It was February of 1995 and snow had fallen in Sendai, Japan. Looking out onto the empty street from his hotel room, Jamiroquai frontman Jay Kay — in town while on tour with the band — wondered where everyone was. Heading outside, he asked a woman trudging through the snow, who advised that everyone was underground.
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Inspiration pinged, and Kay, the English musician born Jason Luís Cheetham, went back inside and transcribed the lyrics forming in his head onto hotel stationery. “Oh now there is no sound/For we all live underground” became a standout line of “Virtual Insanity,” the acid jazz funk band’s 1996 treatise on a dystopian future defined by humanity’s reliance on technology.
“Those lyrics, you would be able to turn around and say that it’s kind of come true,” a chatty and cheerful Kay says while speaking to Billboard over Zoom from his U.K. home.
“Virtual Insanity” landed on four Billboard Charts, including No. 38 on Alternative Airplay and No. 34 on Dance Club Songs. But its status as a cultural phenomenon was not only a function of its warm groove, but its instantly iconic music video directed by Jonathan Glazer, who’d go on to direct films including Sexy Beast and The Zone of Interest.
The clip entered heavy rotation on MTV upon the song’s release on August 19, 1996, 30 years ago this month, with this debut preceding Jamiroquai’s third studio project, Travelling Without Moving, released in the U.S. in January of 1997. “Virtual Insanity” won best pop performance by a duo or group with vocals at the 1998 Grammys and the video of the year award at the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards, where Jamiroquai performed the song with Kay out front on a moving walkway wearing the same fuzzy hat from the video.
On the occasion of the song’s 30-year anniversary, Kay has recreated the moving furniture and fancy footwork from the “Virtual Insanity” video in partnership with Beefeater 0.0%, the non-alcoholic version of the classic London Dry Gin. This new clip reveals what the frontman was reaching for in a close-up frame of the original, showing it to be a cocktail made with the sans alcohol gin. The new version then shows Kay sliding through various spaces — a gym, a formal dining room, a hi-fi bar, etc. — while trying on various hats, a concept that a press release from Beefeater positions as “Proof that, with moderation, Jay Kay can get more out of life.”
The new clip also dovetails with a recent TikTok trend of “Virtual Insanity” enthusiasts recreating the video on airport people movers, the Venice Beach boardwalk and points in between. There are even renditions done in Legos.
It’s a groundswell of interest Kay hopes will extend to a new Jamiroquai album, the band’s eighth studio project and first since 2017’s Automaton. Kay says while the project was finished, as a perfectionist (“I’m a Capricorn, and it’s all or nothing”) went back to the studio to give it “an extra 15 percent I wanted to get out. I wouldn’t accept it any other way.” He says the project will likely be released by March of 2027 and that it will include work from bass guitar hero Thundercat, who flew to the U.K. to work in the studio with Jamiroquai. A lead single will likely be out this year, with the project ultimately adding numbers to the 26 million albums Jamiroquai has already sold since its 1993 debut.
Here, Kay talks about “Virtual Insanity,” being limber enough at 57 to successfully recreate its video and more.
What was your life like in the moment right before “Virtual Insanity” and Travelling Without Moving were released, and then what was it like right after? I wonder if there was a distinct difference.
We’d had The Return of the Space Cowboy, which was that difficult second album. The video for that got a lot of attention and was kind of groovy thing, and still stands up now. When I listen to it now, it was quite obscure and kind of out there. After it, like everything else, I wanted things to be bigger and better.
Was there a particular moment when you felt those bigger, better things happening?
I had a flat in Paddington [in London], and the record company, Sony, came over and sat and listened to the new stuff. They were like, “Yeah, great, like it.” It was overwhelmingly positive. Then they said, “Have you got anything else?” and I said, “Yeah.” Funnily enough, “Virtual Insanity” was the first thing I’d done with Toby [Smith, Jamiroquai’s late keyboardist and co-songwriter.] Toby plonked it out, and I wrote the lyrics in Sendai in northern Japan on tour in the middle of winter, where I looked out the window at all these streets, and there was no one on the street. I couldn’t work it out.
We went out onto the street, and there was thick snow. Eventually, we saw this one lonely lady walking along, and we said, “Where are all the people?” She said, “Everybody’s underground.” So on a piece of hotel note paper, in true music fashion, I wrote out the lyrics, and that was that. So anyway, when the record company said, “Have you got anything else?” I said, “Well, I’ve got this other track called ‘Virtual Insanity.’ They said ‘Let’s hear it’ and then the whole vibe in the room changed. I think it was Muff Winwood, who was then head of Sony’s S2. In his Birmingham accent, he said, “This is it. You’ve done it. That’s the one.”
Then what happened?
There was talk of the video. I wanted to use moving travelators, and it was going to be a technically difficult thing… I spoke to Jonathan Glazer, who was the assigned director for it, and he went “It’s going to be difficult. Let me work on it.” I was at home in Paddington when he phoned up. It must have been 1:00 in the morning, and he said, “I’ve got it!! We get a moving room and move the room around you.” I nodded on the end of the phone, but I didn’t get it. I couldn’t quite understand what he was talking about.
We got to set, and I could hear a load of shouting, like “North! West! Three! South! Five!” It was really confusing. I walked into this white room, and there were things moving at me, sofas and chairs, and I’m like, “What’s going on? Crikey, how am I going to get from there to there?” I had a look through the camera and saw the first take of me standing there with all this stuff going around me and went, “Ahhhhh.”
