With a strong debut LP showcasing his multi-genre, breath-of-fresh-air sound, Jordan Ward is a dynamic musician to look out for. For some, his name may not ring a bell, but the music industry is nothing new for the 28-year-old.
Jordan Ward’s History In The Music Industry
Emerging as a professional dancer in 2018, Jordan Ward has toured with global artists Justin Bieber and Becky G. In 2017, he released his debut single “Tapas” before delivering a handful of EPs and a mixtape. The promising performer and musician unleashed his debut album FORWARD via Interscope Records on Friday, March 3. The 14-song tracklist was revamped with a deluxe version on August 25 that had three additional tracks, including “Mustard,” which features 6LACK.
Debut Album FORWARD
Ward’s breakthrough debut LP sees the St. Louis native rap and sing about love taking space in multiple forms in his life. He writes about personal growth, stoicism, and adapting to changes in his life. The album title FORWARD symbolizes moving forward personally and creatively. But the title FORWARD is also an ode to his family name, Ward, and marks his fourth project, including his mixtapes.
Although, FORWARD only scratches the surface of Ward’s musical capabilities, tapping into R&B, hip-hop, and pop. Jordan’s audience is well acquainted with album tracks “White Crocs” with Ryan Trey, “FAMJAM4000,” and “IDC” with Joony. “White Crocs” with Ryan Trey received a stamp of approval from SZA when she attached the tune to her Instagram story.
Latest Single “Mustard” With 6LACK
Further, the theme of resilience is touched upon in the single “Mustard” with 6LACK. With buffed, high-pitched vocals reminiscent of Frank Ocean’s “Nikes,” Jordan compares mental strength to that of the delicacy of skin. “When the heat turns up, it can break somethin’ fragile / You could burn yourself or withstand with a callous.”
Jordan Ward has endured many hardships in his life and reflects on his teen years in the track. “I done seen this whole town wiped clean / Condos bury memories of my teens / I done seen this whole town get geeked / Switched to weed from Molly,” he sings in the chorus. For those unaware, “geeked” means to be ecstatic or enthusiastic about something. Then, Ward looks back on his contributions to the town and watches as the current high schoolers jump off the senior stands. “Held it down for ten summers like Mustard, baby.” In this line, he references rapper/producer DJ Mustard’s consistent summer hit songs, as well as his persisting through life’s seasons. In fact, the DJ has an album titled 10 Summers.
6LACK sings about self-regrowth through poetic lyricism over an acoustic guitar in the second verse. “Fall to the ground, its a rebirth, phoenix, I mean it / Was all soot, now the scene is the greenest / Fruits of my labor just needed some sun / Grounded myself, but I wanted to run.”
