reclaim his femininity as a transmasculine person and show how far he's come in his gender identity journey.

Years ago, Fynn never would have been able to wear a wedding dress and comfortably sing in front of people — let alone on film for a music video.

“To me, it feels like I’m in drag, right? I’m dressed up all in a wedding gown and I have all this makeup and stuff, and I was actually like, wow, I look pretty, and this is cool," he shares. "I actually feel just fine. And before I would’ve been tortured, right? And so I think that it really just comes to show my journey, but also hopefully can encourage other people that if you’re living in these extremes, [you can] give yourself permission to [present differently].”

“Take My Heart” sounds like a breakup song but it deals with the complexities of being a trans and neurodivergent person raised in an immigrant family. Living his authentic self — including as a musical artist — is an important theme throughout Fynn’s music.

Can’t Look Back features six tracks, and each would fit right in on any chillwave or beach vibes playlists. In addition to “Take My Heart” and 2022’s single “Don’t Call,” Can’t Look Back includes Fynn’s 2020 protest single, “The Way the World Turns,” written in response to the Black Lives Matter protests and global social justice movements. It’s music that reflects the world around him that engages his fans most.

“Making music is very hard...and it's moments...where I play a show and I see people come up to me and whether they're timid and shy and like can barely say anything but you can see that it's made an impact or they're really chatty and talkative and they want to talk a lot because ... they're like, 'Oh, I see myself in you,'" Fynn says, adding, "Those things make it worth it to me.”

At the same time, Fynn’s fans make him feel seen, too: “I am essentially a nobody in music. Well, in my mind, right? You see the people that are making the Hot 100 or that have a million monthly listeners. But when I have these experiences, it takes that nobody feeling away.”

Can’t Look Back drops on May 19 on Spotify and Apple Music.