Earlier this week, St. Louis singer Jordan Ward made his debut on NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Concerts, playing songs from his March debut album, Forward. The moment marked the peak of his already outstanding 2023; after opening for JID and Smino on their Luv Is 4ever Tour, he dropped Forward, then played the Dreamville Festival before joining 6lack on his Since I Have A Lover Tour.
Meanwhile, in Uproxx’s new interview with R&B star Arin Ray, Ray name-checked Ward as one of his favorite new names in R&B, calling him “incredible.” So:
Who Is Jordan Ward?
Standing confidently at a junction of soul, hip-hop, and dance music, the St. Louis-born Ward employs groovy production and a melodic, half-rapped delivery to detail narratives of life and love. Comparisons to fellow St. Louisan Smino wouldn’t go amiss, as they share similar sing-song rap styles and languid Midwestern drawls. However, where Smi sticks mainly in the lane of cosmic funk pioneered by the likes of Outkast, Ward likes neo-soul-inspired ballads and alt-R&B backdrops for his tales of situationships and grinding for his goals.
The standout track that has gotten much attention for Ward is “White Crocs” with another St. Louis native, Ryan Trey. It’s a spacey, swagged-out song that sees them lamenting the expensive tastes of the women they’re most attracted to. Check it out below.