March 18, 2022
This week for our Mezz Music Mondays playlist, we wanted to feature the soulful and spiritual sounds of R&B and Neo-Soul artist, Jordan Curls. If you’re looking for uplifting harmonies and relatable lyricism, be sure to check out her two new singles, “Strange Ties” and “Life After Sunshine”.
Jordan Curls, born and raised in Los Angelos, is currently a student and artist at Howard University in the DMV area. Although it may seem like Jordan Curls is a stage name, it is actually her birth name. She felt that she should utilize the uniqueness of her birth name to represent her artistry, which really symbolizes her overall approach to music. Most of her music represents personal experiences, including her two newest singles.
When talking about, “Strange Ties”, she explained that that song was about, “The residual energy that fake friendships leave around”. Jordan went on to explain that many people disregard the weight of friendships and the importance of those relationships, especially when they end. “Strange Ties” has dissonant, staked harmonies and a large production that discusses reclaiming your power after a draining friendship.
On a similar introspective note, “Life After Sunshine” documents her emotional journey after learning that her cousin was shot. When she first got the news, Jordan explained that she canceled her dance rehearsal and sat in an empty gymnasium as she wrote the entire song, processing her emotions. From this self-meditation, she came to the realization that there is no happiness without despair and in the same vein, there is no life without death. She expresses the necessity of this duality through, “Life After Sunshine.”
Other than these two songs on this week’s playlist, Jordan has another song, “Count Me In” which is really the antithesis of these emotional ballads. She says, “When writing [Count Me In] I was trying to make myself stand out and make a name for myself.” As her debut track, she decided to feature a satirical party song, commenting on the occasionally toxic Howard culture. In her newer music, she taps more into her intimate emotions, covering deeper topics that directly touch her rather than going for what is popular. This can be easily seen through the evolution of her writing style.
Her writing process has evolved to more of a healing and therapeutic practice. Her first step is journaling out her ideas and emotions to clear her mind before she is able to shape that energy into a creative medium. Often, she will look upbeats on Youtube to catch the vibe or rhythm of a song that she wants to write. Often, Jordan will find that she gets more of her melodies from poking at the piano and really feeling where the music wants to take her. Speaking to the evolution of her process, she emphasizes that she wants to harness her own sound rather than trying to sound like someone else. She even says that her process now is, “More of a manifestation of thought or feeling that I can’t help but make my own.”
Like many rising artists, Jordan Curls understands the importance of social media when it comes to marketing her music. She is incredibly active on Tiktok and Instagram and she is planning to grow her content in new and different ways. One thing that she has learned from her internships and previous work is that social media only works if you’re creating something new and captivating, so that is her next goal. Be sure to keep up with Jordan on her Instagram as she is anticipating the release of her debut album. If you love hearing artistic stories such as this one, be sure to follow Mezz Entertainment on all of our platforms. If you want a chance to be featured on our playlist or blog, be sure to submit your Soundcloud, Youtube, and Spotify links here!