Another concert, another debut. Jordan Ward is the latest artist announced by Versus for a first live show in our country, which is scheduled for July 15th in Lisbon, in a room yet to be revealed. Tickets are currently in the pre-sale phase and cost 26.75 euros — you can access the purchase here using the code “JWXVERSUS”.
Raised in St Louis, Missouri, Jordan Ward began his journey in the performing arts as a dancer. It was in this way that he achieved his first great achievements within the industry, becoming a dancer for several pop superstars such as Janet Jackson, Beyoncé or Justin Bieber. What no one knew was that, a few years later, he would also lead a musical project and show his skills as a singer and MC.
With the good signs left in projects such as A Peak at the Summit (2017) and Valley Hopefuls (2019), the one who didn’t want to let him escape was Interscope Records, the publishing house of names like Kendrick Lamar, Eminem or Billie Eilish, responsible for the release of his 2021 EP, Remain Calm, which contains the second most resonant song of his career, “Lil Baby Crush”. Her debut album is titled FORWARD and came out last year, having been entitled to a version deluxe with a few more tracks. Meanwhile, this rough diamond of r&b that navigates the more cosmic side of funk and soul has been crossing paths — in the studio and on stage — with names that are already better established, such as 6LACK, JID or Smino.
In the words of Miguel Santos, who highlighted Jordan Ward in one of the entries in his section Make way for…“FORWARD It is a project that points in several directions, multifaceted and, at times, hyperactive. It mirrors its creator, an artist with a lot of sonic ambition.” And it goes deeper, examining the details of some of the LP’s most iconic tracks:
“The name takes us to a transitional phase and that is the atmosphere of the title track. But it can also be seen as an album for Ward and his family, as is the powerful and swaying confrontation of “FAMJAM4000”, executed with great mastery. There is room for experimentation in more digital themes such as “DANCE MACHINE” or “0495”, but Ward does not forget his analog heart, a victim of love and heartbreak, in this project of lively and pulsating music, whether in the quick and sugary mutual invitation of “SIDEKICK” or in the confessional “IDC”. And there is room for harsh concepts, difficult to face, as “THINK TWICE” shows. The way Ward presents these concepts, with a cartoonish and interesting lightness, shows that his personality gives his songs a very special warmth.”
