Why Listen

Why Listen to Jordan Ward?

Jordan Ward’s 2023 album “FORWARD” first graced my ears that summer in the car with my best friend, James. Ward’s song “WHITE CROCS” had made its way into James’s “Discover Weekly” playlist on Spotify. The beat and contents of the song immediately struck me as unique. Jordan’s vocals had been sampled and layered, just like other hip-hop songs that utilize sampling techniques, except this had been sampled in-house, which I found really interesting. This was all while delivering clever lines such as “She wanna be a star, well, girl, I’m not your spaceship.”

A few weeks or so had gone by, and James once again had a new Jordan Ward gem to show me, his song “FAMJAM4000”, which is now one of my favorite songs ever written.

Ward’s lyrics center around themes of nostalgia, family, and heartfelt emotions. This is all packaged up in funk-inspired hip-hop production that is easy to listen to and often has me dancing a little bit in my chair. Back when I used to live with James, I have a very vivid memory of dancing through the living room to Ward’s music while James laughed at me in amusement.

Ward’s background is mostly in dance and stage productions, moving from his native city of St. Louis to Los Angles just after graduating high school to pursue dance. He toured as a dancer with artists such as Justin Bieber and Beyoncé. His background in dance shapes his sonic palette, and as I mentioned before, it will probably have you dancing in the car.

Circling back to Ward’s lyrics, vulnerable feelings surrounding things such as childhood and family matters are things you hardly hear so genuinely conveyed by artists, especially in a way that is fun to listen to and still taps into everyone’s emotions so deeply. I personally found his fondness of his family, especially in his song “FAMJAM4000” very moving.

He has enjoyed numerous successful collaborations with other artists; his album is littered with them, and all of them offer a slight twist on his sound while delivering something akin to the collaborating artists’ regular style. Ryan Trey and Jordan’s breakout song “WHITE CROCS” displays the silly footwear as a signal of a carefree attitude in a song full of clever lines written by the two of them. Jordan’s song “SIDEKICK” featuring Joyce Wrice has incredibly well-produced vocals and synthesizer layering, and their styles complement each other perfectly.

I’ve watched and read several of Ward’s interviews, and in all of them, he shares his sentiment of being hard working and never truly ‘making it’. New Wave Magazine asked in their interview with him: “Do you remember the moment when you realized that you were really making it as an artist in music?” and he responded, “I’m working every day, man. You know, what does ‘making it’ even mean?” in the same interview, Ward expresses his gratitude in those who have “shown love” in his music journey, especially his close friends.

Ward’s NPR Tiny Desk concert is by far my favorite performance of his on the internet. All of the songs he performs are presented in a new light, almost as if they were intended for these intimate live performances from conception. His playfulness and humor shine through on the first song, “Lil Baby Crush”. One of my favorite parts of this is in NPR’s description of the video; they say Ward was

“radiating with a warm energy that felt familiar, like linking up with your favorite cousin at the cookout.”

I couldn’t agree with this more, everything I have seen and heard from Ward exudes positivity and a breezy attitude.

Ward cites many influences during his musical journey, mainly Smino, another American artist from his home city of St. Louis. Throughout 2023, Ward was the opening act on Smino’s tour and says his connections to him were just from being a long-time fan and having deep respect for each other’s work. The city of St. Louis plays a huge part in Ward’s music, specifically its gospel music and theater music cultures. In a session he did on the “UNINTERRUPTED” podcast hosted by NBA champion Iman Shumpert and his brother, Ward says that almost all of his vocal development came from singing gospel in church, choirs in musical theater, and some vocal lessons later on.

In the same interview, Ward is asked what he hopes from the future of his music endeavors, to which he responds, “I just want it to be timeless.”

Ward’s album “FORWARD” is a clever play on words, a title showing evolution (moving forward) as well as being ‘for Ward’ (for himself and his family name). Ward is an only child, so he feels as if this album is a homage to his family name and all those who came before him and will follow in his footsteps. It also serves as a foreword, the beginning of his story.

So, why listen to Jordan Ward?

I believe that Ward’s music is exceptionally produced and performed and carries powerful messages strong enough for anyone to find a timeless classic within his work, all while being incredibly exciting to listen to.

Listen to Jordan Ward for excellent funk-inspired hip-hop production, an ‘unapologetically you’ attitude, and heartfelt emotional content such as a deep admiration for family, friends, and living life carefree.

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