From there on, I hit my marks, although a couple of times I was slightly caught out. There’s a particular bit I always still remember where I was going to be crushed between the sofa and the wall. Do you remember the old Tom and Jerry cartoons where they move along on their tiptoes? I did this little move on my tiptoes and got through it. I nearly got caught a couple of times, but sort of styled it out.
How did the occasion to recreate the video come about, and why re-make something so iconic and sort of perfect?
When Beefeater Zero came along and said they wanted to recreate the video, as it turns out it was actually far more complicated than the original. Funnily enough, it was the opposite way round. It was a moving floor that was maybe 30 feet long, on rails, moving through all the rooms. On set as they started up, there was a clunk, a bit like a train starting, and I’m trying to balance on one leg, and I’m nearly 57 now, not 27. So I’m thinking to myself, “I hope I can pull this off.”
Which you did!
It’s difficult to take an old video, and such an iconic video, and keep true to the original, but also make it fresh and new and keep the old concept with a cool brand that’s relevant to a [modern] lifestyle thing. When I saw the first shot, I was stunned. For the first second you go, “It’s the original,” and then you realize that it suddenly expands. I have to say, my feet hurt at the end of it. I definitely had somebody get me a bucket with some ice to soak my feet in.
The new video has nearly two million views and also dovetails with a recent TikTok trend of people recreating the original. What’s motivating the interest?
Why do people still buy Rolex watches? It’s got a quality to it. l still get stopped in the street by people asking “How does it work?” And I think you’ve got a new generation of younger people too. I’ve noticed at the gigs that [the audience] isn’t just people my age or slightly younger who are like, “I’m going to see Jamiroquai again because I used to see them in 1998 and it was great and let’s see if he’s still alive.” [Laughs.]
It’s not been that at all. It’s been 15, 16, 17, 18, 20 year olds. And I might add, which is refreshing and great for me — that it’s not kids who have this look on their face like their parents dragged them there. It’s definitely been a “This is cool.” And like all of these things, it becomes exponential. I also think that in the scheme of what you see now, like bang, bang, bang, bang 15-second quick-edit clips, people like seeing something that’s four minutes long and keeps your attention.
In terms of drawing younger audiences, as you’re saying, does that open up new opportunities?
I think it’s fantastic. However old I am, when I’m out on that stage, I’m 23. Simple as that.
You’re getting ready to release a new album. What does it sound like?
It’s a happier album. It’s a groove album. It’s back to the old school, but with even more groove. All of it has been started with the top melody. The phone has been really handy, because I’m a 3:30 in the morning wake up with an idea person. I can hear all the music in my head. I’ve just unfortunately got one of those heads that doesn’t switch off, so it can be a conversation here and thinking about music there.
So going back to your question, it is exciting that young people are getting into it, and I’m hoping that [the album succeeds] off this swell of attention. The way radio works, people hear “Little L,” “Virtual Insanity,” “Cosmic Girl” and don’t get the album stuff — and we’ve always been an album band. The other side of that being, I think when people see us live, my voice has gotten better and I’m generally in better shape and I think I’m doing better than I was 10 or 15 years ago. People have said, “That’s gotta be a track. He’s not singing that.” It’s nice to be able to go “I am singing, and I’m singing in the same key as when I was 25.” So I’m hoping we can dovetail the whole thing and people will see the new album and get onboard.
Releasing albums in the ’90s is obviously different than releasing albums now. Do you have different expectations of success for this new project, given the way things have changed?
You know what, I’ve always wanted to have life-work balance. It starts getting too successful, and it can drive you crazy. You can overcook it, and you can end up not working out who you are and what you want and that there are other things in life. It’s great for stuff to go stratospheric, but I’ve kind of been around the block. Obviously I want things to do well, but I think the measure of success is people coming to the shows. But there is no doubt that I would like the album to get more coverage. I think it’s a better album than the last two by a country mile.
You haven’t played the States since 2018. When are you coming back to perform here again?
As soon as I can. We’ve got Thundercat playing on a couple of the album tracks, and he’s one of the loveliest and most talented guys I’ve ever met. He came over here, and we got together because I love his stuff, and he’s been absolutely fabulous. So obviously, in my mind, I can see us coming and Thundercat coming on and playing. There’s a lot of love for us in the States. I have to say, I do enjoy it. The crowds are just great. They get into it so much, and I mean that. I can’t wait to get over there and see them. And without giving too much away, there is a great deal of Americana concept in this album.
Has your attitude on success changed over the years?
I’m old enough to enjoy it and not be so — well, I don’t ever think I took myself too seriously, but I’m more mellowed out now. I’m much more in the mood of “Don’t worry about it.” I think that helps you make better choices and be more prepared. If everybody goes, “This is amazing!” you can go “Well that’s great!” And if everybody goes, “This is crap!” You go “Okay, cool.” You can’t please all the people all the time.
But I tell you what, what I do know is that in my heart, when I’m really happy with something — I’ve always got faith people will listen to something and go, “That’s taken quite a while. There’s been a lot of effort put into that, and it’s not something they cobbled together in 10 minutes.” I think people appreciate you doing your job properly. My job is to give people joy and entertain them and take them away from, frankly, at the moment, some of the misery of life, where they can get lost in the live gig for two hours.
The hat that you wear in the original “Virtual Insanity” video, where is it now?
That’s a good question. I presume, like your child’s favorite toy from when they were three, it’s in a box at home, waiting to come out again.
