Released October 19, 2018
7 / 10
Favorites
Saint Nobody, Dear Yessie, Imported (feat. JRM)
Least favorites
F*** Being Friends
Jessie Reyez' second EP is a collection of tracks, distilled to put forward her chameleon songwriter qualities. Hard to pin down to a specific genre, she sings to stripped R'n'B ballads, power trap-pop and agile folk. "Being Human In Public" establishes her a lyricist you'd be a fool not to keep an eye (ear?) on. She is raw, she is uninhibited, as straightforward as she possibly could be, with no superfluous antics yet she also achieves a melodic flow and allows words to fall down her tongue in the most evocative way. The EP opens with very powerful lyrical content - "I think about dying everyday". Instead of falling in a self-pity feeding loop, Jessie finds strength in her insecurities - "'Nother reason why I work like a motherfucker". Cleverly, the melody is simple enough as not to overshadow her lyrics. "Being Human In Public" really kickstarts with an uncanny candid rawness. Going in Apple Juice, it's hard to argue against the emotional component of Jessie's vocals. Her tone is so peculiar that I completely understand how it might not be everyone's cup of tea - especially when her voice breaks, depending on your disposition it will either hit you right in your feels or sound a like a whimpering child. On Apple Juice, Jessie should've perhaps held back slightly more - her vocal antics can be distracting and kill the mood. She doesn't lament for long though, jumping from the sentimental ballads to full-fledged motivation bops like Dear Yessie. The track is packed with style and agility, clearly meant to drive crowds wild. Jessie sings her confidence into action in this remarkable ambitious piece. What's more, the EP feels deeply personal, through intricate wordplay and attention to detail. Her experience feels generational and she speaks to millions on Imported. The track opens with the explosive "Hi, my name is Doesn't Matter", going to piling up message upon message. As a child of immigrants myself, I have a soft spot for the ingenious alliteration: "Hi, my name is not important / I'm not from here, I'm imported". And cherry on top, JRM's verse fits right in; both their voices mesh so well by the end of the track that I am almost wish it had been longer. "Being Human In Public" is packed with ambition and ideas, yet it still strikes the listener as a cohesive bunch. She certainly shows off and it pays off. Jessie sounds very self-aware and combines talent and personality with impressive finesse. Far from contrived, the music keeps on giving and I can't wait to listen to her debut album.
Favorite lyrics
"I think about dying every day I've been told that that’s a little strange, yeah But I guess I've always been a little strange"
Saint Nobody
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